The Yum! Scholars Program, launched this fall through the in the UofL College of Business, has welcomed 10 students to its first cohort. Yum! Scholars, who may be from any school and major across the university, receive up to $8,000 in financial support and mentoring within a community designed to help them become the next generation of leaders who drive growth, innovation and success in the franchising world. Successful scholars will embody the spirit of leadership, resilience and community impact.

“Being selected as a Yum! Scholar means having the support and opportunity to turn my hard work and dreams into a future where I can give back to my community,” said Ethan Walker, a junior majoring in business administration and one of the scholars selected.

The program is made possible by a $1-million endowment from Yum! Brands, demonstrating Yum!’s commitment to investing in the next generation of franchise business leaders. The program aims to prepare talented individuals for thriving careers in franchising, business and leadership.

“It’s truly a pleasure to support these amazing students from Yum! Brands’ home state of Kentucky,” said Kat Abner, senior manager, community impact for Yum! Brands. “It is so rewarding to continue working with the University of Louisville on innovative ways to provide a best-in-class education to those interested in a career in franchising. The industry’s future leaders are being trained today at the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence.”

The is a cohort experience that builds a strong community of changemakers driven to make a difference on campus and beyond. As part of the program, each scholar will receive $1,000 per semester for up to eight semesters and engage in franchising education and community designed to inspire them to explore careers and leadership in the franchise industry. Each year, the program plans to add five students from the incoming freshman class.

Yum! Scholars are selected for academic potential along with how they live out the four core values that reflect the spirit of the Yum! Scholars Program:

• Drive: Demonstrate grit and determination by rising above obstacles and turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
• Leadership: Lead with integrity, courage and empathy – taking initiative and inspiring positive momentum in every endeavor.
• Belonging: Respect and value the unique experiences of others, fostering an environment where all people and voices are welcome.
• Impact: Strive to make meaningful contributions that create lasting, positive change on campus, in communities and beyond.

Yum! Scholars will have exclusive opportunities to engage with franchise industry professionals to help build their professional network and provide real-world franchising insights as part of the scholars’ community, while pursuing the degree of their choice.

“These students will be prepared to become leaders in the franchising industry,” said Kathleen Gosser, director of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence. “Franchising provides a tremendous entrepreneurial opportunity for students who are driven and focused. This program will help boost their success and accelerate their careers.”

Yum! Scholars must be residents of Kentucky or a state covered by UofL’s tuition reciprocity agreements and must complete at least one of four designated undergraduate online courses in franchise management during their junior or senior year. To remain eligible, scholars must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and participate in program events, which include workshops, networking and professional development. Current high school seniors are encouraged to to be part of the 2026 cohort by Sunday, Dec. 15.

The 2025 Yum! Scholars

• Brian Alonso, Sophomore, Business Admin
• Mohammed Alyaserri, Junior, CIS
• Mateo Barrientos, Junior, Public Health
• Maycee Decker, Junior, Biology
• Ezra Foote, Sophomore, Political Science
• Kyleigh Greenwell, Sophomore, Accountancy
• TaRon Smith, Junior, Neuroscience
• Key’Shawn Stoner, Sophomore, Business Admin
• Ethan Walker, Junior, Business Admin
• Trinity Ziakas, Sophomore, Psychology

“I felt like I was kind of just stuck on a hamster wheel,” McNary said. “My sister asked if I had thought about going back to school and I said, ‘Absolutely not!’”

He didn’t know how he could fit classes in around his full-time job, but his sister suggested he look into online programs that would provide more flexibility. What he discovered convinced him it could work.

A search led him to University of Louisville’s , a relatively new program at the time in the College of Business. He chose UofL over the two other programs where he was accepted because of the business networking opportunities UofL could make available to him.

“The vast network that University of Louisville has as a resource for job placement was the most appealing part for me,” McNary said, adding that he also was impressed by the exceptional helpfulness of faculty.

Eye-opening fellowship unleashes McNary’s potential

During his MBA coursework, McNary got a taste of the franchising industry while participating in the Yum! Franchise Accelerator Fellowship offered through the .

The three-month fellowship offered an elective curriculum in franchise management, key experiences and mentorship by Yum! Brands executives and franchise owners. The fellowship culminated in a pitch competition for seed funding and a path to franchise ownership.

“I always wanted to create my own restaurant,” McNary said. “That’s always intrigued me. So, I was thinking I could learn about the business and if I didn’t win, I would at least have the information to do my own thing.”

A trip to California during the fellowship offered an eye-opening look at the Taco Bell brand.

“Spending four days out there in Irvine with the team and the employees and going through the different departments solidified that it was something I wanted to do.”

McNary was a finalist in the competition, and Tacala, the largest Taco Bell franchisee in the U.S., offered him an opportunity for additional training and mentorship. McNary joined Tacala after receiving his MBA from UofL in May 2023, and he was put in charge of one of the lowest performing of Tacala’s 370+ locations, a store in Auburn, Alabama.

Under McNary’s leadership, that store improved month by month, consistently finishing in Tacala’s top 50 Taco Bell restaurants, and it finished as the number one Taco Bell store between Aug. 7-Sept. 3, 2024.

McNary believes he has found his calling in franchising.

“I find more satisfaction in this role than I have in all of my corporate roles,” he said. “There are some things that make it a little challenging, but I really appreciate the people part of it, I’m a people person.”

In January, McNary moved into the role of area coach nearby Tacala’s Restaurant Support Center in Birmingham, Alabama, working with a group of restaurant leaders to help them succeed in their stores. When his apprenticeship time with Tacala is complete, McNary hopes to work with Tacala to purchase and develop his own franchise locations.

“To be able to join and to learn the ropes from such a juggernaut, it’s been a real blessing,” he said. “I understand how lucky I am to be in this position, to be a part of this program and to get an opportunity to operate my own set of Taco Bell restaurants. I know this wouldn’t have happened without me attending UofL.”

Expanded opportunity for a thriving future 

College of Business Interim Dean Jeff Guan calls McNary an inspiration.

“Ethan’s journey is a shining example of the profound impact our programs can have,” Guan said. “Stories like his reaffirm our commitment to delivering a world-class education — one that not only prepares our students to navigate the complexities of the business world but also equips them to lead with purpose and make a meaningful difference.”

Kathleen Gosser, Yum! Brands Associate Professor of Franchise Management Practice and director of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence at the College of Business, mentored McNary during his time at UofL.

“Ethan is incredible and is learning all he needs to know about becoming a Taco Bell franchisee one day,” Gosser said. “His experience shows what a great opportunity franchising can be for entrepreneurs. And he is learning from the best. For the fifth consecutive year, Taco Bell is the number one franchise in the U.S. as ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine.”

Jamie Harrison, vice president of people & culture and interim chief people & culture officer at Taco Bell, sees Ethan’s journey as a testament to the brand’s people-first approach.

“Ethan’s dedication and passion for franchising are truly commendable, and we are proud that he is a member of our Taco Bell team. We applaud Tacala for sharing Taco Bell’s commitment to engaging top talent and delivering an environment where individuals like Ethan can achieve their full potential.”

“It’s exciting to be on this journey with Ethan. Since joining Tacala in 2023, he has enthusiastically worked through all restaurant positions to immerse himself in the business and prepare for management and ownership of a thriving business. Ethan’s passion for people and high standards combined with this experience will set him up for success in the future,” said David Morrison, chief operations officer of Tacala Companies.

McNary already is giving back to the program that injected fresh energy into his career, happy to mentor other students interested in franchising. He visited Louisville to speak to Gosser’s class and participated in the Online MBA program’s 5^th anniversary during Homecoming 2024.

As part of its $100 million global Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, Yum! Brands is providing more than $800,000 in funding to launch the “Accelerating Growth” programs, which is in addition to the $3.5 million commitment the company made to launch the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence in 2021. The goal of Yum! Brands’ Unlocking Opportunity Initiative is to create opportunities for education and entrepreneurship for employees, frontline restaurant teams and communities around the world.

The two new “Accelerating Growth” education tracks will launch in the summer and fall 2024 semester and will focus on training attendees to upskill their franchising education.

“Yum! Brands is passionate about the franchise business model, and capable franchise leaders are the lifeblood of every successful franchise system. As the franchisor of choice for the industry, we are thrilled to partner with the University of Louisville and address a need of the industry – training a new generation of leaders to take on senior management roles in franchise businesses,” said Wanda Williams, head, Global Franchising, Yum! Brands. “Since its launch in 2021 as part of our Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence has helped prepare hundreds of students for successful careers and business ownership opportunities by building knowledge about the franchising industry.”

Two new education tracks will be offered as part of the “Accelerating Growth” program, which will develop the skills necessary to run and grow a large franchise business: a six-month Level 1 program designed to train general managers and area coaches for a vice president role, and an advanced one-year program customized to prepare vice presidents for a role as president of a franchise organization. Both programs include online and experiential education, and the advanced program also includes a final simulation and development of a business plan.

“The ‘Accelerating Growth’ program is an exceptional addition to the multilevel franchise education offered by our center at the University of Louisville and is yet another way we can create opportunities for professionals across the franchising industry. We are incredibly grateful for Yum!’s continued support for the center and this opportunity to expand the center’s programs,” said Kathleen Gosser, director of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence and assistant professor in the .

Since the launch of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence at UofL, total enrollment has exceeded 900 students – 418 undergrad, 50 graduate-level and 500 executive education enrollees.

In addition, the center launched the annual Yum! Franchise Accelerator Fellowship in 2022, a collaborative effort between UofL, Howard University and Yum! Brands, which offers a unique opportunity for four MBA students from the two universities. Participants in the annual program are granted $10,000 scholarships and receive personalized training and mentorship from industry experts during an immersive educational journey centered around the franchise business model. Each accelerator program culminates in a pitch competition featuring a $10,000 cash prize, while establishing winners as top candidates for promising franchising careers. The Yum! Franchise Accelerator Fellowship is open to all eligible students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.

Ten second-year MBA students from the two universities were selected to participate in the intensive five-month fellowship where two participants will have the opportunity to become future franchisees of Yum! Brands, the owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill. The debut of the Yum! Franchise Accelerator follows last year’s launch of the , within UofL’s College of Business. 

“Yum! Brands is proud to work with both the University of Louisville and Howard University on this groundbreaking partnership to train and advance underrepresented people of color and women entrepreneurs interested in building a career in the franchise restaurant industry,” said Scott Catlett, chief legal and franchise officer of Yum! Brands. “The fellowship is a win-win as the students will receive educational experiences, mentoring and hands-on training unlike any other, while Yum! has the opportunity to welcome two talented business leaders and aspiring, diverse franchisees to our U.S. system.”  

The participants – six MBA students from Howard University and four from UofL – receive scholarships and extensive education on the franchise business model through the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence’s franchising curriculum, along with one-of-a-kind mentorship from some of Yum! Brands’ top franchisees in the U.S., in-restaurant training, a sponsored trip to Yum! Brands’ Louisville Restaurant Support Center and a number of unique curated franchising professional experiences during the semester. The Yum! Franchise Accelerator provides each student with learning focused on scholarship, mentorship and entrepreneurship that culminates in a pitch competition where two grand prize winners will receive seed money, additional training and mentorship, as well as an opportunity to become a future Yum! franchisee.  

“I am thrilled for the University of Louisville to partner with Howard University and Yum! Brands on this exciting, synergistic fellowship to create exceptional opportunities for underrepresented people of color and women,” said Lori Stewart Gonzalez, interim president of UofL. “This program of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence exemplifies our commitment to enhanced student experience and upholds our antiracism promise. I am certain it will have life-changing impact not only on participating students but far beyond, through their future entrepreneurial success and with those they mentor and inspire.” 

“Howard students have always been passionate about entrepreneurship because of the potential it has to impact not just their own lives, but the lives of people in their communities. The Franchise Accelerator is an incredible opportunity for Howard students to gain training in and access to a sector that has served as a wealth-building engine for so many communities,” said Yuvay Meyers Ferguson, assistant dean of impact and engagement and associate professor of marketing at Howard University. “We are so grateful and excited about our partnership with UofL and Yum! Brands and what it will mean for increasing representation of women and people of color in the franchise industry.” 

Since June, more than 200 students have participated in programs at the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, including more than 100 undergraduate students, 55 graduate students and more than 75 participants in the executive-level Franchise Management Certificate program. The center is the first business program of its kind at a public university to provide existing and potential franchisees multiple levels of online education focused on the franchising model across industries. It focuses on recruiting and educating underrepresented people of color and women on the possibilities of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship. 

“From the beginning, the goal of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence was to amplify our world-class franchising model and give more underrepresented people of color and women access to franchise ownership and the ability to create generational wealth and a legacy,” said Wanda Williams, head of Yum! Global Franchising. “This program is consistent with our goal of becoming the world’s multi-brand franchisor of choice which strives to create a global franchise system as diverse as the communities we serve. Adding the faces and voices of underrepresented people of color and women leads to diversity of ownership and thought, builds on our legacy of developing and growing franchising and creating jobs and broadens the reach of Yum!’s world-class franchising model.”  

During the semester, each student will take part in sessions that allow them to learn directly from Yum! Brands executives, successful franchisees and restaurant operators, as well as interacting with brand franchise recruiters. Each student participating in the Yum! Franchise Accelerator will be paired with a current Yum! Brands franchisee who will serve as a mentor and thought partner during the semester-long program.  

“Franchising is a proven model to empower communities to build and sustain generational wealth,” said Kathleen Gosser, assistant professor of franchise management and director of the UofL Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence. “This pilot program will accelerate this process for our deserving cohort of talented MBA students, allowing them to become the future of franchising success within underrepresented populations. And when this success occurs, the entire community benefits.” 

The creation and funding of the UofL Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence is part of Yum! Brands’ global Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, in which the company committed $100 million over five years to promote equity and inclusion, education and entrepreneurship for employees, frontline restaurant teams and communities around the world. Across KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill, and in close collaboration with Yum!’s franchisees, the Unlocking Opportunity Initiative builds on more than 20 years of investing in the Company’s people-first culture.  

The franchising model is strong in the U.S. and globally and makes business ownership accessible to many individuals. When 2021 year-end data is finalized, the  projects the franchising industry will have  in the U.S. alone.  

Yum! Brands is providing $3.5 million in funding for the center as part of company’s global Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, in which it committed $100 million over five years to promote equity and inclusion, education and entrepreneurship for employees, frontline restaurant teams and communities around the world.

“We believe that combining the resources and expertise of the University of Louisville with Yum! Brands will create an unrivaled resource for world-class training in franchising that will help people everywhere, particularly underrepresented people of color and women, succeed in franchise ownership and management,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “We’re excited about the new center as it aligns with UofL’s commitment to empower our communities and supports our vision to become the nation’s premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.”

“We’re proud to partner with the University of Louisville on developing a sustainable, globally scalable program that democratizes exposure to and builds knowledge of the franchising industry for all,” said Scott Catlett, chief legal and franchise officer at Yum! Brands. “Our hope is the center will carve a path to economic opportunity and successful ownership for talented, underrepresented people while bringing diverse voices and ideas to the broader franchising community.”

The builds on UofL’s existing franchising education programs in the College of Business, which include a graduate certificate and an executive-level Franchise Management Certificate, along with an undergraduate franchising track within the Bachelor of Business Administration program that launched in the Spring 2021 semester.

The center’s curriculum development is led by franchising industry alumni and business experts at UofL, with subject matter experts at Yum! Brands providing resources, up-to-date information and powerful industry insights on the state of franchising.

In addition, to improve equity for underrepresented people of color and women, the center will:

• Actively recruit diverse students to its undergraduate, graduate and executive-level programs offered through the College of Business
• Conduct research to develop new knowledge surrounding franchise ownership, including case studies, white papers and other work to better understand the reasons for lower ownership by underrepresented people of color and women
• Create regular podcasts and a practitioner-focused journal to share franchising education and news with franchise owners and managers.

“Franchising is one of the best paths to entrepreneurship, creating an opportunity to build generational wealth,” said Kathleen Gosser, executive-in-residence in the , where the center will be based. “Franchise ownership among underrepresented people of color and women is lower than their representation in the population. Our goal is to uncover and reduce barriers to franchise ownership, starting with education.”

The franchising model is strong in the U.S. and globally and makes business ownership accessible to many individuals. By the end of 2021, the projects the franchising industry will increase to more than 780,000 outlets employing 8.2 million people in the U.S. alone.

“Partnering with UofL on the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence allows Yum! Brands to amplify our world-class franchising model and give more people access to the franchising world and the ability to create generational wealth and a legacy,” said Wanda Williams, head of Yum! Global Franchising. “Access to the program will also be a wonderful opportunity for new franchisees entering the Yum! Brands system as well as for employees who want to become business owners.”

In addition to Yum! Brands’ recent grant to UofL, the company also is investing $6 million over five years to advance equity and opportunity across Louisville, particularly in West Louisville, including uplifting Black students, educators, entrepreneurs and social change agents. As part of this, Yum! Brands is working with Nat Irvin, assistant dean in the UofL College of Business, on the university’s Pathways program to help predominantly Pell Grant-eligible high school students at key public schools in Louisville earn college credits from and early admission to UofL.

Yum! Brands, based in Louisville, has over 50,000 restaurants in more than 150 countries and territories and more than 2,000 franchisees around the world. The company’s brands include KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill.