Meet the Women Leading Four Emerging Franchise Brands

Meet the female founders behind DDH, Dakota London, SPENGA and Property Sellwise, four brands in the Franchise FastLane network bringing fresh energy and standout opportunities to franchising. Women now own over 40% of all U.S. businesses, employing 12.6 million people and generating $2.8 trillion in revenue, according to a recent report by Wells Fargo. As more women step into business ownership, these leaders are creating more opportunities. From fitness and home organization to beauty and real estate investing, each brand offers a distinct path into ownership.

Together, these women are leading with vision, passion and purpose while inspiring others to build businesses of their own.

DDH brings a fresh, female-led approach to franchising with its luxury home organizing and move management model. Mother-and-daughter co-founders Ann Lightfoot (left) and Kate Pawlowski (right) built the brand around helping clients bring order, ease and peace of mind to stressful life transitions, from organizing projects and relocations to estate clearouts.

What sets DDH apart is its high-touch service, discretion and empathy, along with a business model centered on flexibility, purpose and community impact.

“What I’m most grateful for in building DDH is the flexibility of being my own boss. I can schedule Zoom calls and collaborative work during school hours, and handle marketing or finance after the kids are in bed. As any entrepreneur knows, you’re never truly off the clock — but you can take your work with you. I fully plan to be working from the pool this summer,” says Kate.

Katy Cotten and her husband, Scott, built Dakota London after seeing an opportunity in the hair extensions space. “With almost 30 years in the industry, we had seen enough to know where things were falling short. It wasn’t just about the hair. It was the standards, the communication, the experience for the client and the stylist,” she says.

She and Scott turned that idea into a brand fully dedicated to hair extensions. Rather than treating extensions as an add-on service like most salons do, Dakota London built its business around them, with strong training, clear systems and a luxury experience. The brand has grown by staying focused and protecting its standards.

Through Dakota London, Cotten is also helping more women step into franchise ownership and leadership with real support behind them. Her message to women is simple: Trust yourself and go for it. “Stop waiting for permission,” she says.

SPENGA is a boutique fitness franchise that gives members a full-body workout in one hour. Its signature class combines spin, strength training and yoga for a balanced mix of cardio, strength and flexibility. Founded in 2015, the brand has grown through its strong sense of community and results-focused approach.

Co-founders Heather Ruff (left), Amy Nielsen (center) and Nancy Vrdolyak (right) built the brand with passion. “We weren’t focused so much on being a ‘female-led company,’ rather ‘let’s start this amazing fitness company,’” Nielsen says. “But the fact that three founders are women is absolutely worth noticing and celebrating.”

For franchise owners interested in real estate investing, Property Sellwise offers a low-overhead, scalable model built to help homeowners sell quickly while creating opportunities for investors. Since launching as a franchise in 2023, the brand has focused on giving owners the systems, training and support needed to grow efficiently. COO Brandy Hoffman has played a major role in that growth, bringing experience in operations, dispositions and marketing, along with more than 300 transactions.

“We created Property Sellwise to give entrepreneurs a clear, proven path to success through systems, support and a strong community,” Hoffman says. “As a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated space, my journey has been about bringing a different perspective, one focused on collaboration, structure and long-term sustainability.”