Peter Cancro, founder and chairman of Jersey Mike’s, built one of America’s fastest-growing restaurant chains by turning a single New Jersey sandwich shop he bought at 17 into a national franchising powerhouse. Over five decades, he expanded the brand through a simple model centered on fresh-sliced subs, operator loyalty, and strong local-store economics, helping Jersey Mike’s surpass 3,000 locations. After Blackstone’s 2024 acquisition of the company at an $8 billion valuation, Cancro stepped down as CEO in 2025 but remained chairman and a significant shareholder, continuing to shape the brand’s long-term growth.

Neal Aronson, founder and managing partner of Roark Capital, built one of the most influential private equity firms in franchising, restaurants, and multi-location consumer businesses. Since founding Roark in 2001, he has developed a reputation for patient capital, operational focus, and deep expertise in brand-driven businesses, helping assemble a portfolio that has included major names such as Subway, Dunkin’, Arby’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Before Roark, Aronson cofounded U.S. Franchise Systems, giving him an early grounding in the economics of scalable branded businesses.