PROGRAM 2

Meet Nancy Sharp – Grounded by her morning coffee, inspired by good music, and supported by her family. She lives by the mantra: Control what you can, confront what you can’t. From building teams and shaping culture to mentoring future leaders, Her journey from the hospitality floor to founding one of Chicago’s most respected organizations, Food For Thought, is proof that curiosity, patience, and purpose can pave the way to lasting success.

Starting in a serving role at country clubs and restaurants and moving to hotels and banquet operations. What began as an appreciation for food and service grew into a passion for building teams, developing talent, and shaping organizations. In 1983, my late husband, sister, and I had a vision to create a place where people could be brilliant, collaborate, and grow—and that vision became Food For Thought.

Food For Thought is a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

PROGRAM 1

Shelly Sun Berkowitz is the founder and Executive Chair of BrightStar Care, the national home care franchise system she built over 20 years, scaled to over 400 locations, and led through a majority sale in 2025. Shelly now serves as CEO of her advisory firm, Founder 2 Founder, where she is helping other founders scale, sell, and secure their business legacies. And through her family office, Next Phase Capital (NPC), she offers patient, values-aligned capital to franchise businesses.