In a significant move to enhance its market position and improve leadership capabilities and capacity, ZorForum, a “first-of-its-kind” peer sharing and networking franchise, has announced a new partnership with Blue Maven, an ascending group of franchise experts offering customizable fractional executive solutions.
With this new affiliation, Blue Maven’s key leaders – Ashly Loza, Kevin Shaw, and John Moreau – join Dave Pazgan, Graham Chapman, Stan Friedman, and Eric Mayers as ZorForum equity partners. They also each assume prominent ZorForum leadership roles with Loza named Chief Operating Officer, Shaw named Chief Technology Officer, and Moreau named Chief Growth Officer.
Additionally, one more pivotal adjustment has been made to the executive team as Dave Pazgan has transitioned into a Visionary Founder position. Graham Chapman has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer while Stan Friedman and Eric Mayers retain their critical positions as Chief Development Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, respectively.
Chapman says these announcements are a signal to the franchising community that ZorForum has officially arrived and is here to stay.
“I am thrilled the Blue Maven team has joined the ZorForum family,” says Chapman. “I’ve known Ashly for many years and have quickly established tight bonds with John and Kevin. We trust each other and we’re ready to take ZorForum to new heights. The seven of us now working together on the ZorForum executive team possess an impressive combination of leadership skills, complementary talents, and deep franchising experience. We’re equipped to support our franchisees, sustainably grow the ZorForum brand, and give back to the franchising community at large.”
Loza concurs with Chapman and shares that the partnership is equally important for Blue Maven.
“Joining forces with ZorForum is a pivotal moment for the Blue Maven team and I am energized by the opportunities this partnership presents,” says Loza. “Our shared vision focused on meeting franchise leaders and executives at their unique growth stages is not just a strategic move, but a leap towards redefining how emerging franchisors succeed; ultimately reducing the attrition rate in the industry. Our collaboration is poised to unlock new potential, create more value for our franchisees, and build a robust community where ideas and best practices in franchising move the needle so brands are equipped to reach new levels of success. I look forward to contributing my expertise and experience to this dynamic team’s vision, and our team at Blue Maven is honored to be a part of this next phase.”
Both companies are optimistic about what they’ll accomplish together because they possess a shared ambition to open doors, create opportunities, and foster new relationships within the franchising space.
“This is a great day for ZorForum and the franchising community at large,” says Stan Friedman. “While there’s no shortage of broker networks or FSOs to aid franchisors with franchise development, there is too little available to help franchisors with other aspects of their fledgling businesses on an ongoing basis. This is what ZorForum’s Mastermind groups deliver. They provide monthly peer groups for emerging and established franchisors, helping one another to avoid the traps, the blind spots, the unique challenges and other burdens, so commonly shared by those in that market segment. Better still, these groups are all guided by facilitators, such as ZorForum franchisees John Francis and Gerry Henley, who have earned their stripes as well respected franchise leaders and professionals.”
With a strengthened leadership team and a clear vision for the future, ZorForum expects to award 25+ franchises and recruit 250+ members by end of 2025.
