3 Franchise Founders Pave the Way for Themselves and Countless Entrepreneurs to Come
Women in franchising are shaking up the business model, applying their own unique talents, backgrounds and skill sets to founding and investing in innovative brands. Overall, women-owned businesses account for almost 40% of all enterprises, employing almost 13 million workers and contributing $3.3 trillion in annual revenue, according to the Wells Fargo 2025 report on “The Impact of Women-Owned Businesses.” Women increasingly are choosing franchising as a means of controlling their own financial futures, creating family legacies and achieving success on their own terms – through perseverance, hard work and ingenuity.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we salute the achievements of women in franchising, including the three profiled below, who are writing their own success stories while creating opportunities for others now and in the future.
Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Franchising
Amanda Gingold, DonutNV
Women in leadership are expected to give 110% at work while never missing a beat at home. It’s not easy, but having the right people around you makes all the difference.
Success for DonutNV co-founder Amanda Gingold isn’t solely about responsible business growth. It’s about building something that changes lives. Since launching DonutNV in 2014, she’s helped countless entrepreneurs take control of their futures through franchising. But what drives her most is seeing the impact firsthand. “The best part of what I do is helping people chase their dreams,” Gingold says. “Hearing franchisees say, ‘This business has changed my life,’ makes every challenge worth it. It’s what keeps me pushing forward.”
DonutNV is a mobile franchise serving hot, fresh-made mini-doughnuts and beverages including fresh-squeezed lemonade from colorful trailers that can be operated from fixed locations or at events such as weddings, birthday parties and corporate events.
Gingold believes being a leader goes beyond the numbers. As a mother and entrepreneur, she understands the constant balancing act women face that involves leading with strength in business while still making space for family. “No matter how chaotic things get, when I see my daughter’s face, I remind myself that these moments are fleeting. I want to be present for them,” she says.
A strong support system is key, both personally and professionally, she says. “Women in leadership are expected to give 110% at work while never missing a beat at home. It’s not easy, but having the right people around you makes all the difference.”
Gingold looks up to other women in franchising, particularly fellow female entrepreneur Carey Gille, CEO of Franchise FastLane, who has built a thriving business while raising a family. “Carey proves that women don’t have to choose between career and family. She’s a reminder that we can create our own definition of success – and own it.”
Amanda Lightcap, Degree Wellness
We’ve created spaces that feel inviting, not intimidating.
Amanda Lightcap’s career in the wellness industry began with her own personal health crisis. Formerly a tech entrepreneur, she and her husband purchased a Degree Wellness business as an investment in 2020, which at the time was a single location founded in 2018 in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
In 2021, Lightcap was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and her subsequent health battle left her feeling drained both physically and emotionally. She turned to Degree Wellness for recovery, using infrared sauna sessions for detoxification, cryotherapy for energy, and red-light therapy for healing. Experiencing the benefits of these treatments, she became passionate about bringing wellness to others. In 2022, she took over daily operations of Degree Wellness, serving as board member and president.
Degree Wellness studios merge a holistic approach with technological advances to boost clients’ energy, ease pain and inflammation, reduce toxins in the body and improve metabolism. Innovative services offered in luxurious private suites include cold plunge, cryotherapy, contrast therapy, infrared sauna, intravenous drips, red light therapy and vitamin injections.
Lightcap’s data-driven leadership and commitment to inclusivity are reshaping how people approach wellness. By accelerating Degree Wellness’s expansion, she’s proving that purpose-driven leadership can lead to both business success and industrywide change.
“We’ve created spaces that feel inviting, not intimidating. Whether you’re an athlete or a busy parent looking to boost energy and improve sleep, our services are for you,” Lightcap says. Her commitment to inclusivity and wellness has positioned her as a leader in the industry, redefining how people approach self-care.
Courtney Yeager, The Tox
The health and wellness industry is very male-dominated, and even in beauty, there are very few female founders who have scaled brands to this size.
Courtney Yeager, founder and CEO of The Tox, is disrupting the franchise landscape. The Tox, a brand that blends wellness and beauty through its signature lymphatic drainage method, is proving that an entirely new category of franchising is possible. “We really don’t have any competition at all,” Yeager says. “We invented a space, not only in franchising but just in general.”
Yeager, an experienced franchise owner with a background in health, wellness and fitness, founded The Tox in 2019 after researching how her own digestive issues could be related to the lymphatic system. Her journey to franchising wasn’t immediate. Before deciding to scale, Yeager spent years ensuring the concept was viable in markets beyond Los Angeles and New York. Once she was ready, she took an intentional approach, growing the brand steadily and partnering with Franchise FastLane to accelerate development. Today, with about 80 locations set to open in the next year, The Tox is an undeniable success story.
But even as she breaks new ground, Yeager recognizes the gender gap in her industry. “The health and wellness industry is very male-dominated, and even in beauty, there are very few female founders who have scaled brands to this size.” Yeager is proving that women in franchising can – and will – disrupt industries and set new standards for success.
About Franchise FastLane
Franchise FastLane, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is a franchise development organization that specializes in accelerating growth for the most qualified franchise brands. It offers comprehensive solutions, including full-service franchise sales management through the FastLane program and development coaching plus a turnkey franchise development operating system through the CarPool service. Franchise FastLane uniquely serves both emerging and growth-oriented franchisors. Both programs are supported by the MasterClass training series and the Preferred Partner Network, equipping franchisors with the tools and expertise needed to thrive and achieve sustainable, responsible growth.
To look into using Franchise FastLane to grow your brand or to explore participation in its CarPool business coaching program, click here to submit an application.
To learn more about its brand partners, click here.
