New Backing will Expand Franchise Consultant Support and Lead Generation Tools
The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) has aligned itself with CNL Strategic Capital and Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), replacing its previous investment relationship with Princeton Equity Group.
The partnership reflects a reinforcement and strong belief in IFPG’s mission, leadership and its unique role within the franchising ecosystem. Notably, IFPG’s leadership team — CEO Don Daszkowski, President Red Boswell and COO Matt Otskey, (above, from left to right) — will remain in place and continue to lead the company’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations.
“This partnership is the natural next step in IFPG’s growth story,” said Daszkowski. “Together with our members, we’ve built a powerful community of franchise consultants, franchisors and suppliers. CNL and LLCP understand and value that ecosystem, and they’re aligned with our vision for what’s next.”
Since its founding in 2012, IFPG has grown into franchising’s most trusted and collaborative network, now serving more than 1,500 members. IFPG has earned recognition on Entrepreneur’s prestigious top franchise supplier ranking as the No. 1 franchise broker organization, and IFPG‘s signature event, the IFPG Retreat (shown above), was also recognized by Entrepreneur as a top franchise conference.
The new partnership enables IFPG to accelerate investments in products and services that benefit all members. That includes expanding the exclusive IFPG Lead Marketplace — where consultants access high-quality franchise buyer leads — and launching enhanced solutions for franchisors such as marketing tools, analytics and strategic support.
“With the backing of CNL and LLCP, we’re scaling everything that’s made IFPG successful — more support, more innovation and more services across franchising,” said Otskey.
Vendor and supplier members will also benefit from new opportunities. The partnership brings resources to expand IFPG’s Franchise Supplier Hub and enhance the organization’s group purchasing capabilities — unlocking additional savings and value-added services for members.
“We see substantial potential in IFPG’s platform model and the passionate community that surrounds it,” said Andrew Alexander, LLCP Managing Director. “Our partnership is about propelling the proven, existing model while helping IFPG expand its reach, impact and value across the franchising landscape.”
For IFPG members, the message is clear: The company’s mission and member-first approach remain unchanged — only now with greater ability to deliver value.
“Franchise consultants are the heart of our mission,” said Boswell. “This partnership gives us the resources to double down on that mission — better leads, stronger training, smarter tools — all with the goal of helping our members achieve more.”
About Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC, is a middle-market private equity firm with a 41-year track record of investing across various targeted sectors, including business services, franchising and multi-unit, education and training, and engineered products and manufacturing. LLCP utilizes a differentiated structured private equity investment strategy, combining debt and equity capital investments in portfolio companies. LLCP believes that by investing in a combination of debt and equity securities, it offers management teams growth capital in a highly tailored, flexible investment structure that can be a more attractive alternative than traditional private equity.
LLCP’s global team of dedicated investment professionals is led by nine partners who have worked at LLCP for an average of 19 years. Since its inception, LLCP has managed approximately $17.2 billion of institutional capital across 15 investment funds and has invested in over 100 portfolio companies. LLCP currently manages $11.1 billion of assets and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, London, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
