Speakers

Sam G. Ballas, CCIM, CFE, began his financial career in 1990 with Equico Securities and later led AIG’s North Carolina domestic financial division before returning to the restaurant industry. In 1999, he founded East Coast Wings + Grill (ECW) and launched it as a franchise system in 2005, guided by the philosophy of “Driven by Unit Level Economics.” ECW has earned recognition including the INC 5000, Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 Best Franchise Systems and Hall of Fame, and rankings on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 and Franchise Times Top 200+.

Since 2015, Sam has written and spoken widely on franchise economics and franchise system development, with features on Bloomberg, Fox News, and CNBC. He also founded ZorAbility, an emerging brands coaching and investment firm. In 2023, he co-founded Sammy’s Sliders and helped launch it as a franchise brand in 2025.

Sam serves as 2025 Vice Chairman and 2026 incoming Chairman of the IFA Board of Directors.