Yum! Brands and the University of Louisville Announce First-of-its-Kind Education and Research Center to Unlock Opportunities in Franchising for Underrepresented People of Color and Women

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) and the University of Louisville today announced the launch of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence. The Center will feature the first business program of its kind at a public university to provide existing and potential franchisees multiple levels of online education focused on the franchising model across industries. In addition, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence will focus on recruiting and educating underrepresented people of color and women on the possibilities of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship.

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Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence: Yum! Brands and the University of Louisville announce the first-of-its-kind education and research center to unlock opportunities in franchising for underrepresented people of color and women. (Photo: University of Louisville)

The creation and funding of the Center is part of Yum! Brands’ global Unlocking Opportunity Initiative, in which the Company committed $100 million over five years to promote equity and inclusion, education and entrepreneurship for employees, frontline restaurant teams and communities around the world.

“We believe that combining the resources and expertise of the University of Louisville with Yum! Brands will create an unrivaled resource for world-class training in franchising that will help people everywhere, particularly underrepresented people of color and women, succeed in franchise ownership and management," said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. "We're excited about the new center as it aligns with UofL's commitment to empower our communities and supports our vision to become the nation's premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.”

“We’re proud to partner with the University of Louisville on developing a sustainable, globally scalable program that democratizes exposure to and builds knowledge of the franchising industry for all,” said Scott Catlett, Chief Legal and Franchise Officer, Yum! Brands. “Our hope is the Center will carve a path to economic opportunity and successful ownership for talented, underrepresented people while bringing diverse voices and ideas to the broader franchising community.”