Ten undergraduates at the University of Louisville (UofL) are testing how a proven business model turns ambition into action. They’re part of Yum! Scholars, a program orchestrated by the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, which awards selected students $8,000 each over four years to fund their studies, providing them with an insider’s perspective into the world of franchising.
The 2025 cohort of University of Louisville Yum! Scholars with Kathy Gosser, director of the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence and College of Business Dean Amy Henley.
Founded in 2021 by a joint venture between the university and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill, the center offers education at all levels, including the newly launched Yum! Scholars Program, which is funded by a $1 million endowment from the Yum! Brands Foundation. Each participant earns $1,000 per semester while enrolled, with coursework and case studies that link classroom concepts to franchise operations. The aim is to turn curiosity about franchising and business into competencies that travel across careers.
“This generation is focused on entrepreneurship,” said Kathleen Gosser, who has a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Organizational Development and is the center director and associate professor at the UofL College of Business. “Franchising can be a path to ownership, leadership and growth. Many of our scholars aren’t business majors, but they’re using franchising to learn how to build inside a system designed to scale.”
One such student is Taron Smith, a junior neuroscience major planning for a career in forensic psychology, who began to rethink where franchising fit into his goals.
“Neuroscience has always been my thing,” Smith said. “But when I learned about this opportunity, I saw a way to get insights into the way businesses operate. Even if I stay in psychology, it is a skill I will always use.”
Smith also values getting to know more about his cohort and their unique blends of interests across majors, with future dentists, social workers, accountants and budding tech founders.
For Mateo Barrientos, a public health major on a pre-dental track, a forwarded application from his chemistry professor led to his choice to apply. He grew up around his family-owned business and at UofL, found a mentor who showed him that healthcare and business can reinforce one another.
“He was a business major before becoming a dentist,” Barrientos said. “He owned restaurants and dental offices and showed me how powerful franchising can be. That really stuck with me because you can incorporate business and franchising into almost anything you do.”
Mateo plans to open a practice that expands access for families who face barriers to care. “I love dentistry, but I do not want it to consume my whole life,” he said. “A business mindset gives you freedom. It helps you grow what you love and use it to help others.”
First-generation college student Kyleigh Greenwell sees the scholarship as others expressing confidence in her potential. Classroom learning is now connected to a larger story about how business systems operate and where she can lead. She also sees a franchise education as giving her a leg-up in her career. “As an accountant, you see all kinds of businesses,” she said. “Franchising is everywhere. Understanding how it works will give me an edge.”
That competitive edge exists for the 10 students currently in the program and will extend to another 20 students annually over the next year.
“The Yum! Scholars Program aims to meet future leaders where they are and equips them to go beyond their career,” Gosser said. “You can’t ask for a better outcome.”
