Meet The Young Chefs Academy Team
Corporate team made up of industry professionals who are longtime collaborators
Young Chefs Academy franchise owners love the family aspect of the business. They get that from the corporate team, a group of experts with more than 130 years of combined experience in franchising whose driving passion every day is to help each franchise owner succeed. Ready to meet them?
Julie Fabing Burleson
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Julie owned and operated two culinary businesses before launching the Young Chefs Academy model and setting out to build a franchise network dedicated to teaching children the joy and value of cooking. Julie is the recipient of a Best Feasibility Plan award from Baylor University’s John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and is a member of the International Franchise Association.
Charles Burleson
Vice President – Business Systems & Technology
Charles has worked in corporate IT management for more than 20 years. He has led technology-integration projects in a wide range of areas, including corporate networks, midrange-desktop applications and web-based business systems. His certifications include CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+.
Shelly Young
Director of Marketing
Shelly has more than 20 years’ experience in a variety of franchise industry roles, with an emphasis on integrated marketing solutions, national marketing initiatives, graphic development and design.
Jamie Skinner
Director of Franchise Operations
Jamie brings two decades of experience as she works hand-in-hand with franchise owners, supporting them in the successful implementation of operational policies and procedures so they can achieve maximum profitability.
Rachel Solano
Curriculum Coordinator
Rachel began her professional career as a lead supervisor and corporate trainer. Over the past 10 years, Rachel has combined a passion for cooking with her background as chef instructor and manager. Her love for cooking began at an early age as she learned how to make healthy homemade recipes with her mom. Rachel understands the value in knowing how to cook and believes that it is vital for kids to have opportunities to gain culinary skills in a happy and supportive environment.
Diane Wright
Franchise Development Specialist
In her more than 25 years in the franchising industry, Diane has been a unit franchise owner and master licensee and has held various executive management positions with national and international franchisors, including President of Innovative Franchise Services, a franchise consulting and development firm in Tucson, Arizona. She is a past president of the International Franchisee Advisory Council for Decorating Den Systems Inc., and past president of the Arizona Licensor/Franchisor Association.
Julie Andrews
Curriculum Writer
Julie Andrews, MS, RDN, CD, is a food and nutrition consultant, registered dietitian nutritionist, published author, chef and culinary media expert. Her passion and experience lie in business development, recipe and cooking class curriculum development, food styling, food photography and food writing. Julie’s greatest joy is inspiring others to cook for themselves, as she truly believes it’s the ticket to better health and a more enjoyable life.
