Anne Beiler

After she and her husband lost their 19 month-old daughter in a tragic accident, they entered one of the most difficult seasons of their marriage. It was through counseling that they found healing and restoration. Their experience created a desire to help other hurting families and led her husband, Jonas, to begin a community counseling center.

To help fund the counseling center, Anne started selling pretzels at the local farmers market. What began as a small pretzel stand quickly grew into the world’s largest hand-rolled pretzel franchise with over 1,700 locations worldwide. Anne’s humble beginnings have uniquely shaped her approach to business and management. “We have a purpose greater than ourselves,” she says. “Having a great product is important, but not as important as caring for your people.” Out of her pain came purpose and the desire to persevere toward personal and professional success. With the wisdom she has gained from her journey, Anne creates a culture of positive influence and great opportunity.

Anne is among an elite group of American women who have founded and owned an international franchise company. Her commitment to excellence and humility has been recognized by national media, including Good Morning America, Oprah, and Secret Millionaire. She was named one of America’s 500 women entrepreneurs and was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. Magazine. She holds honorary doctorates from Eastern College and Elizabethtown College.

One of Anne’s greatest passions is to engage with young women and help them succeed in the world of business, whether they just starting out in their careers or they have been climbing the ladder of success for years. She authored the book Twist of Faith, which gives readers a revealing look inside her life while building an international corporation. Today, she is a highly sought-after public speaker who inspires audiences around the world.

Anne now lives in Texas with her husband Jonas and she travels internationally, sharing her story with women and entrepreneurs at conferences and events.