Aziz Hashim is recognized as a leader in franchising and the study of unit-level economics. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of NRD Capital. Founded in 2014, NRD Capital is a private capital firm headquartered in Atlanta which occupies a unique niche in middle-market investing. NRD offers a suite of capital funds that invest in multi-unit companies, and real estate, as well as technologies both domestically and globally. Aziz, an electrical engineer by education, has over 30 years of deep operating experience starting as a restaurant employee while in high school and through his college years to becoming one of the largest multi-brand franchisees and then launching NRD by bringing together investors around a common purpose to invest in brands to create value with a strong ethical premise of helping operators be profitable at the unit level. NRD capital was among the first non-venture capital providers to technology companies by recognizing the need for solutions to improve unit-level economics in an industry which has previously been a slow adopter of technology. Aziz remains deeply committed to creating impact by leveraging the franchise business model to create financial independence for families; particularly under-served segments who are often on the front line of retail business but rarely get an opportunity to own a business. Through the "Own It!" model created by Aziz, employees have a pathway to business ownership. Aziz and his wife endowed a faculty position at the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality at Georgia State University for the Study of Franchise Entrepreneurship in 2014. Aziz serves on several boards including The Carter Center Board of Councillors. Additionally, Aziz previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Franchise Association (IFA), representing the franchise industry and its $1.6 trillion annual economic output. In 2017, Aziz created the NRD Foundation to support non-profit and for-profit international organizations that create entrepreneurs, foster financial independence, and power academic research focused on franchise entrepreneurship.The Nation’s Restaurant News has recognized Mr. Hashim as one of the “50 most powerful leaders” in the Foodservice Industry. He is often published and quoted in prestigious franchise industry publications as well as The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Forbes, The Globe and Mail, and The Washington Post, and has guest lectured at several educational institutions including Harvard University, Emory University, and Georgia State University.