Shawn earned both his BS and MBA degrees from Cornell University, where he served as a Franchise Visiting Lecturer, and was named “10 Under 10 notable alumni for 2022”. Shawn is an active member of the International Franchise Association where he has earned the designation of Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and serves as Vice Chair of the ICFE Executive Board. He is a graduate of Georgetown University's Franchise Management Program. Shawn is a serial entrepreneur at heart, who applies battlefield strategies to lead and develop successful businesses. He is the Founder and CEO of Markarie, a franchise development marketing agency with a team of 30+ and is a Co-Founder of Uva Vault, a blockchain powered marketplace for investing, collecting, and celebrating superlative wine and art. He is also an Advisor, Consultant, and Partner in other ventures. His entrepreneurial spirit was first ignited as an Eagle Scout where he earned all 121 merit badges. In his free time, Shawn competes in amateur boxing and participates in Ancient Roman research expeditions. He was recognized for his contributions to “The Death of Caesar”, a work authored by former Cornell History Chair Barry Strauss, and published by Simon and Schuster. He is currently consulting on a new work regarding the Ancient Roman influence in the Middle East.