Courtney Lee Johnson, Founder of Young & Established, was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern Indiana.

Since embarking on his entrepreneurship journey, Courtney has dedicated his time and energy to giving back to his community and inspiring those he meets along the way.

Johnson created Young & Established 6 years ago to build a community-oriented organization which seeks to inspire and motivate youth while addressing the challenges young people face every day.

Through our mentoring programs, community events, and relevant campaigns, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of today’s youth. Courtney believes the work he does is bigger than himself, and his greatest desire is to do everything possible to make the world a better place, one community at a time!

10 Companies You’ve Never Heard Of Control More Than 50 Of The Biggest Restaurant Chains In The World

by Yutong Yuan and  Katie Taylor for Business Insider

Yum Brands

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Yum Brands owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell.

“We don’t need to do an acquisition to build scale. We already have a scale,” David Gibbs, Yum Brands’ president and chief financial officer, told Business Insider in December.

Gibbs says he believes scale is becoming increasingly important. For example, the company’s scale helped make possible its deal with GrubHub, in which Yum Brands purchased a $200 million stake in the delivery company.

“That’s why you’re seeing so many other companies go out and try to acquire new concepts just to try and build their own scale,” Gibbs said.

Read more: The company behind Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut hasn’t been caught up in the restaurant industry acquisition spree — yet. Here is what the president is looking for.

Restaurant Brands International

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Restaurant Brands International is the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes.

“In the past, you’ve seen us be opportunistic,” executive chairman Daniel Schwartz said in a call with investors on Wednesday, regarding the company’s acquisition strategy. “We’ve acquired three incredible brands that we think have great global growth potential.”

Going forward, Schwartz said that Restaurant Brands International would consider acquiring other “iconic” brands with significant long-term growth potential.

Read more: Burger King’s parent company is rumored to be considering buying Papa John’s. Here’s what the chairman says he looks for in a brand.

Darden Restaurants

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Darden Restaurants is the Orlando, Florida-based company that owns eight chains, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.

“Really, nothing has changed in the last 40 years with dining,” Darden CEO Gene Lee said in a presentation in January.

“With all the technological advancements, if you think about it, we’re still basically doing the same thing,” Lee continued. “I don’t see in the next 10 years any dramatic changes other than a continued transparency with what you’re serving people. And, I think, you are going to have to be a little bit more convenient for them.”

Read more: The CEO of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse’s parent company reveals what the company looks for in an acquisition — and it’s not a trendy fast-casual chain or a ‘technologically advanced experience’

JAB Holding

Hollis Johnson

One of the most massive food-and-beverage giants is JAB Holding, the investment arm of the secretive Reimann family. JAB owns chains including Krispy Kreme, Panera, Caribou Coffee, Au Bon Pain, and Pret A Manger, as well as Keurig Dr. Pepper and bottled-water brand Core.

Read more: The European company that owns Panera and Krispy Kreme has quietly acquired a new bottled-water company in its quest to create a beverage empire

Focus Brands

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Focus Brands is the franchisor and operator behind Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky’s, Jamba Juice, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne’s, McAlister’s Deli, and Seattle’s Best Coffee.

The company is owned by private-equity firm Roark Capital, which is reportedly considering an IPO for Focus Brands in 2019. Roark’s portfolio expands beyond food and beverage, with stakes in companies such as Anytime Fitness and Drybar, as well as Inspire Brands, another restaurant-centric company.

Inspire Brands

Hollis Johnson

In September, Inspire Brands announced it would be acquiring burger chain Sonic for $2.3 billion, including debt. The deal follows Inspire Brands — which already owned Arby’s — closing on a deal to acquire Buffalo Wild Wings and Rusty Taco earlier in 2018.

“We like brands that are great brands, that have gone through a period of great success, and maybe in a temporary period with a little bit of a challenge, where there’s an opportunity to come in and get it back on a path,” Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown told Business Insider at the time.

Inspire Brands is majority-owned by Roark Capital.

Read more: Arby’s former CEO is building a fast-food empire

Bloomin’ Brands

Facebook/Outback Steakhouse

Bloomin’ Brands is the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse.

In 2018, activist investor Barington Capital Group encouraged the company to spin off or sell some of the chains to focus on Outback Steakhouse.

Brinker International

Facebook/Chili’s

Brinker International owns Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Previously, the company has owned chains including Romano’s Macaroni Grill, On the Border, and Corner Bakery Cafe.

Golden Gate Capital

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Golden Gate Capital owns Bob Evans and California Pizza Kitchen, and it holds a majority stake in Red Lobster. The holding company’s portfolio also includes Eddie Bauer, Pacific Sunwear of California, and Next Model Management.

Jollibee Foods Corporation

Hollis Johnson

In addition to its namesake Jollibee, Jollibee Foods Corporation has also invested in American chains such as chef Rick Bayless’ Tortas Frontera and Smashburger, which JFC acquired in 2018. JFC additionally serves as an international franchisee for a number of brands, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Burger King.

 EPA Seeks Comment on New Policy Proposals to Facilitate Market-Based Opportunities to Improve Water Quality

OXON HILL, Md. (September 5, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced an important step to help promote the use of market-based approaches to efficiently and cost-effectively improve water quality across the nation. Speaking at the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council meeting, Administrator Wheeler announced several new policy proposals that could simplify and give more flexibility to states, tribes and stakeholders seeking to develop market-based programs or to generate or use nutrient reduction credits.

“EPA is proposing updates to our water quality trading policy that would help state and local partners take advantage of new technologies or develop market-based programs for improving water quality,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Building on efforts already underway at the state, local and tribal level, EPA is helping facilitate the use of innovative tools and technologies that will deliver critical water quality improvements at a lower cost.”

The action seeks comment on policy options related to one of the six market-based principles identified in EPA’s February 6, 2019 Water Quality Trading Policy memo—encouraging simplicity and flexibility in implementing baseline concepts. The proposal seeks comment on approaches to clarify and provide flexibility for nonpoint sources to generate credits for use in water quality trading.

Under the Clean Water Act, water quality trading is an option for those seeking compliance with a discharge permit. Under trading programs, permitted facilities facing higher pollution control costs may be able to meet their regulatory obligations by purchasing environmentally equivalent (or superior) pollution reductions from other sources at lower cost. While EPA has long interpreted the Clean Water Act to allow for pollutant reductions from water quality trading, the practice has not been used to its fullest potential.

EPA invites the public to consider the policy options presented in today’s notice and provide written comment on those options and others that may help promote market-based approaches to water quality improvements. EPA will host a public meeting to facilitate discussion on this important aspect of market-based programs, including water quality trading, that can be used to cost-effectively achieve water quality improvements.

For more information visit: www.epa.gov/npdes/water-quality-trading.

Background

On Feb. 6, 2019, EPA released the Water Quality Trading Policy memo to modernize the agency’s water quality trading policies to leverage emerging technologies and facilitate broader adoption of market-based programs. The memo identified five additional market-based principles that EPA encourages policy makers and stakeholders to consider in developing market-based programs:

• States, tribes and stakeholders should consider implementing water quality trading and other market-based programs on a watershed scale.
• EPA encourages the use of adaptive strategies for implementing market-based programs.
• Water quality credits and offsets may be banked for future use.
• A single project may generate credits for multiple markets.
• Financing opportunities exist to assist with deployment of nonpoint land use practices.

The memo reiterates the agency’s support for water quality trading and other market-based programs to maximize pollutant reduction efforts and improve water quality. These actions are part of a larger collaboration with stakeholders across the country to better coordinate and focus federal resources on some of the nation’s most challenging water resource concerns, including addressing excess nutrients in waterways.