Team

Debbie Blacher

Founder and CEO

Debbie is a social entrepreneur passionate about changing the foods we eat.  As a busy mom herself, she decided to start with kids.  Debbie found that she had a need for quick and easy school lunches, but felt responsible for providing her kids with nutritious, wholesome foods. At the time, an option that combined the two simply did not exist. In 2007, Debbie founded Wholesome Tummies with the mission of making fresh, nutritious, and exciting foods available to every child, everywhere.

Personally, Debbie is a wife andmother to three active school-­aged boys. As a Mom, she learned that feeding healthy foods to her young children became less of a battle when food was presented with imagination. When it comes to kids, healthy eating is all in the delivery.

Professionally, Debbie has over 15years of corporate experience in human resources and organizational development. Her areas of expertise include recruiting, training, team building, and executive coaching. Prior to founding Wholesome Tummies, Debbie built the HR infrastructure of an Inc. 500 software company and led the Leadership Development practice at an Orlando consulting firm.

 

---

Our Team

Sherri Flynt, MPH, RD, LD

Registered Dietician

​Sherri comes from Toppenish, Washington. She attended Walla Walla College, receiving her BS degree in Health Education in 1981. After graduation, she attended Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA, where she received her Masters in Public Health in 1984 and became a Registered Dietitian in 1985.

Sherri’s first job was with a small community hospital in Tallassee, Fl. In 1989, she relocated to Orlando, Fl, and joined Florida Hospital as an outpatient dietitian. In 1992, she became supervisor for Florida Hospital’s Corporate/Community Health Services and held that position for 9 years.

Currently, Sherri is the Manager of the Center for Nutritional Excellence. In this role, she works with a team of dietitians to provide nutritional counseling, presentations for community and corporate groups, and also assists Florida Hospital service lines to enhance their programs by adding a nutrition touch.

Sherri co-authored a book entitled “SuperSized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat,” and has worked with many Central Florida families battling childhood obesity. Most recently, Sherri was asked to join the School Health and Wellness Advisory Committee for Orange County Public Schools.

 

Paul Wolbert

Chief Operating Officer

​Paul is a straightforward, out of the box thinker who believes in himself and others.  With four decades of experience in franchise operations and administration, he has a balanced perspective having worked as both franchisor and franchisee.  Paul’s experience ranges from start ups to established concepts in the food, service, and green industries.  He started his career working with the largest franchise system in the world, has served on several executive teams during periods of rapid growth, and has co-founded several franchise concepts. 

Paul has a passion for developing new concepts and working with start-ups, and is a champion of using technology to standardize and streamline critical franchise processes.  Currently also a board member for two privately held franchise companies, Paul enjoys taking an active and hands-on role advising early stage franchisors on how to build a successful franchise system from the ground up.  Paul is also the co-founder and member of the board of directors for Gulf Stream Brands, a franchise consulting and brand management company that assists early stage franchisors to create and grow their businesses.

A recognized franchise expert, Paul is a frequent speaker and panel participant with the International Franchise Association, Franchise Update, and Consumer Marketing Events.  He is a contributing writer to numerous magazines relating to franchising, business operations, property management and the green industry.  Paul is a respected figure in the franchise industry, and a friend and mentor to many inside it.

 

 

Noah Sigman

Marketing and Social Media

Noah has helped shape the Wholesome Tummies’ family of brands since 2010 when he first sat down and designed the current logo. Since then, his input and influence have helped build the Wholesome Tummies and WT Café names into brands capable of starting a national movement.​

With a background that includes working with brands like Chevrolet, Bissell, Delta Faucets, and HBO, Noah now leads a team of creative professionals to craft the Wholesome Tummies message, evolve brand designs, innovate ideas, and provide an ever growing list of franchise owners across the country with the marketing tools they need to succeed.​

Though his right brain doth spilleth over into other creative endeavors like fine art and music, he spends most of his time these days building successful brands and enjoying his beautiful and growing family.​

 

Marysol Varela

Recipe Development

​After graduating from Le Cordon Blue with a degree in Culinary Arts in 2010, Marysol worked in various farm-to-table restaurants in the Winter Park, Florida area where she learned to appreciate the craftsmanship involved in the preparation of a fresh and locally sourced meals.
Three years later, her desire to communicate her passion for food with others led her to America’s Test Kitchen in Boston, Massachusetts where she honed her recipe writing and testing skills with hopes of using her culinary platform to teach others about the joys of a healthy diet.
An avid marathon runner, Marysol understands the health benefits of eating a real food diet in today’s ocean of artificial colors, additives, and flavors. Joining the Wholesome Tummies movement has given Marysol’s career the deep sense of purpose that comes with knowing that she is making a difference in the daily lives of children who enjoy our delicious foods nationwide.

 

Kevin Finnegan, FMP

Onsite Dining

​Kevin has built his 30-year career in Contract Food Service in Corporate Dining, University Level Food Service Management and K-12 Dining Services. Most recently, he worked for the Compass Group for 5+ years where he was responsible for total operations and P&L management for the Northeast U.S. and later the Southeast districts. In this role, he managed kitchen openings and launches across 8 states, improving profitability and negotiating contract extensions. He developed a reputation for helping managers to proactively identify problems and create solutions.

​Kevin also worked for 10+ years at SAGE Dining Services, Inc., where he led a team of district managers and provided leadership and mentoring to almost 50 managers in seven states. He designed and authored the company’s HACCP Manual and Safety Standards, led over 40 successful openings across the country, and lectured and taught classes at the company’s Management Training Institute.

He also spent 12+ years at Sodexo, where he authored the company’s first Management Training Manual and Special Events Manual and went on to become the company’s first Corporate Training Manager.

Kevin is a registered Instructor/Proctor with the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association and the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals. He is a HACCP and Food Safety Expert and has been teaching ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification for over 15 years.

 

Christine Dura, M.Ed.

Franchise Discovery

​Christine has over 20 years of executive management and franchise experience within the US and internationally. She has notable experience with franchise startups in the service, technology, retail, food, health and wellness, financial service, technology and professional services industries. Christine has served as Chief Franchise Sales and Operations Officer, Chief Franchise Sales and Success Officer, Vice President of National Franchise Sales, Chief Concept and Sales Officer, National Director of Master Franchise Sales, National Director of Franchise Sales Training, CEO and President, franchise owner and four-time Master Franchisee.

Christine is expert at identifying critical gaps slowing sales growth and implementing the strategies, processes and changes required to drive results. She excels at partnering with core business operations to significantly increase the company’s foot print, expand market share, and generate sustainable revenue and EBIT gains.

A small sample of clients Christine has impacted throughout her career include: BMW, Franchise Growth Systems, University of Phoenix Online, ActionCOACH Franchise, Motorola, CFO Today Franchise, De Vry University, HealthSource Franchise, America West Airlines, Massage Heights Franchise, Expedition Franchise just to name a few.