Lela Dinakaran

About Lela Dinakaran

I am a second-generation Bojangles franchisee and Vice President leading a 46-unit organization across Georgia, North Carolina, and Virgina. I specialize in scaling multi-unit operations, building high-performing teams, and turning consumer insight into sustainable growth.In my current role, I oversee multi-market operations, marketing, people development, and community strategy. I launched our catering program from $10K in year one to a seven-figure revenue engine, improved drive-thru performance across dozens of locations, and strengthened the leadership bench for more than 900 employees.My leadership philosophy is simple: clarity, accountability, and community. I build systems that elevate performance and cultures where people feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they imagined.I care deeply about economic mobility, homeownership access for frontline teams, and building organizations that create opportunity — not just results. I’m currently completing my Executive MBA at Duke University to deepen my strategy, finance, and enterprise leadership capabilities.If you’re interested in scaling organizations through people, operational excellence, and brand-rooted growth, I’d love to connect.

Experience

1. Restaurant Crew Member

   Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc.

   Jun 2019 — Present · Tbilisi, GE

   My journey at Bojangles started as a crew member in Milledgeville, GA. Here I learned the ropes of our buiness and all things Chicken, Biscuits, n Tea!

Education

• Meredith College

  Bachelor’s Degree, Business Administration and Management, General

• Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business

  Executive MBA

Skills

• Time Ma
• Microsoft Office
• Constructive Feedback
• Microsoft Word
• Leadership
• Organization Skills
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Time Management
• Management
• Writing
• Customer Service