Anne and Jonas Beiler
Anne Beiler grew up in heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – otherwise known as Amish Country. With only an 8th grade education, she founded Auntie Anne’s Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels which became the fastest growing mall-based franchise in the world with over 950 stores worldwide.
Both Anne and her husband of 40 years, Jonas, were born to Amish parents. Anne's family switched to a slightly less conservative Mennonite church when she was 3 and Jonas made a similar conversion on his own at 16. Jonas turned his fascination with engines into a career in custom auto body repair and restoration.
As a result of the impact the death of their 19 month old daughter had on their family, Jonas enrolled in the Institute of Pastoral Counseling sponsored by Emerge Ministries. The Beilers subsequently opened the Gap Family Resource and Counseling Center in 1992, serving mostly Amish and evangelical Christian clients, to provide counseling services and resources that help families and individuals to reach their potential. In 1999, Auntie Anne's, Inc. established a foundation providing funds to organizations that care for children and families in need. The Angela Foundation, named after the Beilers' deceased daughter, gives money to charities and missionary groups. The Beilers have consistently donated more than a tenth of their corporate income to ministry causes.
In April 2005, Anne and Jonas sold Auntie Anne's, Inc. and today they focus on their vision of helping children and families and developing the Gap Family Center. Anne has recently finished publishing her life story entitled Twist of Faith, and she travels to speaking events across the nation while still conducting personal coaching through group efforts in her local community.
