Maria Rivera is a transformative CEO, founder, and cultural architect — and the first Latina to lead a U.S. restaurant brand. Over two decades, she has built and scaled iconic consumer and hospitality brands by blending business acumen with humanity, grit, and storytelling. A proven growth leader, Maria has created nine-digit enterprise value while leading some of the most recognizable names in food and beverage. As CEO of Smalls Sliders, she took the brand from 4 units to more than 400 under development across 30 states in less than two years. Before that, as President of Krispy Kreme U.S. & Canada, she led the brand’s evolution into a billion-dollar omnichannel business — tripling revenue, expanding digitally, and integrating global operations.
In 2025, Maria guided Starbird through a founder-to-board transition as CEO, building governance and capital frameworks for national expansion. Today, as Founder and CEO of RC Hospitality Group and Hilmaro, she leads a portfolio of ventures that fuse profitability with purpose — from hospitality and events to leadership and brand storytelling.
