Jennifer Kauffmann
Jen Kaufmann is Chief of Staff at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, where she works hand in hand with the founder and CEO to maintain clear business priorities, execute deliverables and steward company alignment to the every-growing organization. She sits at the center of the company’s leadership team and serves as a close advisor and thought partner to the […]
Christina Vaughan
Mandy Muller
Mandy Muller is Vice President of Operations Services & Business Integrations at Zaxby’s Franchising LLC, where she leads strategies that elevate the guest experience, optimize operational performance, and accelerate brand growth. With 15+ years of operations leadership experience, including senior roles at HoneyBaked Ham and Target, she has a proven track record of driving results […]
Jackie Woodward
Jackie Woodward joined Bojangles in 2019 as Chief Brand and Marketing Officer with more than 30 years of marketing experience in domestic and global markets. Since that time, she has made many significant contributions that have helped modernize Bojangles and position the beloved Southern brand for growth. Jackie played a key role in ensuring that […]
Dr. Felicia White Ed.D
Felicia White is an experienced leader in the hospitality industry, supporting businesses with achieving operations excellence, exceeding goals, and managing change. Felicia serves as a volunteer and board member with CHART (Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers), and is President for the 2024-2025 service term. She also serves on the advisory board for Women in […]
Jill Waite
Jill Waite is Chief People Officer at Portillo’s Hot Dogs, a restaurant chain with more than 60 locations, headquartered in Oak Brook, IL. Prior to joining Portillo’s in 2019, she held several Human Resources and Operations roles in the retail, grocery and fitness industries with companies such as Sephora and 24-Hour Fitness.Jill was hired to […]
Caroline Skinner
Great food and great people have been the hallmark of Caroline Skinner’s career. A passionate champion of high-growth, employee-centric workplaces, Caroline serves as Chief Operating Officer of Tupelo Honey Hospitality Corporation. She joined the company as part of the initial senior leadership team in 2013. In her nine-year tenure, she has been responsible for Tupelo […]
Shannan Siemens
Shannan Siemens serves as Chief Communications Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. Inspire is supported by about 650,000 company and franchise team members. As CCO, Siemens leads communications for Inspire and its six brands, including […]
Maria Rivera
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 […]
Mary Jane Riva
Mary Jane Riva is the CEO of Pizza Factory, an iconic West Coast pizzeria with 100 locations in states across the country. Mary Jane has been in the industry for more than 30 years and has helped Pizza Factory grow into a staple in countless communities. Starting out as a Pizza Factory franchisee for 24 […]