Katie DePoppe

Director of People & Culture | Vicious Biscuit

Katie leads leadership development, talent strategy, and organizational culture for Vicious Biscuit, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to its greatest ingredient—its people. She joined the company after nine years with Chick-fil-A, where she served as Executive Partner and COO for two top-performing South Carolina restaurants with 350+ team members and $24M in annual sales.

A passionate advocate for servant leadership, Katie believes “good people decisions are good business decisions.” She has built strong leadership pipelines, improved retention, and cultivated high-performing, people-first teams. A Charleston native, Katie holds dual bachelor’s degrees from Charleston Southern University and has completed executive education at Harvard University.

All Sessions by Katie DePoppe

February 25, 2026

Pre-Conference Workshop – Grow Viciously: Building a Career Inside a Brand on the Rise (Presented by direct2you)
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Topaz
At Vicious Biscuit, the phrase “Grow Viciously” represents a mindset forged in the unpredictable, fast-moving world of an emerging, high velocity brand. In companies like ours, structure doesn’t always come first. Systems, roles, and roadmaps evolve daily, and the opportunity to lead often arrives long before a title does.

This panel brings together five powerhouse women who have each built their own career paths from the ground up, navigating growth in a brand still defining its playbook. They represent the heart of what it means to thrive in ambiguity: to lead when resources are stretched, to build frameworks where none exist, and to turn the lack of a defined career ladder into an open field of possibility.

“Grow Viciously: Building a Career Inside a Brand on the Rise” is an authentic conversation about creating personal and professional growth, finding purpose in the process, resilience in the chaos, and the ability to rise alongside the brand you help build every single day.

Session One: Vicious Biscuit

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Presented by: