Julie Zucker
Julie is a Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at Branded Hospitality. In addition to accelerating Branded’s Marketing & Communication efforts, Julie is actively involved in all of Branded’s portfolio companies from pipeline to investment and continued growth through marketing. She is a subject matter expert and has been featured in Food Business News, the WSJ […]
Emily Williams Knight
Dr. Emily Williams Knight is a nationally recognized CEO, transformational leader, and fierce advocate for women, education, and the foodservice industry. She currently serves as President and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), where she leads the business, policy, and advocacy efforts for over 58,000 restaurants and 1.5 million employees across the state, generating […]
Tenyse Williams
Tenyse Williams is Founder & CEO of Verified Consulting, a nationally recognized digital marketing and strategic communications firm and NYC-certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise. She has led events, awareness-building campaigns, and brand collaborations for restaurants, companies, and nonprofits, including Samsung, TIME Magazine, El Pastor Cheese, and The Marcus Garvey Institute for Human Development. Additionally, […]
Suzie Tsai
Suzie Tsai is CEO of Bonchon, a global leader in Korean fried chicken with more than 150 restaurants in the U.S. and 450 worldwide. She joined Bonchon in August 2023 as Chief Growth Officer and was appointed CEO in January 2024. With Suzie at the helm, Bonchon achieved its strongest franchise development year in 2024, […]
Lilah Taha-Rippett
Lilah Taha-Rippett is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain. She joined in 2017 and with the responsibility to build a supply chain department that would support the organization’s growth. She brings decades of restaurant industry experience to the role, including executive leadership positions at both large-scale public and private domestic and international multi-unit concepts. […]
Marita Swift
Hi, my name is Marita Swift. I am the Vice President of Strategic Growth at The Big Biscuit. The one word I use to describe myself is ‘resourceful.’ I have worked in scratch kitchens for over 20 years, developing and innovating brands in the full-service fine dining sector. I have been with The Big Biscuit […]
Alayna Sullivan
Alayna Sullivan is the Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Brand Marketing at Olo (NYSE: OLO), a leading restaurant technology provider. Alayna has served in this senior leadership role since April 2025, where she drives compelling communication of the brand story and strategic company messaging to key stakeholders across all external and internal channels. She […]
Tawanda Starms
Tawanda Starms joined Din Tai Fung North America (DTF) in 2024 as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, where she leads the People & Culture department with a strategic mandate to drive business performance by elevating the team member experience. In her role, she oversees the full spectrum of people operations—including talent acquisition and retention, total rewards strategy, […]
Myisha Smith
Myisha’s experience spans over 25 years in the dynamic landscape of the restaurant industry, I am proud to serve as the Corporate Director of Training at Pacifica Hotels for the past two years. Throughout her career, she has cultivated a passion for elevating guest services and fostering strong team-member relations. In her previous role within […]
Lauren Selman
Lauren Selman is the Vice President of Operations at the International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA), a nonprofit trade association focused on networking and education of the global food and beverage industry. With over a decade of experience in event planning, public relations, and member relations, Lauren oversees the education and events within the […]