Speakers 2023

Anita Adams assumed the Chief Executive Officer role at Black Bear Diner in January 2020. She joined the company in March 2017 as the Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to President in March 2019. Anita has more than 28 […]

Chris Artinian serves as President and CEO of Condado Tacos, an emerging growth brand that specializes in tacos, margaritas, and tequilas. The NextGen Casual brand plans to exceed 100 company-owned and operated restaurants by 2026 in new and existing markets […]

Lauren Bailey is CEO & co-founder of Upward Projects, a restaurant development and hospitality company. Spanning over 30 restaurants and five brands across five states, Upward Projects includes Postino WineCafe, Joyride Taco House, Windsor, Churn Ice Cream and Federal Pizza. […]

Through his enduring tenure in the kitchen, Tom Berry has continued to impress restaurant luminaries with his drive and single-minded talent. Coming from rural New Hampshire, young Berry’s first introduction to the kitchen was through a Dijon chicken that graced […]

Brandy Blackwell actively serves as vice president, and head of marketing for Another Broken Egg Cafe, an upscale breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain with 98 locations spanning 16 states. The full-service brand specializes in southern-inspired dishes and hand-crafted cocktails. With […]

Chris Britt’s colorful career began after graduating from Ohio State University in 2012, with a B.S. degree in Sport Management and a minor in Communications. Chris worked in the world of sports business for over a decade having worked his […]

Tammy Calhoun manages educational and developmental initiatives for all levels of operations and oversees Firebirds’ new restaurant opening process. Since 2019 she has also served on the board of directors for the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers (CHART), focusing […]

Clark Crew BBQ Founder, Travis Clark is a highly respected National Pitmaster, who along with his Oklahoma-based competition BBQ team, has won over 700 Top 10 awards, 10 World Championship titles, 4 Team of the Year titles, along with being […]

Geo Concepcion is an accomplished restaurant turnaround executive with an extensive background in professional investing. Concepcion currently serves as the President and CEO of ITA Group Holdings (ITA), a private equity–held restaurant platform company based in the Mid-Atlantic which includes […]