Speakers 2023

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 […]

Cole is a results-driven marketing leader and her extensive experience driving growth for multi-unit organizations has been incredibly beneficial for Smokey Bones. She has quickly grown with the company, having joined as our VP of Marketing in 2021 and then […]

Josh Rossmeisl’s foodservice career began at age 15 as a dishwasher at Boston Market; by age 17, he was a senior manager. After working at chain and independent restaurants, Josh joined “eatertainment” concept Kings Dining & Entertainment in 2006, just […]

Abe Ruiz is an established restaurant executive with an extensive background that ranges over more than 30 years. Ruiz currently serves at VP of strategic growth & sales for The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille – while simultaneously playing […]

Meredith Sandland has created and driven disruptive growth at both Fortune 100 and start-up companies. She has spent a decade navigating changing consumer demands and restaurant real estate environments. Meredith Sandland is the CEO of Empower Delivery, a SaaS company […]

Elliot Schiffer has been an operator and developer for some of the nation’s most notable restaurant brands. His experience spans across QSR, Fast Casual, and Upscale Casual segments, and across operations, finance, real estate, and franchise sales. Schiffer’s teams have […]

Mike Sebazco has been Famous Toastery’s President since October 2022. With over 30 years of experience in the franchising and restaurant industry, Sebazco has also been involved in the operations and growth of various brands, including Don Pablo’s, Boston Pizza […]

A French native now based in the U.S., Jerome is a successful serial entrepreneur leading lucrative international and domestic businesses that he started from the ground up. His passion for food, wine and hospitality have always been a part of […]

Randy Sharpe is the CEO of Xperience Restaurant Group (XRG), bringing extensive operational expertise to one of the nation’s leading operators of casual, polished casual, and fine dining brands. Upon joining XRG in 2018, he brought two decades of regional […]

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 […]