Speakers 2026

Rev Ciancio is a New York City restaurant owner and knows exactly how hard it is to operate and brand a hospitality business. He is a hospitality marketing consultant, customer and technology evangelist at Branded Strategic Hospitality, with more than 20 years experience in B2B digital marketing and business development, specializing in hospitality marketing, content, local SEO, reputation management and demand generation. He helps technology companies, brands and restaurants to acquire and retain more customers. Rev is known as an “expert burger taster,” pens hospitality and marketing tips on his Instagram @revciancio, as well as his LinkedIn Profile and hosts the Restaurant Marketing Podcast. He believes that Pizza is a religion.

Julio Arevalo has over 20 years of experience in the software industry, spending 10 of those years working specifically with restaurants. Growing up in Boston, he worked at multiple full service restaurants, performing virtually every role possible. Now part of the sales team at Ovation, the guest experience platform built specifically for restaurants, he has spent a decade talking with operators of all sizes, from local favorites to national chains. After seeing firsthand how the right tools can turn a frustrated guest into a loyal regular, Julio is passionate about discussing the guest experience, guest feedback, operational insights, and how they intersect.

Ladd Biro is the proud founder and leader of the best damn PR & Digital Media agency in the business. Prior to launching Champion in 2002, he cut his marketing teeth at American Airlines as Director of Worldwide Sales Promotion, then served as Senior VP of Marketing & Member Communications with the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, DC. He is a strategic thinker, brand builder and hands-on team leader. An award-winning publicist, Ladd was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing and is a two-time national Fantasy Football Writer of the Year.

With over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and marketing, Connor Brown has a deep background in web development, SEO, social media, analytics, and automation. After helping build the initial performance marketing department at Hook + Ladder, he now leads AI & technology enablement as the Head of Innovation. Over the last two years, Connor has focused on developing cutting-edge AI solutions building scalable local marketing systems for multi-location restaurant brands. Connor has a deep passion for exploring the merger of artificial and human intelligence within marketing disciplines.

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Connect Media and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Caleb Clark is a Co-Founder at Hook + Ladder Digital, where he works with multi-location restaurant and franchise brands to build scalable marketing systems that drive traffic, repeat visits, and sustainable franchise growth. He spends most of his time alongside marketing leaders navigating the realities of national brand strategy, local store execution, lean teams, and executive-level accountability. He brings a practical, in-the-trenches perspective to restaurant growth, focused on connecting strategy to measurable outcomes. He also hosts The Growth League podcast, where he stays close to the real challenges and decisions restaurant marketing leaders face every day

Walid Daftanai is the President and cofounder of ATL Wing Spot, one of the fastest-growing wing brands, growing from one location a year ago to 11 open and 20+ signed today. Instead of traditional marketing focused on likes, impressions, and polished campaigns, Walid built the brand through authentic, personality-driven content rooted in culture, humor, and entertainment. From product launches that feel more like vlogs to brand personalities like Big H, ATL Wing Spot leans into being real, having fun, and moving fast — even when every video or campaign isn’t perfect. Walid believes speed and authenticity beat polished marketing plans, and that when marketing becomes entertainment, engagement grows naturally and translates into real store traffic.

Zane Donahoo is the Vice President of Technology and Digital Marketing at P. Terry’s Burger Stand, where he leads the integration of digital marketing strategy, data systems, and technology infrastructure to drive growth across a rapidly expanding restaurant brand. Over the past five years, he has helped scale the company from 18 to 38 locations while building a modern, performance-driven marketing engine focused on guest acquisition, engagement, and measurable ROI. With over a decade of experience in technology leadership, Zane brings a unique perspective to restaurant marketing. He specializes in leveraging data, automation, and system integration to connect digital channels such as search, social, online ordering, and local listings into a unified growth strategy. His work focuses on turning real-world brand moments, community engagement, and operational execution into scalable digital visibility across search engines, maps, and emerging AI-driven discovery platforms.

Hillary Frei is an American marketing executive who has led some of the country’s most iconic and enduring consumer brands including Cheerios, FAO Schwarz and Handel’s Ice Cream. Trained in finance with a passion for brand building, Hillary is a full stack marketer with an outstanding track record of revenue growth. She attended Georgetown University, where she graduated with an honors degree in Finance. Hillary began her marketing career at consumer-packaged goods giant General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she worked for six year and managed several brands, including Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Cereal, Chex Mix, and Progresso Soup. Since General Mills, Hillary has lead marketing department across of variety of sectors including fashion, hard good, toys and restuarants. She was previously the CMO of Wetzel's Pretzels before assuming her current role of CMO of Handel's Ice Cream.

Jessie Galioto-Grebe is the Marketing Director for Via 313, where she leads strategy and execution of initiatives that drive customer loyalty, enhance brand awareness, and fuel growth for a rapidly expanding multi-unit restaurant brand. With a variety of experience in hospitality marketing, she’s passionate about leveraging guest insights and data to drive creative development. Whether it's launching a new menu or digging into campaign metrics, she believes the best marketing is both thoughtful and measurable.

Ramsey Gilbertsen is the Founder and President of Budget Branders, a premier supplier of printed disposable cups and foodservice items. He began his career by launching Fry Nation, a Michigan based restaurant, where he spent five years managing operations and brand development before successfully exiting in 2019. Today, he partners with multi-unit and growing restaurant brands to deliver scalable, cost-effective custom packaging solutions that strengthen brand presence and ensure reliable supply.

Srishti Handa is the Vice President of Marketing - Brand and Growth at Dave’s Hot Chicken. For nearly five years, she’s helped shape the voice, identity, and growth of one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the country, driving national campaigns, menu innovation, and global expansion. Before joining Dave’s, she led marketing for a female-founded produce company, managing retail partnerships with Whole Foods, Kroger, and Bristol Farms. Her career spans food, retail, and consumer brands, including leading marketing for a lifestyle company acquired by India’s largest retailer and overseeing brand strategy for a plant-based frozen food company across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. That journey eventually led her to launch her own frozen food brand, The Temperamental Chef, sold in premium Indian grocery stores and is rooted in her belief that vegetables deserve better PR. Her work has earned her recognition from Forbes 30 Under 30 and, more recently, AdAge 40 Under 40.

Catriona Harris is Vice President of Marketing for Jeff’s Bagel Run, a rapidly expanding brand redefining what fresh means in the bagel category. With more than 25 years of experience building and scaling brands, she focuses on creating marketing strategies that translate strong product differentiation into sustained growth. Prior to joining Jeff’s Bagel Run in 2024, Catriona was CEO and Co-Founder of Uproar PR, where she advised national and international brands on brand positioning, storytelling and integrated communications strategy. Her work has helped companies cut through crowded markets by aligning clear messaging with disciplined execution. Today, she leads marketing for Jeff’s Bagel Run as the company expands nationwide, helping ensure the brand’s commitment to scratch-made quality and operational simplicity remains at the center of its growth. She is passionate about building brands that earn loyalty by delivering a product experience customers can genuinely feel.

Marc Howland is the Founder and CEO of Breadless, the Detroit born fast casual brand reinventing the sandwich by wrapping bold, chef crafted ingredients in nutrient rich leafy greens instead of bread, alongside hearty bowls, vibrant salads, and smoothies. Since launching in 2022, Breadless has expanded to multiple locations across Detroit and beyond and is now preparing to scale nationally as a franchisor. Marc is a graduate of Brown University, where he was a two sport varsity athlete, and Harvard Business School. He began his career at Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group before pivoting into food, working as a sandwich maker at Jimmy John’s to learn the business from the ground up. He lives in Detroit with his wife and co founder LC, and their two young children.

Stacey Kane has more than 25 years of experience working with multi-unit restaurant chains as a Head of Marketing and Marketing Consultant. She has worked with such brands as California Tortilla, ThinkFood Group (now Jose Andres Group), Subway and East Coast Wings. Known for her incredible creativity and obsession with data she was one of the pioneers of using social media in the restaurant space and has been named a Top 20 Movers and Shakers by Fast Casual Magazine six times. Her passion is leading emerging brands as they scale for growth and mentoring small teams. Currently, Stacey is a fractional CMO for several fast casual brands including Fresh Baguette, Garden Catering, Mahana Fresh, Mamoun's Falafel and Ziggi's Coffee. Kane is passionate about the industry. She has been a National Pro-Start Judge for 5 years and after serving as a consultant, she was asked to sit on the board of CORE is a national non-profit that is dedicated to providing support to the food & beverage service industry in times of crisis.

Abhinav Kapur is the co-founder and CEO of Bikky, a Customer Data Platform (CDP) built exclusively for multi-unit restaurants. Bikky integrates across all in-store and off-premise channels to help brands understand how marketing, menu, and operational decisions impact guest frequency and lifetime value. This empowers everyone from the C-Suite to the marketing team to make better, data-driven decisions across the guest experience. Bikky powers data-based decisions for brands like MOD Pizza, Dave's Hot Chicken, SPB Hospitality, Krystal, and Eggs Up Grill, and thousands of other locations across the U.S.

Lucy Logan is Co-Founder of EveryBite and a restaurant technology innovator with nearly 20 years of experience in nutrition intelligence, menu data, and guest personalization. She leads the strategy behind SmartMenu®, a digital menu platform used in 7,500+ restaurant locations that personalizes guest experiences through dietary and allergen-based filtering. Lucy also founded FoodCalc® and MenuCalc, trusted nutrition analysis platforms supporting 200+ restaurant brands and 40,000 locations. Recognized as a leading industry expert, Lucy has been featured in major foodservice publications and works with restaurant brands to turn menu transparency and compliance into stronger marketing, conversion, and guest loyalty.

Courtney Mazzella joined Champion in 2011 and since then has established herself as a dynamic leader within the agency and a trusted, "invaluable partner" to many of Champion's clients. As Vice President of Client Services, Courtney is passionate about immersing herself in her clients' brands to become their strongest advocate and strategic ally. Her expertise spans media outreach, influencer marketing and strategic planning, and she has been the driving force behind several high-impact initiatives. Courtney also leads Champion's proprietary Local Restaurant Marketing practice, a cornerstone of the agency's offerings. In this role, she helps brands create buzz, build awareness and generate goodwill at the local market level. Over the past decade, Courtney has overseen more than 2,000 grand openings across the country for powerhouse brands such as Raising Cane’s, Dog Haus, Logan’s Roadhouse and many more.

Kira is the SVP of Marketing Technology at Plein Air, a technology and marketing consultancy built for the restaurant industry. With roots at brands like Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Church’s Chicken, she brings deep operator experience to her clients at Plein Air - where she strategizes and constructs digital experiences and products that give all restaurant brands access to custom, integrated ordering solutions across web, app, kiosk, and tabletop to drive their business forward.

Evan Pardue is the Director of Brand & CX at Condado Tacos, one of the fastest-growing brands in the Next Gen restaurant space. Under his leadership, Condado has earned national recognition—named to the Inc. 5000’s Top Private Companies, Chain Store Age’s Breakout Retailers, and FastCasual.com’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Pardue has tripled the brand's loyalty program, earning top industry honors including PARTech Punchh’s 2024 All Star Loyalty Program and the 2023 Digital Innovator Award. Before joining Condado, he led digital marketing strategy for Chick-fil-A operators across the Houston metro, while consulting owner-operators navigating multi-unit expansion. Outside of hospitality, he contributes as a guest critic for PaperCity Magazine, covering museum exhibitions outside Texas.

Originally from Georgia, Amanda’s career blends operations leadership, people development, and brand-building. She began with Chick-fil-A in Charleston, advancing through roles in HR, sales and marketing, operations, and training. She led multi-store training programs that improved guest experience and team performance. In 2022, Amanda joined Vicious Biscuit as Area Director for Charleston, later moving into marketing to support rapid growth. As the brand expanded into franchising, she helped build scalable standards and franchise-ready marketing tools to ensure consistency. She also led the launch of the brand’s first loyalty rewards program, overseeing implementation, branding, and design. In 2025, Amanda was named a QSR Magazine 35 Young Leaders to Watch honoree.

C.J. Ramirez has been a critical player in Dog Haus’ success since 2013, aiding the brand’s mission to elevate American classics into chef-driven culinary creations. Dog Haus has since expanded from its Pasadena, Calif., base to more than 75 locations across 20 states, including 50+ brick-and-mortar restaurants. Using his wealth of knowledge in designing branding strategies that build strong corporate identities, C.J. oversees high-performing creative, marketing and technology teams at Dog Haus that deliver growth through innovation for the brand and its franchisees.

Adam Reed is a seasoned marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry, driving brand awareness and business success for high-growth companies. He blends strategic vision with operational execution to lead impactful marketing initiatives that align with both brand identity and business goals. Throughout his career, Adam has shaped marketing strategies for major brands like Raising Cane’s and Chipotle during their growth phases. He brings deep expertise in restaurant operations, brand positioning, and customer engagement. As a mentor and leader, he has built and guided high-performing teams, fostering collaboration and professional development. From spearheading omnichannel campaigns to securing high-profile partnerships, he thrives in dynamic environments where creativity meets results. As Champion’s Vice President of Strategy, Adam applies his experience to support a portfolio of the nation’s most recognized restaurant brands.

Katie Reed is an experienced field marketing leader with a proven track record of building and scaling localized marketing strategies for multi-unit restaurant brands. With almost 20 years in the industry, she has partnered with both established chains and emerging fast casual concepts to create impactful programs that bridge the gap between corporate strategy and in-market execution. Her work spans national and regional campaigns, local store marketing activations, and operational marketing support. She’s collaborated closely with brands like Capriotti’s and Mahana Fresh, helping drive engagement, traffic, and sales through customized, market-level efforts. Known for her organized approach, creative problem-solving, and deep understanding of franchise systems, she is passionate about elevating brand presence at the local level. Currently, she serves as a fractional field marketing partner for several fast casual concepts, working directly with operators and leadership teams to bring national marketing to life in local markets.

Becca Ridgway is the Operations Services Manager at honeygrow, where she leads catering, guest experience, and operational support systems across the brand. She focuses on driving catering growth through strategic sales initiatives, operational support, and systems that improve both team efficiency and the guest experience. With a passion for hospitality and relationship-building, Becca works to create scalable processes that support long-term brand growth and customer loyalty.

Brittany Satterfield is the Founder and Managing Director of IMPACT Digital Marketing, an agency focused on helping franchise brands scale through data-driven marketing systems. Through her agency, she serves as a fractional CMO for multi-unit franchise brands, stepping into executive roles where she owns marketing strategy, performance, and revenue growth across locations.

Dan Sokolik serves as the Vice President of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, a distinguished 130-unit chain lauded as the #1 Fast Food Fried Chicken in the 2023 USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Sokolik’s journey with Lee’s began through his role as the brand manager on their account with a prior ad agency until he officially joined the Lee’s team at the outset of 2022. His tenure has been marked by spearheading a comprehensive brand overhaul. This refresh has unveiled an updated visual identity, alongside the introduction of a new mobile app and loyalty program. With a career spanning over 20 years in QSR marketing, Sokolik has valuable experience across corporate, ad agency, and franchisee levels. He served over ten years at Subway in various capacities, including corporate field marketing and as an agency account director. Prior to Subway, Sokolik also managed a creative agency team for McDonald’s and served as the marketing director for a multi-unit Domino’s Pizza franchise.

Tamara Stanley is Vice President of Marketing for Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, where she leads brand marketing strategy, media, creative development, and customer engagement initiatives focused on driving brand awareness, guest loyalty, and franchise growth. With extensive experience in restaurant marketing and brand development, Tamara specializes in building integrated campaigns that connect compelling storytelling with measurable business results. At Capriotti’s, she has played a key role in evolving the brand’s marketing approach through innovative media strategy, elevated creative execution, digital engagement, loyalty program growth and high-impact product launches designed to strengthen customer connection and drive traffic. She is passionate about creating marketing that not only builds awareness but also supports franchisees and enhances the guest experience across every touchpoint. Known for her collaborative leadership style and strategic mindset, Tamara is committed to fostering strong teams, championing creative innovation, and helping brands grow through authentic customer relationships and operational alignment.

Pedro Uchôa is the CEO & CMO of TAP — a wellness-driven, 100% gluten-free, Brazilian fast-casual brand across NYC and Miami. A former professional soccer player turned marketer, Pedro brings 12+ years of agency experience into building one of the most culturally distinctive brands in fast casual over the last 4 years. From a 33,000-member loyalty program to an average of 4.8 stars across all locations, his philosophy is simple: hospitality IS the campaign. And the proof is in the numbers: 88% of TAP's guests are non-Brazilian — authentic culture, marketed with purpose, connects with everyone.

Julie Wade is a senior marketing strategist and operator with 20+ years of experience building and scaling restaurant and retail brands across franchise and corporate systems. She is the founder of Barrago Marketing and currently serves as Fractional CMO for Crazy Pita, helping brands align strategy, systems, and execution into measurable growth. She has led marketing for 100+ locations in 17 states, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, teams of dozens, and driven sustained growth through brand strategy, digital innovation, loyalty, and new restaurant openings—including as Head of Marketing at Taziki’s Mediterranean Café. Julie is known for blending creativity with operational rigor and is a recognized industry leader and multi-time honoree.

I’m a communications and marketing strategist passionate about connecting brands with their communities. At Ziggi’s Coffee, I contribute to external PR and marketing efforts to elevate brand visibility, manage media relationships, and create campaigns that highlight our community-focused business model. With experience in public relations, marketing, social media, and program management, I thrive at the intersection of storytelling, brand growth, and mission-driven work. My goal is to build authentic connections, drive engagement, and deliver measurable impact for the organizations I represent.