Contributors
Jim Knight
Jim Knight is the Founder and CEO of Knight Speaker, as a thought leader, keynote speaker and 3x bestselling author on the topics of company culture, customer service, rock star leadership and employee engagement. With a music degree and a 21-year career as head of Training and Development for Hard Rock International, Jim now uses all of his experience and expertise, helping companies and individuals amp up their results with proven best practices and real impact. Jim Knight can be reached at www.KnightSpeaker.com.
Tim Koch
As President and COO of Franchise FastLane, I lead growth initiatives to help emerging franchise brands scale successfully. With over 21 years in franchising—including roles at CKE Restaurants and Gala Capital Partners—I focus on operational turnarounds, change management, and M&A. I also oversee programs that empower franchisors and franchisees to meet today’s business challenges, with a commitment to mentoring and innovation.
John Krebs
None
Adam Leff
Adam Leff is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer for Merchant Centric, a leading reputation management solution that caters to the restaurant, veterinary and automotive industries. Leff and his co-founder David Bay started Merchant Centric in 2010 to help companies take advantage of online and social media technologies to market and build their business.
Bob Leonard
None
David Leonardo
David Leonardo is the CEO and equity partner of Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream, a fast-growing franchise brand with 17 locations across 4 states. He began his career in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and went on to hold executive roles at Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Pet Supplies Plus, leading franchise development and strategic growth. A former Division I college athlete, David brings a competitive edge and deep passion for entrepreneurship, brand building, and helping others grow through franchising.
Ido levanon
Ido Levanon has 20+ years' experience and a proven track record in successful management and turnaround of various international companies. He was CEO and a seed investor in several technology start-ups and a Financial Planning Manager for Fujitsu USA.Stephanie Lind
Stephanie Lind founded ESA (Elohi Strategic Advisors) in 2015. Though best known for leading the global sales initiatives for Impossible Foods during its 2018 break-out year, Stephanie spent 20+ years working for large and small, private equity and publicly held companies, including PepsiCo, Sysco, and Kerry. Her cross-functional experience in sales, marketing and supply chain, coupled with her cross-channel experience in retail, foodservice and ingredient (industrial) channels gives her a unique perspective on the food industry.
Pam Lindemoen
Pam Lindemoen serves as the Chief Security Officer and Vice President of Strategy at RH-ISAC, a global nonprofit dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity in consumer-facing industries. She oversees security operations, strategic planning, and partner engagement, leveraging nearly 30 years of expertise in information security, application development, and infrastructure. Previously, Pam was a CISO Advisor at Cisco and Deputy CISO at Anthem, Inc. (now Elevance Health).
Jennifer Loper
Jennifer Loper is president of C3, a Kansas City-based marketing and design agency that brings brands to life for families with children through experiences and entertainment. C3 uses insights, strategy and expertise to produce award-winning programs and custom products to help major restaurant, hospitality and service industry partners connect with families wherever they are—in person, at home or in the community at large. More information about how C3 creates connections that grow sales and get results can be found at www.c3brandmarketing.com.
Andy Lowder
Since then, Andy has launched numerous delivery programs and campaigns to help spur revenue growth and improve margins for restaurants with their own fleet and through nationwide partners Uber and DoorDash. Andy has been with Menufy for seven years and is now part of the HungerRush team since Menufy's acquisition by HungerRush in October 2021.
Matthew Lukosavich
Matt earned his BS in Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and is the recipient of multiple career Innovation and Client Focus award nominations. He loves spending time with his family – wife Alie, son Camden, plus three dogs – and is an avid golfer.
Raju Malhotra
Raju Malhotra is Chief Product and Technology Officer at PAR Technology. In his role, he is responsible for the unified product and technology strategy and operations. He leads Engineering, DevOps, Product Management, and User Experience. Raju joined PAR through the acquisition of PAR Punchh, an omnichannel loyalty and engagement startup based in San Mateo, CA.
Lila Margalit
Lila Margalit is a former lawyer and current content writer at leading location analytics firm Placer.ai. You can find her analyses on everything from specialty coffee drinks to full-service dining trends at Placer.ai/blog
Matthew Margetts
Matthew Margetts is a Director at Smarter Technologies, which tracks, monitors and recovers assets across the globe in real time, providing asset tracking systems to the open market and fulfilling the world’s most complex asset tracking requirements.Brittany Maroney
Brittany Maroney is the Sr. Product Marketing Manager for the premier loyalty software solution, Punchh. With 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Brittany brings unique insight into the challenges and opportunities of restaurateurs nationally. Based in Scottsdale, AZ has been a published author for over a decade, often contributing thought leadership to national publications and industry trade journals.Tyler Marpes
Tyler Marpes is the Director of Business Development for Acrelec. He is an experienced technologist, with a passion for brand digitalization. In his role, he oversees new and existing business development by providing F&B brands with a digital roadmap to drive their business.
Terry Matthews
Erle Dardick is an entrepreneur, author, and off-premises thought leader in the global foodservice industry. His mission is to help operators create successful off-premises revenue channels. He turned a small Vancouver deli into a flourishing operation and developed MONKEY, the leading cloud platform for takeout, delivery, and catering. He founded The Catering Institute, MonkeyMedia Software, and Off Premises Insights. Now, he leads The Off Premises Growth Academy, advocating for the industry and providing training. Erle holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University and lives in Vancouver, BC.
Abby McLean
Sharon Arthofer is an esteemed retail executive and seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for franchising and business development in the food and beverage space. She brings more than 25 years of multi-unit experience as a franchisee for respected national brands like Wetzel’s Pretzels. She created Sip Fresh - a specialty beverage concept serving fresh fruit-based juices, smoothies and teas in a fun and engaging way. As the well-regarded CEO and founder of Sip Fresh, her dedication, expertise, and innovative approach continue to inspire and drive the brand's future endeavors.
Dilan Mehta
Dilan Mehta is the CEO and co-founder of Sizzle, an AI-powered platform turning food content into commerce. A technical founder with two exits, he previously led NYU’s AI & Robotics Lab and has built companies at the intersection of content, behavior, and social commerce.
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