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.
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 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).
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.
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 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 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
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.
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 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.
Craig Miller, co-author of Bricks and Clicks: How We Drove Sonic Into the Digital Age, has more than four decades of experience as a technology executive and business strategist. Miller specializes in the development and execution of bold business strategies that harness the power of digital, data, and artificial intelligence to drive top-line growth and bottom-line efficiencies. He has worked with dozens of top-tier brands in retail, hospitality, health & fitness, financial services, food and beverage.
Bhagwati Bhushan Mishra is the visionary Founder and CEO of Fleksa, a trailblazer in digital restaurant solutions. With extensive expertise in tech innovation, Bhagwati has driven Fleksa’s growth, transforming the dining experience through advanced POS systems and AI-driven management tools. His leadership has established Fleksa as a global leader in restaurant technology.