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Tricia Greyshock is President and CEO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), where she leads efforts to strengthen the frozen and refrigerated food industries. She is focused on industry collaboration, consumer engagement, emerging brand development and preparing the next generation of food industry leaders. The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based trade association representing manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, suppliers and logistics providers. With more than 80 years of history and approximately 450–475 member companies, NFRA works to grow the frozen and refrigerated categories through industry connections, consumer insights, education and national promotions. NFRA reaches consumers through its Easy Home Meals platform, sharing recipes, meal solutions, nutritional information and shopping inspiration. The association generates approximately 2.7 billion annual consumer impressions through its digital, social and promotional efforts. Under Tricia’s leadership, NFRA developed Penguin Pitch, a competition that gives emerging frozen and refrigerated food brands access to industry experts, product evaluations and feedback from major retailers. The grand prize includes an opportunity to showcase products at NFRA’s annual convention. Tricia also launched the First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program, which brings together rising industry professionals for leadership development, networking and collaborative problem-solving. Participants work on real industry challenges and present actionable recommendations at NFRA’s annual convention. Consumer expectations of value have changed dramatically. Shoppers increasingly consider convenience, nutrition, portion size, versatility, shelf life and waste reduction alongside price. Frozen and refrigerated foods are well positioned to meet these demands, particularly as consumers balance financial pressures with the need for easy, satisfying meals. The frozen aisle has evolved far beyond traditional TV dinners. Today’s products increasingly feature restaurant-quality meals, globally inspired flavors, chef-driven recipes and premium ingredients. Consumers can explore international cuisines and create elevated dining experiences at home without the expense of restaurant meals or delivery. Convenience has become a basic expectation rather than a competitive differentiator. Consumers want foods that are easy to prepare but still deliver on taste, quality and experience. Innovations such as air fryer-friendly products, resealable packaging, individual portions and meal components that eliminate preparation steps are helping redefine convenience. Health and wellness trends are creating new opportunities across frozen and refrigerated foods. Protein, fiber, gut health, functional beverages and portion control are influencing product innovation. GLP-1 medications are also changing shopping behaviors, with consumers seeking smaller portions, nutrient-dense foods and products that support specific dietary goals. Traditional shopping patterns are becoming less relevant as consumers build meals using products from multiple grocery departments. Retailers and brands have opportunities to merchandise around eating occasions, such as quick breakfasts, family dinners and grab-and-go meals, rather than relying exclusively on traditional aisle categories. The refrigerated aisle is experiencing significant innovation beyond traditional dairy staples. Protein-rich yogurts, kefir, functional beverages, adult snack packs and dairy alternatives are gaining attention. Cottage cheese is enjoying a resurgence as consumers discover new ways to incorporate it into recipes and increase protein intake. Emerging brands face unique challenges entering the frozen and refrigerated categories, including distribution, cold-chain logistics and retailer access. Programs such as Penguin Pitch help smaller companies gain visibility, receive meaningful feedback and build relationships that can accelerate their growth. Technology and AI are poised to transform grocery shopping and the cold supply chain. Tricia sees opportunities for smarter inventory management, personalized shopping recommendations, improved forecasting and more efficient logistics. As technology evolves, brands and retailers will need to experiment, adapt and use consumer data to deliver more seamless shopping experiences.   QUOTES “Consumers absolutely still want value, but value no longer simply means finding the lowest price point or the largest pack size.” (Tricia) “In the aisles, you’re not just competing against another brand. You’re competing against all those other forces out there too.” (Tricia) “Convenience, it’s been redefined. It’s not just ready in five minutes anymore.” (Tricia) “There’s no longer fine lines defined between the aisles. It’s more of a whole shopping experience.” (Tricia) “There is no single definition of healthy anymore, right? It means something different to every single person.” (Tricia) “The freezer has become a place of genuine culinary discovery. It’s almost like you get a food global passport if you go down the frozen aisle nowadays because you are seeing chef-inspired entrees, globally authentic flavors.” (Tricia) “Convenience is now table stakes. It has to be, but it can’t come at the expense of experience.” (Tricia) “Premium doesn’t have to mean expensive or elaborate. It can mean authentic flavors. It can mean a better texture. It can mean a thoughtful portion size or just an experience that feels worth it.” (Tricia) “The broader expectation, I think, is that convenience should no longer feel like settling.” (Tricia) “Seven out of 10 adults would rather have a smaller portion of a treat that they really truly enjoy and will spend the money to have rather than a larger portion of something they don’t want.” (Tricia) “You have to try something, I think, to know if it’s the right path. You can’t be afraid to put your toe in the water and test some things, because otherwise you might get left behind.” (Tricia) “At the end of the day, technology is just going to improve how we deliver the things that consumers want. It’s not going to replace them. I think that’s important to remember.” (Tricia)

Jenn Palmer is the founder and CEO of JPalmer Collective, bringing 20 years of experience in the financing industry. She specializes in helping growing consumer brands access capital and has developed a particular focus on food, beverage, health and wellness companies and women-led businesses.  JPalmer Collective is an asset-based lending company that provides flexible financing to growing businesses. The firm works as a long-term growth partner, helping companies fund inventory, receivables and other needs while providing founders with financial guidance and access to capital without necessarily giving up equity. JPalmer Collective typically works with companies generating between roughly $5 million and $100 million in revenue, although it will make exceptions for companies it strongly believes in. The firm can also assign lending value to established trademarks, providing additional capital based on the value of a healthy, growing brand.  Supporting female entrepreneurs is central to JPalmer Collective’s mission. Jenn committed to maintaining a portfolio that is at least 51% female-owned or female-led after helping finance Stasher, a reusable silicone bag company that later sold to SC Johnson. Jenn said the experience demonstrated how having women represented in financing decisions can influence which businesses and ideas receive capital.  Jenn believes founders need to distinguish business momentum from financial health. Strong sales, publicity and retail distribution can make a brand appear successful, but margins, cash conversion, operational strength and a clear plan for funding growth provide a much better picture of the underlying business. Rapid growth can create serious financial problems when founders don’t understand how that growth will be funded. Jenn cautions against pursuing every retail opportunity simply for the sake of increasing sales and believes growth needs to make financial sense before a company commits to it. The cash conversion cycle is one of the metrics Jenn wishes more food and beverage founders understood. Inventory represents cash tied up until a retailer pays, so a company’s ability to manage the time between paying for products and receiving payment can determine whether its growth is actually fundable. Jenn places significant importance on the founder and management team when deciding whether to finance a business. She looks for self-aware, coachable leaders who surround themselves with talented people, accept criticism and have colleagues willing to challenge their ideas rather than simply agree with them. Landing a major retailer can create a cash crunch rather than immediately improving a company’s finances. Brands often have to pay for inventory and production long before receiving payment, while simultaneously absorbing expenses such as slotting fees, chargebacks and deductions.  Too much demand can sometimes be more dangerous than too little. Rapid demand can strain cash, create stockouts and late shipments, damage retailer relationships and force founders into expensive financing decisions. Jenn believes companies need the discipline to turn down opportunities they aren’t financially or operationally prepared to execute.  Jenn pays close attention to consumer trends but believes timing, the product and the management team matter as much as identifying the trend itself. She focused her career on health and wellness beginning in 2008 and now sees fiber as an emerging opportunity, describing it as potentially “the next protein.” Jenn sees debt and equity as tools for different circumstances, describing debt as “dating” and equity as “marriage.” Venture capital can provide valuable growth funding, but it also creates dilution and pressure to generate outsized returns, making it important for founders to choose financing that fits where their business is and where they want it to go.  Jenn says the funding gap for female founders remains significant despite years of attention to the issue. Her experience building JPalmer Collective reinforced her belief that women need greater representation on the financing side of the table and that female entrepreneurs benefit from capital partners who genuinely understand and support their businesses.    QUOTES “I’ve learned to separate momentum from health. Momentum is very exciting. But health is what determines whether that momentum survives the next big order or not.” (Jenn) “At the end of the day, I actually have two businesses. One is lending the money and the other is getting it back.” (Jenn) “Growth that outruns a founder’s grasp of their own cash is probably one of the fastest ways for a good brand to get in trouble.” (Jenn) “Growth has to make sense on paper, and I don’t believe that growth cures all. When somebody says to me, ‘Sales cures all,’ I run for the hills.” (Jenn) “Most founders are just laser focused on revenue growth and gross margin, which matters, of course, but it’s the cash conversion cycle that tells you whether the growth is actually fundable or not.” (Jenn) “If I’m at a table of people who are agreeing with me, I’m at the wrong table. I don’t want to be at the table. I want people to challenge me.” (Jenn) “Founders are visionaries. They just want to go and they want to dream, and you need people around you that can execute, but also say, ‘No, you can’t chase all of your dreams all at once.’” (Jenn) “We make and break our own rules for the right deal.” (Jenn) “Growth is a problem. It’s a great problem, but it’s certainly a problem with these big retailers.” (Jenn) “Counterintuitively, too much demand can be more dangerous. It can strain a business’s cash to the breaking point, damage that retailer trust through stockouts, late shipments, and then force the founder into expensive, rushed financing decisions.” (Jenn) “Trends are important, but probably even more is the timing around those and the management team and the product behind the trends as well.” (Jenn) “Debt is like dating and equity is like marriage.” (Jenn)

Amit Pandhi is a longtime food industry executive and brand builder with experience leading both emerging and established consumer brands. His career has included leadership roles at Popchips, Velocity Snack Brands and other food companies, with a particular focus on turnarounds, growth and building organizations capable of scaling. Amit now leads Westminster Cracker Company, a heritage brand with roots dating back more than 200 years. The company is known for its oyster and soup crackers and is working to grow a highly familiar brand by expanding consumption occasions, strengthening distribution and finding new relevance with today’s consumers. Throughout his career, Amit has worked across different stages of the food business, giving him a perspective that spans entrepreneurial brands, mature companies, operational challenges and organizational change. He sees his career as less about loyalty to individual companies and more about repeatedly solving the same fundamental challenge: how to build brands and businesses that can grow. Strong leadership starts with hiring the right people, giving them the resources they need and then giving them enough freedom to do their jobs. Turnarounds require leaders to identify and protect the “culture carriers,” the people throughout an organization who may not have senior titles but have enormous influence over how employees think, work and respond to change. Transparency is especially important during periods of change. Employees can generally handle difficult news, but surprises and uncertainty can quickly undermine trust in leadership. Mistakes should be treated as opportunities to solve problems rather than reasons for punishment. What matters is whether people acknowledge mistakes quickly, take ownership and work together to correct them. Understanding what consumers actually buy requires looking beyond what appears on store shelves. Amit pays close attention to product date codes because they can reveal velocity and shopper behavior that assortment alone cannot. Established brands can face a tougher challenge than emerging brands because familiarity does not necessarily translate into enthusiasm or purchase. Growth often requires changing long-held perceptions and consumer habits while maintaining the recognition the brand has already earned. Successful innovation should create a genuinely new reason or occasion for consumers to use a product. New varieties that simply shift purchases away from an existing product may add complexity without producing meaningful incremental growth. Consumers do not necessarily need to “love” a food brand. Amit believes enduring brands often succeed by being dependable and solving a real need at the right moment, becoming the product consumers know will not let them down. Amit credits much of what he has learned to the generosity of the food industry and believes strongly in paying that generosity forward by helping others with knowledge, connections and resources whenever possible.   QUOTES “Where you are now is someone else’s dream. Pay it forward. And that’s what I love so much about this industry.” (Amit) “Hire the right people. Give them the right resources. Get the hell out of the way.” (Amit) “I’ve never been loyal to a logo. I’ve been loyal to the same problem for 20 years, and it just keeps changing addresses.” (Amit) “You have to handle people with grace. Just because they’re not the right fit for your organization at that point in time, it doesn’t mean they didn’t add a tremendous amount of value along the way.” (Amit) “The shelf tells you what the category manager bought. The date code tells you what the shopper is actually buying.” (Amit) “The most overlooked people are the culture carriers. These are people who never show up on a deck. They never show up on an org chart. But what they are is they are the hearts and minds of the organization.” (Amit) “Most people can handle bad news. I truly believe that what they can’t handle are surprises.” (Amit) “You should never discipline someone over a mistake, but I for sure will discipline people over hiding the mistakes. Make the mistake. Own it. Let’s roll up our sleeves together. Let’s fix it.” (Amit) “Indifferent familiarity is the hardest disease in CPG to cure. With an emerging brand, you’re fighting for awareness. With an established brand, you have to change perception. You have to change habits. And you have to do it at the same time.” (Amit) “Meaningful innovation unlocks a new consumption occasion. Everything else just steals from your core velocity.” (Amit) “Nobody loves your brand. Nobody loves a cracker. What people love is that the night went fine. Our job isn’t to be adored. It’s to be the thing that didn’t let you down when somebody had 11 minutes and a hungry kid.” (Amit)

Paul Hemingway is Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Litehouse Foods, where he also leads innovation. A 25-year CPG veteran, his career has included roles with major companies including The J.M. Smucker Company and Coca-Cola before joining Litehouse about five years ago. Litehouse Foods is a 100% employee-owned food company with roots stretching back more than 60 years to a restaurant in Idaho, where its original blue cheese dressing was created. Today, Litehouse is the nation’s leading refrigerated salad dressing brand and the company’s portfolio extends into sauces, condiments, pasta and other categories. Litehouse has been expanding beyond its traditional refrigerated dressing business as part of a broader diversification strategy. Its portfolio includes brands and partnerships such as Guy Fieri’s Flavortown, Zaxby’s and Veggiecraft, allowing the company to reach new consumers and compete in different areas of the grocery store. Litehouse’s partnership with Guy Fieri grew from an authentic product connection. Fieri was already using Litehouse sauces at home and recognized the company’s culinary expertise. Before entering the partnership, Litehouse insisted on spending time with him personally to make sure there was an authentic match in values. Consumer behavior is changing faster than Paul has seen at any point in his 25-year career. Discovery increasingly happens before shoppers enter a grocery store, making it important for brands to understand the entire consumer journey and the different meal occasions that drive purchase decisions. Social media, digital content and AI are expanding consumers’ exposure to new foods and flavors. Paul sees younger consumers in particular discovering global cuisines, unexpected product mashups and new flavor experiences through their phones, creating opportunities for brands to introduce innovation that feels adventurous without feeling too risky. GLP-1 medications are influencing how Litehouse thinks about future food innovation. As some consumers eat less, Paul sees growing opportunities around nutrient-dense foods, protein and fiber, while research suggesting GLP-1s may affect taste could also contribute to demand for bolder, spicier flavors. Economic pressure is creating different definitions of value. While some consumers will pay more for better taste, nutrition or quality, others are increasingly turning to private label. Paul believes brands may need to offer new sizes, formats and price points that make premium experiences more accessible. Employee ownership has changed the way Paul thinks about company culture. Rather than focusing solely on individual career advancement, employees are encouraged to think about strengthening the overall business and creating value for current, retired and future employee owners. Litehouse’s employee-owned culture can also provide a competitive advantage. Paul believes its roll-up-your-sleeves mentality, combined with the company’s relatively small size, allows it to remain nimble and respond to consumer trends and opportunities faster than larger competitors. AI is helping Litehouse accelerate analysis, consumer research and innovation. Paul sees its value less as replacing marketers and more as helping them move faster, quickly curate information, generate ideas and devote more attention to strategy and higher-value marketing work. The strongest retailer relationships happen when brands stop behaving like vendors and operate as true partners. For Litehouse, that means focusing on a retailer’s shoppers and growth objectives, jointly developing strategies, measuring results and finding opportunities that create value for both organizations.   QUOTES “The reality is, as you invite more consumers, different households into your brand portfolio, the needs are different.” (Paul) “If there are not 10 competitors, there are 100 competitors vying for your dollars. And so it changes how we think about the positioning of our brands.” (Paul) “You have to ensure that there’s a match of values. An authentic match of values.” (Paul) “Where we compete is associated with freshness. And with freshness comes increased perception of quality.” (Paul) “Their behavior is changing as fast as I’ve ever seen in my 25-year career. Where they learn about products has changed. What constitutes value and what does not constitute value changes.” (Paul) “We can’t think about that journey starting at the grocery store.” (Paul) “More and more, I find AI curating solutions for me. ‘Hey, AI, go figure this out for me and then come back with some ideation.’” (Paul) “Give me something that just has a half notch of adventure to it or is a half notch towards a helpful benefit. And I think that’s where you’ll see some innovation take form.” (Paul) “You’ve got to find the joy. It’s an approachable joy.” (Paul) “It’s not about, ‘How can I do my job?’ Or, ‘How can I do my job to get to the next job, to the next job, to the next job within the organization?’ It’s more of, ‘How can I make our business stronger?’” (Paul) “A big part of that is the people. It’s the culture that we’ve connected. It’s the roll-up-our-sleeves mentality.” (Paul) “A great retail partnership is when you’re able to position yourself not as a vendor, but as a partner. And the focus isn’t on you, but it’s on them and their growth, their shoppers, their guests.” (Paul)

Jim Herr is Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and R&D at Herr’s, where he helps lead the consumer-facing side of the family business. A third-generation family member, he brings a deep connection to the company’s history while helping guide its continued growth, innovation and consumer engagement. Founded by Jim’s grandparents in 1946, Herr’s has grown from a small Pennsylvania potato chip business into a nationally recognized snack company. Still family owned and operated, the company maintains deep Philadelphia-area roots while expanding its product portfolio and distribution throughout the country. Herr’s is now primarily led by the third generation of the family, with Jim and two cousins overseeing different areas of the business. The family has put significant effort into succession planning while working to preserve values established by the founders, including hard work, trust, generosity and treating people well. Jim says being family owned allows Herr’s to take a longer view, making investments and decisions based on the longevity of the business rather than focusing primarily on short-term gains. Maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset is particularly important as Herr’s moves through its third generation. Jim sees complacency and relying too heavily on “that’s how we always did it” as potential threats to a multigenerational family business. Authenticity has played an important role in building loyalty around the Herr’s brand. Rather than chasing attention, the company tries to remain true to its personality, its roots and the passionate character of the Philadelphia region. Social media has strengthened Herr’s relationship with consumers by giving the company more opportunities to listen, interact and involve people in product decisions. Flavored by Philly, for example, invited consumers to suggest and vote on flavors. Consumer feedback can have a direct impact on the product lineup. After Herr’s repeatedly heard requests to bring back its Long Hots & Provolone flavor, the company eventually added the limited-time product to its everyday lineup. Innovation requires accepting that not every idea will succeed. Herr’s uses research, testing and consumer insights to get products as close as possible before launch, then adapts based on what happens in the marketplace. That willingness to accept occasional failures has given the company freedom to experiment with bolder ideas. Herr’s combines formal trend research with experience, intuition and entrepreneurial thinking when developing products. Jim believes some ideas are worth pursuing even when they don’t check every box in a traditional development process. Limited-time products have become more strategic for Herr’s, with new flavors increasingly connected to partnerships, restaurants, events or themes. The goal is to create an experience and a little excitement for consumers rather than simply introduce another bag of chips. As consumer preferences evolve, Herr’s is paying close attention to ingredients, alternative oils, package sizes and the impact of GLP-1s. Jim says the company ultimately focuses on what consumers actually want to buy, using listening and understanding to guide how its products evolve. QUOTES “Some of the things that we’re interested in and that we put effort against or spend money against are really about longevity more so than short-term gain.” (Jim) “We put a lot of effort into the culture, maintaining some of those key tenets that my grandparents were so fond of and emulated so well, like hard work, trust, being good people.” (Jim) “The inherent passion that you have for a family business, just because it’s part of what you’ve always done and part of your family’s legacy, you certainly have a drive there. I think that’s pretty special.” (Jim) “Sometimes because you’re tied into the history of the company, you see complacency and the idea that that’s how we always did it. That’s what got us here. So that’s what we’re going to do.” (Jim) “One of the things that I think that we do is really stay true to who we are, try to really be authentic.” (Jim) “At the end of the day, we want to make a great, high quality product that creates a good experience, great flavor for consumers.” (Jim) “We have so much more connection, so much more ability to connect with consumers and understand what they want. We can listen to them.” (Jim) “You’re going to have plenty of new items that do well and you’re going to have plenty that don’t. We try to get 90 percent of the way there, all the research and insight that we can get. And then you just have to launch it.” (Jim) “A little bit of the mindset of being okay with some failures from time to time, you’re not always going to hit a home run, has really kind of freed us up a little bit to try some new things and try some bolder flavors or bolder tie-ins.” (Jim) “We like to always have just a little bit of that opportunistic or entrepreneurial spirit when it comes to new items where you say, this might not check all the boxes for all the processes and testing that we would do, but we think there’s something here.” (Jim) “We’re really trying to create an experience, something a little bit more than just a bag of chips.” (Jim) “That’s the key for us, listening and understanding what our consumers want, what their demands are, and then coming back and making sure that we’re representing that through our products.” (Jim)

Amir Yazdi is the founder and managing partner of Bastian Capital, an investment firm focused on identifying, acquiring and growing restaurant and hospitality businesses. A former film producer, Amir transitioned into the restaurant industry more than two decades ago and has built a career scaling multi-unit operations, investing in emerging concepts and helping restaurant brands grow sustainably. Bastian Capital invests in restaurant and hospitality businesses with an emphasis on operational excellence, scalability and long-term value creation. The firm owns and operates multiple restaurant concepts, including Subway, UNO Pizzeria & Grill and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations, while also evaluating acquisition opportunities throughout the industry. Before founding Bastian Capital, Amir attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts and worked as a film producer. He credits his experience as a bartender with teaching him valuable customer service and leadership skills that continue to influence his approach to business. Bastian Capital has grown from operating restaurants to acquiring and investing in brands across multiple states. Amir believes every successful restaurant concept must be designed for replication. Strong systems, documented processes and operational consistency are what allow founders to scale beyond a handful of locations. One of the biggest questions he asks when evaluating an investment opportunity is simple: Why is the owner selling? The answer often reveals whether the business still has meaningful growth ahead or has already reached its peak. He cautions operators against assuming great single-unit managers will automatically succeed in multi-unit leadership roles. Scaling requires different skills, stronger infrastructure and the right people in the right positions. Amir says restaurants ultimately spend money in two places: food and labor. Rising labor costs continue to reshape the economics of the industry, making operational efficiency and back-office infrastructure more important than ever. He believes restaurants will continue to thrive because they provide something technology cannot replace. Beyond serving food, they create gathering places where families, friends and communities come together to celebrate, connect and build lasting memories. While he believes robot servers have limited appeal outside certain concepts, Amir expects automation in restaurant kitchens and back-of-house operations to become increasingly important as operators manage labor shortages and rising wage pressures. Looking ahead, Amir sees GLP-1 medications as one of the biggest long-term forces facing the restaurant industry. As access expands, he expects changing eating habits and shifting consumer behavior to influence menus, traffic patterns and restaurant economics across multiple segments.   QUOTES “Everybody needs to work a service job at some point in their lives. You learn how to deal with people, you learn how to be humble, and learning how to roll with difficult customers is a vital life skill.” (Amir) “The hardest step for us was going from four restaurants to five. That’s the point where you lose the ability to touch everyone all the time, and you realize you can’t do this by yourself.” (Amir) “When I look at scalability, it’s about simplifying the operation to the point where, if I grabbed you off the street, I could teach you how to run this place in three days.” (Amir) “We took all the guesswork out of the equation very early on, and that became a real catalyst for our ability to scale.” (Amir) “Just because you’re an excellent single-unit manager doesn’t make you an excellent multi-unit manager.” (Amir) “‘This is the way we’ve always done it’ is the worst possible answer to the question.” (Amir) “There’s only really two things you spend your money on in this business: food and people.” (Amir) “We’re just at the beginning of the GLP-1 story. When access expands, that’s going to be one of the biggest changes this industry has to navigate.” (Amir) “People will always want to go out. There’s something about breaking bread together. Restaurants bring communities together, and sometimes you catch magic. You can’t replicate that anywhere else.” (Amir) “There’s only so much price you can take. I always say, ‘Two is the new one.’ But if four becomes the new one, that’s a real problem for everybody.” (Amir)

Pete Olander is the founder of Happie, a plant medicine beverage company focused on cannabis-infused and functional mushroom drinks. Before launching Happie, he worked in private banking at J.P. Morgan and later in the nutrition and consumer packaged goods space, experiences that helped shape his entrepreneurial mindset and understanding of beverage formulation, distribution and scaling a brand. Happie is a functional beverage company producing hemp-derived THC drinks and mushroom-based wellness beverages under its Fungi Fusion line. The company focuses on approachable, wellness-oriented products designed to provide consumers with alternatives to alcohol and traditional energy drinks while emphasizing quality, transparency and consumer trust. Olander built Happie as a vertically integrated business, overseeing cultivation, extraction, formulation and finished products.  He initially launched the company as a CBD beverage brand in 2019 before expanding into THC beverages and functional mushroom drinks. Happie’s mushroom products feature ingredients such as lion’s mane, cordyceps and reishi in clinically relevant doses and are distributed through retailers including Total Wine and Amazon.  The company’s THC beverages are designed as low-dose social drinks that prioritize consistency and consumer comfort rather than overly intense experiences. Olander also discussed the complexities of operating in a heavily regulated, state-by-state cannabis environment and the importance of strategic partnerships as the industry evolves. Olander said his time working in banking exposed him to successful entrepreneurs who inspired him to think differently about risk-taking and business ownership. He explained that entrepreneurship was not something he always envisioned for himself, but eventually realized he wanted more ownership and fulfillment in his career. Olander emphasized that entrepreneurs cannot be afraid to fail because avoiding risk often leads to regret and missed opportunities. He shared that bootstrapping the business helped him stay in control and forced him to deeply understand every part of the operation rather than relying too heavily on outside investors. Olander said younger consumers increasingly want alternatives to alcohol that allow them to stay in control while still enjoying social experiences. He described functional mushroom beverages as part of a larger wellness movement where consumers seek products that offer benefits like focus, energy or relaxation without excessive sugar or stimulants. Olander explained that packaging and branding are critical because consumers “eat and drink with their eyes first,” especially in crowded beverage categories. He noted that Happie’s goal is to normalize cannabis beverages by creating approachable, consistent products that help people “feel good about feeling good.”   QUOTES “I need to have a little more ownership of this and I’m going to take a stab at this myself.” (Pete) “You have to not be afraid to fail. And you have to not be afraid to try because you don’t know until you try.” (Pete) “If you don’t do it, you’re always going to have that ‘what if?’” (Pete) “Anytime you take on money from an investor or institutional, you lose control.” (Pete) “It really forced me to get after it, grind a little bit more and get really comfortable with being uncomfortable.” (Pete) “Until you have the structure right, until you have the vision and the plan dialed in, you don’t need anybody else trying to tell you to try this differently.” (Pete) “We want to give people a real good experience. We want them to enjoy themselves, enjoy the environment they’re in and not feel any anxiety about carrying this can around and drinking it.” (Pete) “It’s not so cool to get out of control. You want to be in control, but you still want to have a good time.” (Pete) “If people are going to spend extra money on something, they want some kind of function out of it, some kind of a feel factor.” (Pete)

Jenny Mehlman is Senior Marketing Director at Dairy Farmers of America, where she leads branded cheese and butter businesses. With a background in brand stewardship and innovation, she focuses on making legacy food categories relevant through consumer insight, storytelling and everyday moments that drive connection. Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned cooperative representing more than 9,500 American dairy farmers. As the leading global dairy cooperative, DFA produces and markets a wide range of dairy brands, with a mission centered on delivering value back to its farmer-owners and their communities. DFA operates with a long-term mindset, prioritizing sustainable growth and innovation over short-term gains. Its structure allows marketing and innovation teams to focus on building brands that resonate with consumers while supporting farmers’ livelihoods. The organization blends large-scale brand management with a strong sense of authenticity, transparency and purpose rooted in agriculture. Dairy is experiencing a resurgence as consumers reconnect with real, wholesome ingredients and seek both health and indulgence in the same products. Great marketing starts with understanding people, their routines, motivations and the small moments that shape decisions. Even in crowded categories, brands must earn attention through storytelling and relevance or risk being ignored. Innovation in dairy extends beyond new flavors to include format, function and new ways to meet everyday needs. Authenticity and transparency are critical, helping consumers trust where their food comes from and how it’s made. Creativity often comes from observing everyday frustrations and solving small, real-world problems. Strong brands maintain distinct personalities, allowing them to connect with specific audiences without competing against themselves. A long-term mindset, driven by farmer ownership, enables more thoughtful innovation and brand-building decisions.   QUOTES “We’re actually owned by 9,500 American dairy farmers, which puts a different spin on the work. It makes things more personal because our mission is to provide value to them and their families.” (Jenny) “If I can do right by our farmers and provide value to them and their families, I’m doing my job well.” (Jenny) “I look at brands as humans. They have personalities, and you have to treat them properly and have fun with them in a way that fits who they are.” (Jenny) “I’ve never found a business where you can’t get people to talk about cheese and butter. It’s kind of phenomenal.” (Jenny) “The secret to good marketing is really getting to know people, what makes them tick and what drives their decisions.” (Jenny) “Dairy is having a bit of a renaissance. It’s less about the challenge and more about the opportunity to stay relevant in people’s lives.” (Jenny) “Sometimes we get so focused on the big idea that we forget about the little moments. Those everyday occasions are where the connection really happens.” (Jenny) “I don’t often think in quarters. Our farmers are always thinking about the future, and that changes how we approach innovation and investment.” (Jenny) “Authenticity builds trust. If something feels authentic, people feel like they understand it and can trust it.” (Jenny) “I look at what I do as problem solving and getting to know people. Whether it’s detergent, chocolate or cheese, the motivations are often the same.” (Jenny) “Everybody is creative in their own way. It’s about recognizing it and giving people the permission to keep doing it.” (Jenny)

Mike DiBeneditto is CEO of Golden Waffles, a nearly 90-year-old foodservice brand known for its fresh-baked waffle program. With a background in broadline distribution and leadership roles shaped by industry acquisitions, he brings an operator-first mindset grounded in clarity, partnership and disciplined execution. Golden Waffles, founded in 1937, provides an all-inclusive waffle program to operators in more than 50,000 locations across 60 countries. The company supplies mix, irons, service and support, helping foodservice partners add fresh waffles to their menus without operational friction. Under Mike’s leadership, the company rebranded from Golden Malted to Golden Waffles to better reflect what it actually delivers. The transition focused on clarity, modernization and honoring the company’s heritage, with careful internal communication and customer engagement throughout the process. Mike describes the brand’s mission as “happy made easy,” explaining that Golden Waffles exists to remove friction for operators, not just sell waffle mix. He shares that the rebrand was rooted in clarity. Customers already referred to the team as “the waffle people,” and the new name simply reinforced that identity. Relentless communication was central to the rollout. Mike believes that if leaders do not clearly explain the why, employees and customers will fill in the blanks themselves. Internally, involving long-tenured associates and even the founder’s grandson helped preserve heritage while modernizing the brand. Mike defines success as the intersection of speed, honesty and accuracy, getting to the right answer quickly without cutting corners. On trends, Golden Waffles focuses on solving real operator problems such as speed, simplicity and kitchen footprint rather than chasing hype. Regarding AI and technology, Mike views it as a support tool that should make good teams better, not replace people. At its core, he believes food is memory. Whether leading a rebrand or serving a waffle, the goal is to create shared experiences that people remember.   QUOTES “If the waffle is right, you don’t need to hide it under toppings.” (Mike) “Golden Waffles is the first time where I actually leapt at something. I ran towards something.” (Mike) “We don’t just sell waffle mix. We help operators serve a great waffle without any friction.” (Mike) “Bread tells you what to do. It’s a carrier. A waffle asks, how creative do you want to be?” (Mike) “You don’t rebrand just to look cool. You better look cool at the end of it, but you don’t rebrand to look cool. You rebrand to be clear.” (Mike) “Our rebrand was intended to remove friction, not necessarily to add polish.” (Mike) “If you don’t explain the why, people will fill in the blanks. And when they do that, it typically doesn’t align with where leadership’s head is at.” (Mike) “My definition of success is where speed, honesty and accuracy all meet. Who can get to the right answer the fastest without cheating?” (Mike) “Technology should really disappear into the experience. AI is never going to replace people. It’s about making good teams better.” (Mike) “The best meals aren’t really about complexity. It’s about who you share them with. Food is memory, that’s why it matters so much.” (Mike)

Madelyn Alfano is CEO and owner of Maria’s Italian Kitchen and a lifelong hospitality leader. Raised in her family’s grocery and restaurant business, she brings decades of hands-on experience, people-first leadership and a deep belief in food, culture and community. Founded in Los Angeles in 1972, Maria’s Italian Kitchen is a family-rooted, Southern Italian restaurant brand known for classic comfort food, consistent quality and warm hospitality. With eight locations, the brand has become a multigenerational neighborhood staple across Southern California. Alfano grew Maria’s from a small takeout operation into a multi-unit brand while navigating major challenges, including the Northridge earthquake and rapid industry change. She serves on California and national restaurant boards and is a strong advocate for thoughtful leadership, employee respect and community-centered hospitality. Early lessons from her parents taught her that customers will tell you exactly what they want if you listen closely. True hospitality means treating everyone with the same respect, regardless of status or background. Clear, consistent communication is critical, especially as a business grows. Leadership requires calm focus during crises, even when things are chaotic behind the scenes. Hiring in hospitality should prioritize personality and attitude over technical skills. Strong culture is built by leading by example and meeting people where they are. Long-term employee retention comes from respect, flexibility and genuine care. What keeps guests coming back isn’t just food, it’s how they feel when they walk through the door.   QUOTES “People will tell you what they want to buy. If you really listen, they’ll show you exactly what belongs in your business.” (Madelyn) “You treat everyone the same, from the Getty’s to the gardeners. My parents taught me that respect is non-negotiable.” (Madelyn) “Whoever walks through your front door, you need to embrace them and make them feel really good about who they are and where they are.” (Madelyn) “I was the original Instacart girl. We were delivering groceries long before anyone thought to call it that.” (Madelyn) “I had to pretend that someone was coming from Mars and had never worked in a restaurant before. That’s how clear your communication has to be.” (Madelyn) “Regardless of the circumstances, if you stay focused and lead with intention, you can get through almost anything.” (Madelyn) “It’s like a duck in water. Underneath, you’re paddling like crazy, but on top you have to look calm and steady.” (Madelyn) “Don’t confuse my kindness for weakness or my casualness for not being serious. I’m very intense about our business.” (Madelyn) “I’m very interested in people. It’s better to be interested than interesting.” (Madelyn) “Our first customers are the people we work with. If you don’t respect your team, nothing else works.” (Madelyn)

Chuck Meehan is Chief Creative Officer of Pavone Group and a veteran creative leader with decades of experience shaping iconic, culture-driving campaigns. A four-time Super Bowl creative, Chuck has worked with global brands and top-tier talent to create work that breaks through noise and pressure. Chuck has led creative teams at major agencies and worked on campaigns for brands including General Motors, Hellmann’s, McDonald’s, Del Taco and Universal Orlando Resort. His Super Bowl work includes back-to-back GM spots featuring Will Ferrell and Mike Myers as Dr. Evil, as well as large-scale brand activations that extended far beyond the broadcast. Big ideas come from interpreting the brief in an unexpected way and connecting dots others don’t see. If an idea can’t be explained clearly in one sentence, it’s not fully formed. Super Bowl advertising is a six-month marathon that requires protecting the idea through intense internal and external pressure. The most successful Super Bowl spots extend beyond the ad itself into brand activations and social storytelling. Celebrity-driven campaigns only work when the talent serves the product and idea, not the other way around. AI should be used to amplify creative thinking, not replace the struggle and reps required to develop great ideas. In-person collaboration plays a critical role in mentoring young creatives and building strong creative culture. Great creative leadership is about creating an environment where people feel safe to take big swings and learn from misses.     QUOTES “The Super Bowl is the coolest thing and it’s the most terrifying thing. And what’s hard about it is, a lot of them start in August. So if you make it to February, that’s six months of your life.” (Chuck) “If you can survive that gauntlet and somehow get to the Super Bowl with a great spot, it’s a Herculean feat for sure. It’s an amazing thing and it’s a bit of a horrible thing at the same time.” (Chuck) “That (GM Dr. Evil) brand activation actually became a bigger story than even the spot in a sense. So yeah, that was a thing where we just didn’t stop at the spot.” (Chuck) “By the Monday after the Super Bowl, the whole world’s moved on. Brands looked at that and thought that if I’m spending that much money, why don’t I release the spot a week ahead of time and get more out of it.” (Chuck) “When it comes to a Super Bowl commercial, you’ve got to put three-act story in 60 seconds. That’s the discipline. When I’ve worked with people outside advertising, they don’t quite get it. It’s a very specific art.” (Chuck) “It’s good because over the years, as a creative director, ECD, GCD, CCO, I’m constantly critiquing work. I’m constantly critiquing ideas. And most of them don’t get past me, which is kind of the drill. The ones that do interpreted the brief in a way I didn’t expect.” (Chuck) “I always tell creatives, show me a different way of looking at something. And even when I’ve judged shows, it’s always the stuff that I’m like, how did they get there? Ninety-nine percent of things I can see where they’re going.” (Chuck) “If you can tell me it in one sentence, you have an idea. And if you can’t explain it, you don’t know it.” (Chuck)

]EPISODE 105: Joey Jurgielewicz – Director of Client Service at Tasty Duck and leader in sustainable duck farming EPISODE 106: Tom Moffitt – Founder and CEO of Culture Fresh Foods and pioneer in plant-based dairy innovation EPISODE 107: Edward Medina – President of Ramona’s Food Group and transformative leader in authentic Mexican cuisine EPISODE 108: Sameer Malhotra – CEO of Café Spice and champion of authentic Indian cuisine EPISODE 109: Elliot Nelson – Founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group and visionary in community-driven hospitality EPISODE 110: Curtis Chin – Writer, filmmaker and storyteller of culture and community

Curtis Chin is a writer, filmmaker, activist, and author of the acclaimed memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. His work reflects on growing up gay and Chinese American in 1980s Detroit while working in his family’s landmark restaurant. Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, founded by Curtis’s great-grandfather, was a legendary Detroit institution for 65 years. Known for its handmade egg rolls and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant became a cultural hub and safe haven for people from every walk of life. Curtis has taken his family’s story global through more than 300 talks across seven countries. His memoir has received widespread recognition from outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CBS. He continues to tell stories through writing and film, while exploring ways to reconnect with his restaurant roots. Growing up in the dining room taught him about people, service, and the value of making someone’s day better. His father taught him to “talk to strangers,” a lesson in curiosity, openness, and seizing opportunities. Chung’s exposed him to every side of Detroit — from white-collar professionals and politicians to pimps, drag queens, and movie stars. He values service as much as food, lamenting the loss of human interaction in today’s QR code and robot-driven dining experiences. The restaurant sold more than 10 million handmade egg rolls and became a Detroit institution remembered decades after closing. Food anchored his cultural identity and offered a tangible link to his heritage when other ties to China were distant. He believes family restaurants are the “glue” of communities and often serve as civic spaces as important as political offices. Chinese restaurants shaped American dining trends — from takeout and delivery to open kitchens — and remain a vital, unifying presence across the country. QUOTES “I grew up in the restaurant, but I was one of those kids that didn’t know how to cook, so I was banished to the dining room. That’s where I actually did most of my learning.” (Curtis) “I like to say that even though I don’t work in a Chinese restaurant anymore, I’m still that Chinese waiter.” (Curtis) “My dad always gave us that advice — talk to strangers — because he knew the dining room was full of people who had opportunities outside the four walls of that Chinese restaurant.” (Curtis) “For me, going out to eat is really not just about great food, but also about great service.” (Curtis) “I realized, if I’m gonna look up to somebody, it’s gonna be my dad and not this Hollywood star.” (Curtis) “Meeting all these people gave me a different perspective, a different way to see the world.” (Curtis) “Detroit in the ’80s was really rough. I knew five people murdered by the time I was 18 years old.” (Curtis) “The one connection I did keep to my culture was food — that was the easiest way to hold on to where we came from.” (Curtis) “Chinese restaurants are actually one of the few places where you can go in and see someone from a different race or class and maybe start a conversation.” (Curtis) “Small family restaurants are the glue to a lot of communities.” (Curtis) “Chinese restaurants are going to save America.” (Curtis)

Elliot Nelson is the founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group, a hospitality company that has reshaped the dining scene in Tulsa and beyond. A visionary entrepreneur, Elliot has grown from opening one Irish pub in 2004 to overseeing dozens of restaurants and development projects. McNellie’s Group operates a diverse portfolio of pubs, restaurants, and concepts across Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and beyond. With a focus on revitalizing neighborhoods, historic renovations, and community-driven development, the company now includes more than 25 units and multiple large-scale real estate projects. Elliot’s journey started with a college business plan for a fictional pub, which eventually became the foundation for McNellie’s. From restoring century-old buildings to developing multi-million-dollar mixed-use projects, he has played a central role in the transformation of downtown Tulsa. Beyond restaurants, his work emphasizes placemaking, employee care, and creating spaces that serve as the backdrop for community life. Elliot abandoned plans for law school after realizing he wanted to build something tangible and people-focused. His first pub in 2004 became Tulsa’s destination for craft beer and helped spark downtown’s restaurant renaissance. He emphasizes that a great pub should feel like “Tulsa’s living room,” welcoming all generations. Development projects like Santa Fe Square and 36 Degrees North have redefined downtown, blending restaurants, apartments, and office space. COVID-19 reshaped habits—lunch sales are still down, but outdoor dining saved his flagship pub. Elliot believes in putting employees first, offering benefits and even personal support during tough times. Success stories include staff rising from entry-level roles to ownership and executive leadership. He sees his larger purpose as making Tulsa a better place to live—and may even consider running for mayor one day.   QUOTES “After spending a summer in a law office, I was like, man, there’s no @#$%ing way I can do this for my life.” (Elliot) “When we opened in 2004, I had no idea what I was doing. I’d waited tables for nine months to try to figure out how a restaurant worked.” (Elliot) “We instantly became the destination in town for beer. At one point, we were named one of the 100 best places in the world to drink beer.” (Elliot) “More than anything, we’ve just tried to make our hometown a better place to live. Restaurants were the vehicle in the beginning.” (Elliot) “All those other people make a bunch of money. I just like to do cool shit.” (Elliot) “A really good pub should be everybody’s place—where you can bring your kid, or your 80-year-old parent, and all generations feel welcome.” (Elliot) “I think my purpose is to make my hometown a better place to live. That clarity really helps give direction and meaning to what I do.” (Elliot) “We used to be the 11th or 12th place to get a drink downtown. Now there are about 150, and we helped create that momentum.” (Elliot) “We realized in this industry you might be the most stable force in someone’s life. It’s a responsibility I take to heart.” (Elliot) “We’re not chasing awards—we’re trying to be the place where people make their memories.” (Elliot)