Speakers

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group 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.

Troy Hooper joined Pepper Lunch as one of the three global business unit CEO’s for the brand, and oversees Pepper Lunch’s parent company in North America, Hot Palette America. Troy brings 30 years of unparalleled experience in hospitality, operations management and executive leadership to this role, which has fueled Pepper Lunch’s infrastructure development, growth efforts, and brand deliverables, creating a fruitful franchise model for the North American market. Throughout his career, Troy has successfully built new concepts, rebranded existing restaurants, and improved well-established venues for iconic brands. Troy’s decades of experience and business acumen brings a breadth of knowledge to the rapidly growing global brand, Pepper Lunch.

Andy Linke is the Senior Director of Marketing at Ziggi's Coffee, where he leads the brand's marketing strategy, focusing on customer engagement, loyalty programs, and innovative campaigns that drive growth and brand recognition. With a strong background in marketing and a proven track record of success, Andy has been instrumental in expanding Ziggi's Coffee's presence in the competitive coffee industry. Before joining Ziggi's Coffee, Andy held various marketing roles that honed his skills in brand development, digital marketing, and strategic planning. His experience spans across different industries, providing him with a unique perspective on consumer behavior and market trends.

Davide Macchi is the Co-founder & CEO of Due' Cucina, a unique fast-casual concept specializing in authentic Italian pasta. Due' Cucina currently operates four locations in Seattle, WA (with one more on the way) and, following a recent equity round, is about to open three additional units in Texas. Prior to Due’, David worked as a strategy consultant for Kearney, and in a variety of management roles in Australia and the US for Rocket Internet and Amazon. Davide studied media, economics, and business administration at University of Bologna, UC Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his MBA in 2016.

Michael Magerl is President of Trabon Group, a Kansas City-based printing company that works with national restaurant brands to bring their marketing and print needs to life. He graduated from the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business with a degree in Organizational Behavior and Management. Michael has spent over 32 years at Trabon, leading teams in just about every part of the company. With a background in sales, he’s passionate about building new business relationships and exploring technology that helps meet the evolving needs of clients. Outside of work, Michael is a certified yoga instructor and volunteers with the adult special needs community. He brings a mix of energy, curiosity, and heart to everything he does.

Chris Treloar has spent his career exclusively in restaurant operations. With a strong background in multi-unit operations management, team development, and systems innovation, Chris is a visionary leader who has consistently driven success in the food service industry. His dedication to excellence, data-driven decision-making, and people-focused approach make him a standout CEO in the field. His commitment to developing systems and procedures, combined with his strong analytical skills, has left a lasting impact on the organizations he's been a part of.

Along with his two business partners, André Vener co-founded Dog Haus in April 2010, with the mission of elevating stadium food classics into culinary masterworks. Over the last decade, Dog Haus has expanded from its Pasadena, CA, base to nearly 50 locations from coast-to-coast. André and his partners have spearheaded the craft-casual brand’s rapid expansion by forming alliances with leading ghost kitchen networks, an innovative partnership with Live Nation and the 2020 introduction of The Absolute Brands – a suite of virtual restaurant concepts spun off from several of Dog Haus’ signature menu items, such as the Bad Mutha Clucka. André has been interviewed as a restaurant industry expert on multiple national platforms, including CNN, FOX News Channel and MSNBC. He and his Dog Haus partners were featured on the cover of QSR Magazine’s April 2020 edition, and they have been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine, Food & Wine and more.

Erin Walter is the Chief Marketing Officer at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, overseeing strategic marketing initiatives and execution. Erin leads brand, digital, grand-opening, and local-store marketing programs and works closely with cross-functional teams to accelerate Freddy’s marketing footprint. She is passionate about growing brands and teams. Her background includes more than 20 years in the franchise restaurant industry, with chains such as Round Table Pizza, Marble Slab Creamery, and Great American Cookies. Erin is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, a wife, and a mom to three wild boys.

Sam Worobec is co-founder of Training Simplified and a human capital executive with deep experience operating at the highest levels of fast growing organizations. His career spans executive leadership roles at Chipotle, Red Ventures and Nexus Executive Search, where he has lead every facet of Human Resources including executive assessment, talent strategy, and leadership development at scale. Sam is an operator who has built the systems that develop leaders from within, resulting in the growth of thousands of frontline employees into managers and executives. Through Training Simplified, he brings together real world executive leadership and proven training frameworks to help organizations build internal pipelines, strengthen culture, and deliver results through people.