Chris Newcomb is a distinguished figure in the restaurant industry, best known as the founder and a current board member of Newk’s Eatery. Headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, Newk’s Eatery is a culinary-forward, high-volume, fast-casual restaurant concept boasting over 100 locations across 14 U.S. states. Chris's journey in the restaurant sector began in 1989 with the launch of his family’s first restaurant, Checquer’s, in Oxford, Mississippi. Within a year, it became a successful business, prompting a name change to McAlister’s Gourmet Deli to avoid confusion with an existing chain.

Marla Topliff is presently the Strategic Franchise Consultant at Kathleen Wood Partners, LLC., who worked with restaurants such as Suzy’s Swirl, Big Chicken and Cornbread Farm to Table. Previously she was President of Rosati’s Pizza for 22 years, where she led Rosati’s Pizza to become included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, Top 100 Pizza Companies by Pizza Today and in the Top 300 Franchise System by Franchise Times. She was also the corporate media spokesperson and managed vendor and store relationships as well as human resources. As Chairman of the National Restaurant Association’s Pizzeria Council, she was the 2012 Keynote Speaker at the International Pizza Expo. As a member of the International Franchise Association, she served on the membership and convention planning committees and was named one of the top 24 women in franchising by Franchise Update Magazine in 2014. Marla has also been featured in Entrepreneur, Suit Magazine, Chain Pulse Magazine and written many blogs for PizzaMarketplace.com.