George Frangos co-founded the innovative grassfed burger chain, Farm Burger, in 2010. A seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry, George aligned with restaurateur and grassfed cattle rancher Jason Mann to make farm-to-table both accessible and scalable through a fast-casual business model. The menu is simple but thoughtful, featuring ingredients from local, sustainable farms. Over the past 11 years, George has overseen Farm Burger’s growth from one Atlanta store to 12 locations across the Southeast—but growth is not Farm Burger’s priority, nor will it be its legacy. Farm Burger’s legacy will be in creating a lifeline for small to midsize local farms—a sector of agriculture that continues to struggle, despite the countless brands in today’s market who tout “sustainable” and “locally sourced” ingredients. A passion for George is connecting consumers with the local farms who nourish them.

Jennifer Silveira is Vice President of Supply Chain Optimization for Consolidated Concepts. Jen helps support restaurant clients as they continue to battle through the ongoing volatility of the current supply chain environment. With 25 years of experience in the food service industry, Jen helped build and lead several restaurant and manufacturing supply chain teams, most recently spending the past 6 years as Vice President of Supply Chain for 99 Restaurant & Pub. She specializes in inventory management, sourcing, and contract negotiations that drive efficiency and savings to the bottom line. Jen also enjoys mentoring young women new to the foodservice industry, helping them to develop and foster their leadership skills.

Samir Wattar is a veteran of the restaurant industry with 30+ years experience in restaurant operations and management with established high growth and start up companies. Samir is progressive, decisive, innovative and is highly valued for expertise in interpreting corporate vision and strategy, translating objectives into actionable plans, and providing leadership to multi-functional, cross cultural teams. His past roles include Senior Director of Operations at Pollo Campero, Vice President of Franchise Development & Supply Chain at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, Vice President of Supply Chain at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and currently the Chief Operating Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers.

Mark Cimino is the Senior Vice President of Account Management for Buyers Edge Platform, the leading Software and Analytics company providing data-driven insights and technology to the foodservice industry. Mark leads the Account Management Group for national and regional clients. With over 25 years’ experience, Mark has worked in all areas of the industry including operations, support center, and franchise management so he understands the business from both the operator and owner perspective. Mark loves helping clients save money and grow their business.