The Perfect Pitch: Round 2

Through her humble beginnings at McDonald's while growing up in Florida, Toni has always found a home in the hospitality industry. It's in her blood too- her Sicilian immigrant grandfather is responsible for bringing the first pizza shop to York, PA. She has trained at several well known restaurants, including Darden’s Seasons 52. In the late 2000s, she moved back up to Pennsylvania to her family’s roots and solidified her place in the industry by opening a farm-to-table restaurant (Tutoni’s), making her a third generation restaurant owner. Since then, she has created O.N.E. Hospitality Group, which has operated 12 food and beverage brands across Central Pennsylvania from fine dining restaurants and food trucks to a hotel and catering.

Marc Howland is the Co-Founder and CEO of Breadless, the Detroit born fast casual brand recently named one of FastCasual’s Top 20 Brands to Watch in 2025. Built on the belief that food should fuel ambition without slowing you down, Breadless is best known for reinventing the sandwich by wrapping it in nutrient rich leafy greens instead of bread, alongside hearty bowls, vibrant salads, and smoothies. Since its launch in 2022, Breadless has expanded to Detroit, Rochester Hills, Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, Detroit Metro Airport, and two locations at Ford Field. With momentum building, the company is preparing to launch as a franchisor and scale nationwide. Marc is a graduate of Brown University, where he was a two sport and All Ivy League athlete, and Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA with honors. He began his career at Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group before pivoting into food, working as a sandwich maker at Jimmy John’s to learn the industry from the ground up. He lives in Detroit with his wife and co-founder LC, their daughter Micah, and their son Maximus.

Maggie Josti is the visionary founder and CEO of Maggie’s Munchies, an old-fashioned New England bakery known for its ¼ lb handcrafted cookies and authentic New England service. With deep roots in the food industry, Maggie worked her way up from behind the counter to leading large-scale training and development teams in quick-service restaurants before launching her own venture. With a passion for quality, integrity, and hospitality, Maggie & Co-Owner Trevor Josti built Maggie’s Munchies from a single pop up tent into a beloved bakery brand with a growing mobile food truck & retail presence. She’s known for infusing timeless values into everything she does—from perfecting each cookie recipe to developing a strong, service-minded team culture. Under Maggie’s leadership, Maggie’s Munchies delivers more than just cookies—it offers an authentic New England experience, rooted in community, tradition, and love."

Matthew Mitchell, owner and operator of Traveler’s Cart, has a story similar to his concept, anything but ordinary. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, and studying in France, Italy, and at Oxford University in England, he worked as a writer and journalist in London, Paris and New York City. Matthew returned to Texas, attended Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones School of Management, and entered the pharmaceutical industry, eventually becoming the President & CEO of the Texas Center for Drug Development, Inc., a clinical research company. Fourteen years later, Matthew decided to explore his passion for distant cultures and exotic flavors by opening his first restaurant – Traveler’s Table. In preparation, Matthew attended and received an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Houston, before working in a number of well-known restaurants in Houston. Matthew and Thy received the 2025 Texas Restaurant Association's "Restaurateurs of the Year" award for the Greater Houston Chapter at this year's Lone Star Bash in July.

Thy Mitchell, owner of Traveler’s Table, grew up in Houston as a first generation Vietnamese-American in a family that centered around food. Growing up she would work on the weekends at her grandmother and mother’s small, traditional Vietnamese restaurant. From a young age, she learned the importance of authentic flavors, hard work, and hospitality. Throughout her time at University of Houston, she continued to work in the restaurant industry. Upon graduation, Thy began her career as a human resources and operations manager, while acquiring a master’s degree in human resources and employment relations. She has worked in HR leadership positions for three Fortune 500 companies in the hospitality and retail industries. Her love of travel and food are what brought her and her husband, Matthew, together and the restaurant’s philosophy of “exploring the world through food and drink”. Matthew and Thy received the 2025 Texas Restaurant Association's "Restaurateurs of the Year" award for the Greater Houston Chapter at this year's Lone Star Bash in July.

Cassie Ghaffar, a native of Houston and dynamic businesswoman, has a diverse background in both science and business. While pursuing her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston, she simultaneously owned her own business in the nightclub industry and worked as a consultant for dental practices. Through these experiences, she gained expertise in business and marketing within the medical and healthcare industries. Cassandra joined ZT Wealth in 2009 and quickly aligned with the company's vision. In addition to her responsibilities in corporate marketing and events, she spearheaded the management and consulting for the dental division at ZT Wealth, drawing from her firsthand experience and passion for dentistry. She made an impressive mark in her career after climbing the corporate ladder as Senior VP of Marketing and Operations at ZT Wealth. Shortly after having a family, she embarked on a new entrepreneurial venture and focused her effects into becoming a franchisee of Amazing Lash Studio with six successful locations in Dallas and Austin.

Sandy Nguyen, a Houston native and first-generation Vietnamese, has achieved remarkable success as an entrepreneur. Graduating from the University of Houston with an accounting degree, she drew inspiration from her mother's entrepreneurial spirit to forge her own path. After successfully managing her initial restaurant startups for over a decade, Sandy redirected her focus toward scaling quick-service restaurants. In 2019, she co-founded Ordinary Concepts and introduced Saigon Hustle, Sunday Press, and Ginger Kale, all-day cafes that proudly showcase her Vietnamese heritage. Sandy firmly believes that food possesses the extraordinary ability to unite people. Her goal is to achieve a space where relationships can flourish, mirroring the bonds and friendships she has built throughout her years in the food and beverage industry. Her goal was to create a welcoming environment where people could experience meaningful connections and create lasting memories.

Zack Oates is an author, husband, father, entrepreneur, and hot tub aficionado (but not in that order, necessarily). He grew up in restaurants before getting into startups. He was voted Top 100 Entrepreneurs, rang the NASDAQ bell, won the world’s biggest business competition, has been to 50 countries, and started 3 companies. He went on over 1,000 dates before he got married and wrote a book, “Dating Never Works…Until it Does.” He currently is Founder and CEO of Ovation, the no. 1 restaurant feedback platform in America, voted Top 50 Most Influential Supplier by Nation’s Restaurant News, and host of “Give an Ovation: A Podcast for Restaurants.”