Kevin Hutcheson is a Programs Coordinator with Second Harvest of the Big Bend, a food bank that supports neighbors across an 11-county service area. He specializes in coordinating mobile distributions, as well as running the newly founded, innovative grocery locker program that greatly expands access to food for neighbors in need.

Stratis Morfogen was the partner/owner of several establishments in New York including Club Rouge, Gotham City Diner, Seagrill of the Aegean, Hilltop Diner, Kids Kingdom Amusement Park, Aubar, Sessa, The Grand, Philippe Chow and Jue Lan Club to name a few. Stratis made his most significant mark in the hospitality industry by creating, designing and developing Philippe, a chic and sophisticated yet unpretentious Chinese restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, with chef Philippe Chow in 2005. With partners Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins and Dave Thomas, Stratis created Brooklyn Chop House. Today, the hard-working third generation restaurateur is flourishing. His new concept Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is the only restaurant that was able to franchise before even opening its flagship store, in addition to being the first contactless restaurant. He’s now gearing up to open a massive Brooklyn Chop House in Times Square in addition to a Greek restaurant called Pappas in Greenwich Village.

Kurt Pahlitzsch is Vice President of Operations for Doherty Enterprises, overseeing 83 Applebee’s locations and two Chevys Fresh Mex restaurants. He leads over 4,800 team members across four states. During his 28 years of service with Doherty, Kurt was also responsible for the design, development, and operations of the concepts Spuntino Italian Tapas & Wine bar, Shannon Rose Irish Pub, Chevys Fresh Mex , and Quaker Steak & Lube. During his tenure he has overseen the opening of more than 45 new restaurants. Kurt has been selected to serve on several counsels in multiple brands. Most currently, he serves on the Franchise Operations Counsel, Beverage Counsel, and Restaurant of the Future with Applebee’s. Kurt has been recognized with the following awards, Operations Partner of the Year 2018, Operations Partner of the Year 2020, and Beverage Champion 2022, with recognition for his performance excellence and innovative contributions to the Applebee’s Brand.