Steven King is the Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holding a joint appointment with the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and Kenan-Flagler Business School. He combines computer science concepts, human-centered design and storytelling to create new ways to present information through emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other interactive media forms. Steven is the CEO of Blue Sky Robotics, which leverages computer vision and robotics to solve difficult problems in the supply chain, manufacturing, and hospitality industries.

Sassan Rahimzadeh is a successful entrepreneur and the president of Arya Cleaners, a prominent dry cleaning business in San Diego. With a network of seven locations, including innovative 24/7 kiosks, Arya offers convenient dry cleaning and laundry services to the San Diego community. Rahimzadeh's leadership has contributed to the growth and success of Arya Cleaners, making it a leading provider of cleaning services in the region.

With over 30 years in the hospitality industry, Neil Thompson began his career as a manager at Pizza Hut, where he learned the importance of people in delivering great guest experiences. During 12 years at Tim Hortons, Neil led improved drive-thru times by focusing on customer experience through staff experience, leveraging data-driven insights like drive-thru timers. As Vice President of Canadian Operations at HMSHost, he gained a deep understanding of how effective operators enhance relationships not just with staff, but also with brands and landlords. He then led HMSHost's digital transformation, driving adoption from near zero to 25% of total sales by empowering staff with training, and by contextualizing the operational importance of digital tools in creating seamless guest experiences. Neil is now the Chief Strategy Officer at NextGen Kitchens, where they focus on building technology that helps restaurant operators manage the complexities of multi-location and multi-brand operations.

Christopher Sebes is widely respected restaurant technology entrepreneur, CEO, Advisor and Board Member. He has dedicated his career to hospitality management and technology. He managed 5- star hotels in South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya before transitioning to the restaurant business, managing multi-unit restaurant operations in Europe and the United States. Having created Twenty20 Visual Systems, the first-ever Microsoft Windows POS company which was sold to Radiant Systems, he went on to found Xpient Solutions, where he served as CEO until its sale to Heartland Payments. As President of Xenial, Sebes led the acquisition of several restaurant technology companies and created a cross-platform cloud solution which continues to provide technology to more than half the top 50 brands in the QSR and Fast-Casual segments. Having stepped away from Global Payments, the acquirer of Heartland, Sebes has devoted his time to investing in, and consulting for several technology companies.