Rebecca Kahn boasts a decade-long track record as a dynamic Franchise Business Leader. Her expertise lies in spearheading expansive operational field initiatives, orchestrating substantial portfolio acquisitions, overseeing restaurant development, and devising comprehensive operational strategies. Prior to joining the Gong cha team, Kahn served as the Franchise Business Partner overseeing the US Mid-Atlantic region at Burger King, where she played a pivotal role in steering the company's rebranding efforts and spearheading its digital transformation. Before her tenure at Burger King, Khan spent six years as a consultant specializing in enhancing operational efficiency and driving profitability for Subway franchisees.

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.

Anora Morton is the founder and CEO of The Nori Project, a groundbreaking startup revolutionizing healthy food access through a network of cutting-edge, Japanese-inspired vending machines placed nationwide. Spearheading in Louisville, KY, Nori delivers affordable, locally sourced meals with a focus on convenience and nutrition. Anora launched Nori after facing significant food access challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing inspiration from her time in Japan, where vending machines were ubiquitous. Under her leadership, Nori is transforming how people access healthy food, one innovative machine at a time.

Mike Abecassis is an innovative CEO with 30 years of experience developing new business models and turning them into successful businesses. He is a strong strategic thinker and team builder who enjoys turning problem companies into success stories and therefore has grown his business both organically and through acquisitions. Before taking on his role as CEO of General Vending and GameTime, Mike built several amusement and entertainment companies, then later sold them to move on to meet new challenges. His route operations firm, General Vending, has survived many economic challenges including 9/11 and has always come out on top. In 2010 he acquired GameWorks in both Miami and Tampa and re-branded it GameTime. The company now operates family entertainment centers in Miami, Daytona, Fort Myers, Ocoee, Tampa and Kissimmee. Mike oversees the day to day operations of all GameTime locations as well as several other entertainment and amusement companies throughout Florida.

James Boushka is the current Head of Emerging Digital Experiences for Aramark’s Workplace Experience Group and leads a holistic, data-driven approach to create opportunities for global Fortune 500 organizations who cultivate ideas into reality. He provides visionary leadership in leveraging partnership business models to fashion dynamic, human-centric experiences rooted in the science and art of digital disruption. Building upon more than 15 years of award-winning marketing and communications experience in the hospitality, retail, and private-label manufacturing industries, he delivers global value by leading teams in diagnosing complex situations and thoughtfully identifying scalable solutions.

Before joining Networld Media Group as Vice President of Events, Cherryh Cansler spent several years as VP of Editorial managing the Networld’s nine B2B publications. Throughout her 20-year career as a journalist, she’s written about a variety of topics, ranging from the restaurant industry and technology to health and fitness news. Her byline has appeared in a plethora of newspapers, magazines and websites, including Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine. She also serves as the managing editor for FastCasual.com.

Sandra Carpenter is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. She has been working in editorial and research roles for over a decade and has experience in print, blog, social media and peer-reviewed publications.

Jeremy Cauble, Director of Strategic Innovation for Canteen North America, has been exploring innovation in unattended retail for 15 years. Through his diversified background in marketing, digital commerce/SEO, field implementation and customer experience, Jeremy has learned how to leverage new technologies to continuously improve the shopping experience for customers in unattended retail.  Quick and easy checkout, interactive shopping tools, channels for consumer engagement and feedback, and operational technologies to ensure the right product in the right place at the right time—all of these and more combined to simplify the overall shopping process and elevate customer satisfaction.

With 20 years of experience in customer service, Charece Conklin has honed a strong focus on enhancing customer experiences. Currently serving as the Director of Customer Engagement at Buffalo Strive Vending, Charece has been instrumental in developing and leading the customer service department within a rapidly growing company over the past three years. Their expertise lies in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty, making them a key contributor to Buffalo Strive Vending's success in a competitive market.

Melanie Endres as CEO of Code Factory SL from Spain has been with the company for 15 years. She has helped shift directions from a development company for the world´s first screen reader for mobile devices for the blind and visually impaired to a company that will now bring a revolutionary product to the kiosk world. Taking advantage of the company's expertise in voice enabled products, voice controlled food ordering is the future vision for this company and will take customer experience in the self ordering market to a new level. As a German living in Spain having graduated with a MSc in Scotland, doing business worldwide comes naturally.

Tim Fern is Chief Commercial Officer at Eyebot, a Boston-based company that has developed the world’s fastest vision testing solution, delivering results in just 90 seconds. Eyebot works with leading eyeglass manufacturers to deliver a convenient and simple optical purchasing experience. Eyebot partners with malls, grocery stores, sports venues, colleges and more to ensure everyone has access to the vision care they need. Tim has extensive experience introducing new consumer technologies with stints at Meta, Verizon, and several high-growth hardware startups.

Ray Friedrich is a proven entrepreneurial leader with 35 years executive experience in the food and beverage industry. Ray started and grew a food service management company into one of the largest independent operators in Michigan when sold in 2019. Ray is a recognized national industry leader receiving many accolades for creating new and forward-thinking innovations related to the dining and convenience services industry. Ray now works with CEOs and business owners to help their organizations successfully identify, define and execute high-level strategic initiatives designed to meet their long-term goals. Ray is also experienced in executive team building and coaching. He helps to create a team culture of responsibility, collaboration and accountability. Throughout his career, Ray has demonstrated the power of new technologies to significantly transform an organization.

Lovell Holloway, founder and CEO of Blue Origin Holdings, brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience across the food and beverage, and retail sectors, spanning both traditional and non-traditional environments such as restaurants, sports & entertainment, and travel industries. As General Manager of Vantage Group at Kansas City International Airport, he successfully led the award-winning commercial and logistics program for the new single terminal, which opened in 2023. Before joining Vantage, Lovell served as General Manager and Regional Vice President at Areas U.S.A., supporting a portfolio of 150+ restaurants and retail locations. His career also includes senior leadership roles in large-scale food and beverage operations at TIAA Bank Field and with leading franchises such as Culver's and Focus Brands.

Justin Honeysuckle brings a unique blend of design expertise and entrepreneurial vision to the forefront of automated bartending technology. With a Master’s Degree in Interior Architecture and Design from Florida State University, Justin’s deep understanding of customer experience and aesthetics has positioned TendedBar as a standout in the industry. His ability to seamlessly integrate visual appeal and operational efficiency has been a key factor in differentiating the TendedBar experience in high-volume venues.

Stacey Kane has more than 25 years of experience working with multi-unit restaurant chains as a Head of Marketing and Marketing Consultant. She has worked with such brands as California Tortilla, Think Food Group, Subway and East Coast Wings. Known for her incredible creativity and obsession with data she was one of the pioneers of using social media in the restaurant space and has been named a Top 20 Movers and Shakers by Fast Casual Magazine five times. Her passion is leading emerging brands as they scale for growth. Currently, Stacey is a fractional CMO for several fast casual brands including Fresh Baguette, Garden Catering, HCK Hot Chicken, Mahana Fresh and Mamoun's Falafel. Kane is passionate about the industry. She has been a National Pro-Start Judge for 3 years and after serving as a consultant, she was asked to sit on the board of CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees in 2022.

John Laspia III is a visionary leader with an impressive career spanning over thirty years, primarily focused on innovation in the retail and technology sectors. He currently serves as the CEO of Kiosk Operators and brings over 20 years of experience designing, manufacturing and deploying over 18 new kiosks with over 17,000 placements across the USA in a variety of industries. Notably, he designed and built the Nestle DiGiorno Pizza Kiosk, the Blockbuster Kiosk and personally opened 1,200 retail stores. As co-founder of Kiosk Operators LLC, John is leading all projects that blend technology with retail strategies to create disruptive new business models. John played a crucial role in the development and launch of Moviebeam, a major streaming service. John's leadership extends to multiple exits in robotics innovation and cloud services automation. He spearheaded the acquisition/ sale of the Blockbuster Kiosk with Redbox, which was later sold to the Carlyle Group, with an investment of $15M.

Steve Lieber is a respected figure in the restaurant industry, celebrated for his expertise in restaurant concept design and successful operations. A certified pizzaiolo from Italy, he earned the title of Best Pizza in the USA in 2009. Currently, as Vice President of Franchise Development at BURGERFI International, he represents both the BURGERFI and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings brands. Steve has led his team to sell over 150 franchises to 50+ groups, spanning 20+ states and international markets like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. His commitment extends to mentoring franchisees and boosting local store marketing strategies for profitability.

Founded by the passionate foodie Candra Livsey, Delightful Vending started from a childhood venture selling frozen treats to neighbors. Now, it stands as a leading convenience service provider in Metro Atlanta, with a commitment to environmental sustainability through partnerships with local green initiatives. As an engineer with a diversified background in marketing, SEO, operations, and customer experience, Candra has created a network of nearly 40,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. She is dedicated to helping others start in the industry and provides training on how to efficiently operate their businesses. Her unique blend of technical expertise and marketing savvy ensure that new entrepreneurs have the knowledge and resources they need to succeed, making her an invaluable mentor and leader in the community.

Ash Mirnabavi's journey into the food service industry began with a desire to improve how operations are managed. Combining his engineering skills and entrepreneurial experience, he stepped directly into the role of an owner/operator, tackling pressing industry challenges. As the owner and operator of several Canadian franchises, including Chopped Leaf, Assembly Custom Pizza, Memphis Blues BBQ House, and Pacific Poke, he focused on improving operational processes and customer experiences by applying practical technology solutions. In founding NextGen Kitchens, Ash has been at the forefront of developing state-of-the-art ERP solutions tailored to the unique needs of multi-brand and multi-location food service operations. Their platform seamlessly integrates essential functions such as ordering, inventory management, and customer analytics into a unified system, greatly simplifying complex operations while boosting profitability.

Kelly Morse Nowicki is a Senior Administrator at Mayo Clinic who oversees Food and Nutrition Services, Innovation and Transformation, and Hospital Operations. Her food service portfolio of responsibility covers operations across Mayo Clinic’s national operations. The Mayo Clinic Food and Nutrition services offers corporate dining to 72,000 Mayo Clinic staff, patient dining of nearly 3 million trays a year, retail operations for over one million patients a year and their loved ones across 97 locations, catering infrastructure for over 500 thousand catering meals delivered to staff and visitors annually, hospitality opportunities for $6.5 Million retail sales annually, and senior living for nearly 500 residents and patients. Kelly’s true passion lies in furthering the organization’s mission to provide patient-centered, innovative, and highest-quality, most reliable operations and care. She strongly believes that food is medicine and an integral part of the healing process for patients, as well as a solution for preventing malnutrition and future food-caused hospital admissions.

Drew Munro is the co-founder and CEO of UpMeals, a Vancouver food tech start-up on a mission to make healthy food accessible 24/7 through technology solutions, such as customized healthy SmartVending machines powered by proprietary management software. Prior to starting UpMeals, Drew founded an award-winning catering company based in Vancouver. He has 12 years of experience curating corporate event experiences, working with organizations such as Facebook, Ferrari, and Amazon to create memorable food experiences. Drew is passionate about the intersection of wellness and technology, food waste reduction, and sustainability.

Mitchell Nolan’s unique background in franchising started at the Titus Center for Franchising at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He obtained his undergraduate degree with a concentration in franchising and is one of two people with a masters in franchising from the university. Mitchell began his career as a supplier to the franchise community first in software then writing brand standards manuals. Co-founding Vett3d with Steve Lieber, they introduced the five-pillar framework to scrutinize and ensure the alignment of franchisors and franchisees, emphasizing exceptional customer experiences, streamlined operations, and robust economics. Vett3d is leading the charge in assisting emerging brands to successfully expand.

As Director of the Terminal Operations Division for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Rupen Philloura is responsible for supervising the operations of all terminal facilities at Miami International Airport, including directing and supervising a staff of approximately 200 employees. His duties include serving as the Aviation Department’s liaison to the airport’s federal agencies, employee unions and airline station managers; overseeing the 24-hour operations of MIA’s Airport Operations Center; and overseeing the airport’s Lost and Found office. Before joining the Aviation Department in 2020, Philloura gained more than two decades of airport operations expertise at medium and large hub airports. In 2019, he founded Airport Intelligence Metrics (AiX), a passengerforecasting platform for airport executives. AiX provides day-to-day efficiency solutions and can also help with resource planning for various departments at an airport. In 2017,

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.

Ishai Reinfeld is the Director of Ecommerce, Smart Answering, at SoundHound AI. A Venezuelan-born tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in Retail, AI, Operations, and Management. Ishai previously served as CEO of Daily Steals, scaling the company from zero to $30 million, and held the role of COO at Glyde, a peer-to-peer marketplace developed with PCS Wireless. Known for integrating emerging technologies and driving growth, Ishai's hands-on leadership style consistently delivers successful outcomes across diverse business environments.

Alejandro Rodriguez is the Founder and CEO of Pharmabox and its subsidiaries AmeriKiosk and SmartBox Retail. In 2014 Pharmabox was born out of the idea of providing customers with the best over the counter products using the latest technologies in the most convenient way. Seven years later and Pharmabox is more than an idea – it has grown into a huge success. Pharmabox is currently providing services to more than 100 locations around the US and has grown to include subsidiaries like AmeriKiosk – offering Hardware and Software solutions to brands and retailers in a variety of sectors – and SmartBox – an in-store robotic technology solution that addresses shrink while improving the customer experience and increasing ROI.

Marco Salas is a distinguished professional in Bolivia's technology and business industries, with over two decades of experience in implementing strategic technological solutions. He currently serves as Head of Self-Service & Retail Business at Datec Ltda., where he leads the commercialization of internationally renowned brands such as Diebold Nixdorf, Toshiba, KAL, and GRG Banking, among others. Throughout his career, he has held key positions such as General Manager at Kastec and Commercial Manager at Datec, building a strong track record in managing advanced technological projects and transforming business processes. As the driving force behind Bolivia’s first self-service kiosk manufacturing facility, he successfully led the implementation of innovative solutions across sectors such as banking, airlines, telecommunications, insurance, retail, restaurants, supermarkets, and more. These tailor-made kiosks integrate cutting-edge technologies.

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.

Bill Stutzman, Director of Strategic Initiatives is a networking industry change agent helping today’s Omnichannel Financial Institutions solve technology challenges and meet networking demand. Bill’s expertise in marketing and network services has allowed him to support FIs implementing the many transformational changes impacting the omnichannel branch and how it can positively enhance the customer experience. Bill holds an M.B.A from Columbia University and throughout his career, including senior roles at Time, Inc’s Fortune.com, Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com, and Sprint, he has demonstrated a talent for anticipating trends and capturing value at the right time.

Lonnie C Talbert is the current CEO of The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) and ATM Security Association (ASA). For over three decades, Talbert has enjoyed an extensive and successful career in Financial Services, including leadership roles with large Fortune 500 companies, encompassing several high-level executive roles. He was most recently President of the New Mexico Bankers Association and has been a member of numerous ABA committees and the ePay Advisors, Board of Directors. Lonnie received his BS degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University.

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.

Ben Wheeler “The Kiosk Guy” the Founder of The Kiosk Guy is a Senior Executive with proven ability to lead companies in the process of new product development. He thrives on the challenges of new making ideas come to life! Since his involvement in some of the most groundbreaking self-service products in the past twenty-five years – Skittles Remix (Incredivend), CraveBot (Crave Robotics), Just Baked, PyePOS, Redbox (Flextronics), Kodak Picture Maker (Flextronics), NCR Fastlane (Flextronics), Wendy’s QSR (RedyRef), and MinuteKey (Flextronics) among many others – finds himself hunting for new challenges and meeting their demands. He has dedicated his life to mastering any role necessary at every company he has worked for, gaining vast experience in New Product Development, Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing, Consumer Electronics, Self-Service devices, and supporting engineering/manufacturing teams and goals. In 2017 he was inducted into the Kiosk Industry Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Achievement Award.