web CHR Roundtable Program food and beverage ent
Transcription
web CHR Roundtable Program food and beverage ent
FOOD AND BEVERAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP ROUNDTABLE October 18-19, 2015 Ithaca, NY Chaired by: Mona Anita K. Olsen ’04 and Cheryl Stanley ’00 THE CENTER FOR HOSPITALITY RESEARCH Advancing the hospitality industry through… EXPERT ANALYSIS DATA RESOURCES TARGETED RESEARCH that you can put to work Monday morning. chr.cornell.edu AGENDA 2015 FOOD AND BEVERAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP ROUNDTABLE Chairs: Mona Anita K. Olsen ’04, and Cheryl Stanley ’00 Sunday, October 18, 2015 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 5th Floor Tower, Statler Hall Welcome Reception Monday, October 19, 2015 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Networking Breakfast 8:45 - 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction 5th Floor Tower, Statler Hall 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Session 1: Food and Beverage Development: Building the foundation for success Facilitator: Julia Heyer ’00, Principal, Heyer Performance Student Perspective: William Kinney ’16 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Session 2: Intrapreneurship: How to be entrepreneurial within an organization Facilitator: Annette S. Graham, Associate Dean Business Management, The Culinary Institute of America Student Perspective: Jake Hauss ’16 11:00 - 11:15 a.m. Break 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Session 3: Wait...You Want What Now? The challenge of maximizing demand capture ability and operational efficiency Facilitator: Christopher Gaulke, Lecturer, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Student Perspective: Elizabeth Huston ’15 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. Lunch (Taverna Banfi - Taylor A & B) 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. Session 4: 50 Shades of the Beverage Industry Facilitators: Heather Kolakowski ’00, Lecturer, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Douglass Miller, Professor, The Culinary Institute of America Student Perspective: Justin Fryer ’15 2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Break 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Session 5: Technology for the F&B Entrepreneur Facilitator: Alex Susskind, Associate Professor, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Student Perspective: Kassie McGue ’18 3:30 - 3:45 p.m. 3 Closing Commentary PARTICIPANTS HENRY CROSBY Co-founder and Owner Motto VIEN DOBUI Co-founder and Managing Partner Tandem Coffee + Bakery 4 A native of Charlottesville, Virginia, Henry Crosby is co-founder of Motto, with his friend Thomas Olcott. A graduate of Bates College, Crosby also attended the Sorbonne, in Paris, majoring in French and history. Following graduation in 2005, he worked for a construction company in New York City that specializes in high-end residential renovations, and then, in Virginia for an importer and retailer of antique French furniture. He returned to Maine for law school at the University of Maine, earning his Juris Doctor in 2011. In 2012, he and Olcott founded Motto, the first bottled matcha beverage. Motto Vien Dobui is the co-founder and managing partner of Tandem Coffee + Bakery, which was recently named one of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appétit. Prior to that, he worked as quality control director for Tandem Coffee Roasters. He started in specialty coffee in 2007 with Blue Bottle Coffee, where he established the training and research departments for the company’s Bay Area and New York operations. started as an idea for a refreshing beverage during a warm summer on Nantucket Island. Launched from a garage in Boston, Motto is now sold around the country at Whole Foods, Kroger, and a host of smaller independent natural food stores in 32 states. The popularity and availability of the beverage has risen considerably. In 2013, BevNET, a leading industry publication, awarded Motto two major awards; Best New Product and Sparkling Beverage of the Year. Most important, Henry and Tom are still good friends and excited about what the future holds for Motto. PARTICIPANTS VICTORIA DUBIN ’82, P ’19 Owner Victoria Dubin Events ROBERT EDELL ’12 Co-founder and CEO Servy 5 Victoria Dubin is the president and owner of Victoria Dubin Events. She has built an innovative event planning and design company based on the approach that each and every affair will be a personal expression of the client. She is constantly looking for fresh ideas and applying unique touches to customize each event. Much of her inspiration comes from her experience and knowledge of resources outside the traditional event industry. Victoria has planned highend events for many years. Prior to starting her event planning business she was the owner of a gift company that specialized in creative marketing through gift presentation. Her clients included individuals, corporations, and the entertainment industry. With her passion for entertaining, Victoria has thrown personal parties constantly. Her guests then consulted her for advice and help in planning their parties. Soon the word spread and other friends, colleagues, and acquaintances urged her to plan their events and thus a new business emerged. Her reputation as a planner with style and flair grew rapidly as she became well known in the greater New York area for social, corporate, and not-for-profit events. To date Victoria is planning events weekly and her services have been engaged for several years to come. Victoria holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University. In addition to her work in the gift field, Victoria worked in the real estate business and financial institutions. Victoria resides in Purchase, New York, with her husband and three children. Robert Edell is the CEO and cofounder of Servy, Inc., a next generation mystery dining and customer intelligence platform for the hospitality industry. Servy’s community of frequent diners use the Servy app to complete private restaurant evaluations in exchange for a partial reimbursement of their meal. The data from the evaluations are provided to restaurant partners in a cloud-based interface that highlights areas for improvement, change over time, and competitive analyses. Servy was founded in 2014 and is backed by Riverpark Ventures, Food-X, DreamIt Ventures, and SOS Ventures, among other great partners. Prior to Servy, Rob was a consultant at Ernst & Young, helping Fortune 500 companies with process improvement engagements. He also previously co-founded Jektr, a cloudbased presentation management solution. Rob is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. PARTICIPANTS MERYL ERIKSEN ’07 Director of Food and Beverage Inns of Aurora EMILY FRANCO ’92 Director, School of Hotel Administration/ The Culinary Institute of America Alliance Cornell University School of Hotel Administration 6 Meryl, a Finger Lakes native, is the director of food and beverages for the Inns of Aurora, one of a small handful of AAA four-diamond properties in Upstate New York. She has been affiliated with the Inns of Aurora since 2010, and in that time has also served as the director of marketing, cultivated the inns’ wine list, and hosted dozens of cooking classes and epicurean dinners. Prior to her time in Aurora, Meryl was based in California, working for the Hillstone Restaurant Group and then Tin Roof Bistro. Meryl is a proud 2007 graduate of the School of Hotel Administration, and the first Hotelie to graduate from the dual degree program with the Culinary Institute of America. She volunteers as an alumni interviewer of prospective Cornell students, and enjoys returning to campus to meet current SHA students. Following graduation from the School of Hotel Administration (SHA), Emily was commissioned in the Army Quartermaster Corps, where she served in Korea and Germany, coordinating the logistics of troop movement, managing supply and maintenance warehouses, and overseeing dining halls. After leaving the service, she worked with Deloitte and Touche, LLC, consulting on corporate relocations and economic development projects. She then returned to Ithaca as the general manager of The Rose Inn, a luxury country inn with 23 guest rooms and a fine-dining restaurant. She was recruited at Cornell as the purchasing manager for Campus Life, managing all procurement for Cornell Dining, Residence Life, and Community Development. In her current role, she oversees the relationship between The Culinary Institute of America and SHA, promotes and manages the collaborative degree program, and creates networking opportunities for current program students and alumni. In addition, Emily works on behalf of the veteran community at Cornell, as co-chair of the Veterans Colleague Network Group and as a founding member of Team Red, White, and Blue Ithaca, part of the national athletics-based veterans organization. She is co-owner of a vacation rental, At The Corner, and serves as the president of the board of trustees for the Lansing Community Library. PARTICIPANTS CHRISTOPHER GAULKE Lecturer Cornell University School of Hotel Administration ALLISON GOLDBERG ’88 Owner New England Cranberry Brands 7 Christopher Gaulke, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, where he teaches courses in restaurant management, supply chain management, and product development. Christopher undertook Ph.D. studies at Purdue University, where he focused on food-service operations and spent time conducting research on topics such as local food supply chains, regional food hubs, and food safety in farmers’ markets. Christopher has more than 15 years of practical experience working in a variety of different food-service operations including quick-service, casual, and upscale restaurants, as well as retail and institutional food service. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, he is certified as a Chef de Cuisine by the American Culinary Federation, and has held several top managerial positions including: general manager, executive chef, and food-service manager. A graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Allison Goldberg’s food and beverage career includes stints in hotel operations, NPD CREST, and, for the last decade, owner of New England Cranberry Brands. Rebranding and repositioning New England Cranberry from traditional to contemporary, Allison took this local brand and expanded the footprint from coast to coast, working with Whole Foods, TJX, Fairway, among others. Fruitations came to life in Allison’s kitchen as a drink solution for her family. Recognizing the potential of the brand, Allison continues to pursue retail, bar and restaurant, and hotel partnerships across the country. Fruitations is now found in properties in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Boston, and across New England. Allison lives in Lynn, Massachusetts, with her husband, Ted, and children, Julian and Chloe. PARTICIPANTS ANNETTE GRAHAM Associate Dean for Business Management The Culinary Institute of America ROBERT GUARINO CEO 5 Napkin Burger 8 Annette Graham, Ph.D., became the associate dean for business management at the Culinary Institute of America in January 2012, after serving as a tenured faculty member and coordinator of the Food, Nutrition and Hospitality Program at Ohio University for 17 years. A graduate of Morehead State University (BBA), she holds degrees from The Culinary Institute of America (AOS), Purdue University (MS), and The Pennsylvania State University (Ph.D.). She serves as president of the Northeast North America Federation and member of the ICHRIE Board. Annette oversees the Innovation Kitchen in the Egg, newly renovated student classroom and dining facilities, where bachelor’s degree students enrolled in the intrapreneurship concentration implement and manage a quickservice restaurant concept for a full semester. Students spend the two prior semesters developing a concept and pitch. Once the concept is selected the students refine the menu and recipes, HR materials, marketing plan, budget and point of sales, and the business plan. She has a daughter, Sydney, and two dogs, named Pete and Truffle. Robert Guarino is chief executive officer of 5 Napkin Burger. He has over 20 years of experience creating, building, and operating next level restaurant concepts. Throughout his career, he has maintained a focus on restaurants rooted in casual fine dining with a strong emphasis on design, food, beverage, and enlightened service. Today, he proudly plots the course for a restaurant brand that celebrates so many of the core things he loves about dining out. Since graduating from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1996, Robert has been fully immersed in the New York City restaurant scene. In 2001 he joined Simon Oren to open the French Mediterranean Brasserie Marseille, in Hell’s Kitchen. In the years that followed, Chef Andy D’Amico would join the team, and together they would open the Upper West Side’s Nice Matin in 2003 and Hell’s Kitchen’s Nizza in 2007. The trio’s next creation, 5 Napkin Burger, burst onto the scene in 2008. With 5 Napkin, the partners created a new dining phenomenon by surrounding the burger with all the trappings of a true American brasserie. In the 2015 edition of Zagat, 5 Napkin was voted as the 3rd most popular restaurant in NYC. Robert has led the expansion of 5 Napkin Burger to its current six locations, four in Manhattan, one Westchester County, New York, and one in Boston. Robert looks forward to leading this much loved brand well into a future of domestic and international growth. PARTICIPANTS JULIA HEYER ’00 Principal Heyer Performance Inc. STEVEN KAY ’94 Owner Mel’s Burger Bar 9 Julia Heyer is the principal of Heyer Performance. Her extensive varied international restaurant experience—from working in operations to controller to corporate officer, not to mention avid guest— has sharpened her skills and insights for concept development and brand management. She has worked with Alain Ducasse, Sushi Samba restaurants, and Richard Sandoval’s Modern Mexican Restaurant Group (MMR). As director of development with MMR she was responsible for the design, development, and project management of all new ventures. Besides negotiating numerous leases and management agreements, she guided the development of new brands and led the opening of the restaurants in MMR’s brand portfolio. Julia founded Heyer Performance in 2009, and has been involved in the business structuring, optimization, concept development, brand management, and opening of more than twentyfive restaurants and re-vitalizations. A native German, she is a graduate of Cornell University where she won the RC Kopf student achievement award and serves as a guest-lecturer, helping the next generation of restaurant talent succeed. Julia also teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Steven Kay is the owner of Mel’s Burger Bar, the ultimate burger and bar experience. Located in Morningside Heights in New York City, Mel’s Burger Bar was conceived to be the quintessential neighborhood restaurant—your favorite watering hole, the place you go to with friends or are happy to go to alone. Except for his college years at Cornell University, Steven has lived and worked in New York City. After graduating from the School of Hotel Administration, Steven returned home and began a 20-year career in the restaurant industry working for restaurant groups, most notably Smith and Wollensky’s Restaurant Group, and the Tao Group. During this time, Steven also owned and operated a bar and two sandwich shops. PARTICIPANTS RAVINDER KINGRA MMH ’12 Lecturer Cornell University School of Hotel Administration HEATHER KOLAKOWSKI ’00 Lecturer Cornell University School of Hotel Administration 10 Ravinder Kingra is a lecturer in food & beverage management at the School of Hotel Administration. Before joining Cornell’s faculty, Kingra most recently worked in Maine in special events, catering, and restaurant marketing and branding. He brings over 25 years of food service operations experience to the school. Having worked in corporateand independently owned full- and quick-service operations, Kingra has a diverse background from which to draw inspiration for his teaching. He is a member of SHA’s Academic Integrity Hearing Board (AIHB) and also serves as the faculty advisor to the school’s Epicurean Society. He co-authored a Cornell Hospitality Quarterly article that examined preopening training in hotels and restaurants. He has consulted with Gimme! Coffee, Dinosaur BBQ , and various independent restaurants in New England. In the fall of 2014, he was asked to deliver a presentation on technology and marketing in restaurants at the Costa Rican National Restaurant Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica. A graduate of Tufts University, he holds a Master of Management in Hospitality from the School of Hotel Administration. Heather Kolakowski is a lecturer in food and beverage management at the School of Hotel Administration (SHA). She teaches several food and beverage courses, including restaurant management and contemporary healthy foods. Her front-of-the-house classes review the principles of fine service and hospitality in a restaurant setting, emphasizing customer service, beverages including wine and spirits, restaurant trends, and sales. A 2000 graduate of SHA and a 2002 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Kolakowski returned to her culinary alma mater in 2008 to teach front of house restaurant management after serving as food and beverage manager for the Four Seasons Hotel Company in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Awarded an MBA at SUNY Empire State College in December 2013, Kolakowski is also a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and the Cornell Hotel Society. Kolakowski is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and certified TIPS responsible alcohol service instructor. PARTICIPANTS JOHN MEADOW ’02 President LDV Hospitality GREGORY MEZEY ’09 Director of Food and Beverage The Statler Hotel 11 John Meadow is the founder and president of LDV Hospitality, a premier restaurant group which owns and operates more than 24 food and beverage venues across the country, including the critically acclaimed Scarpetta, American Cut, and Dolce Italian restaurants and Corso espresso bars. Focused on concept and business development, John drives the creative process for the company, envisioning and creating new concepts as well as forging business partnerships with hoteliers, developers, and celebrated chefs alike. After graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, John became manager at The Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room. At 24, John sought out to create something of his own and opened the bar and grill Local West in midtown Manhattan. After that success, in 2008 he launched LDV Hospitality derived from the notion of ‘la dolce vita’ or ‘the good life’, opening the flagship Scarpetta restaurant in the Meatpacking District, where he which received a prestigious three star review from the New York Times. In less than 10 years, LDV has grown to 24 restaurants and bars in New York City Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, The Hamptons, Atlanta, and Chicago, including restaurants in the Fontainebleau in Miami, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, and Gurney’s in Montauk. LDV Hospitality’s first foray outside of the continental states will be American Cut Bar & Grill at The Mall of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico. John lives on Manhattan’s Upper West side and South Hampton, New York, with his wife, Karin, and daughters, Grace and Cecile. Gregory Mezey joined The Statler Hotel in 2011 has director of food and beverage, bringing along with him over 12 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Greg worked at several renowned Cleveland restaurants and decided to pursue his dream of attending The Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with honors in 2006. This led to his desire to better understand the “business of food,” and he enrolled in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell, graduating in 2009. Greg has worked for such companies as Hillstone Restaurant Group and The Lake Placid Lodge. He is now enjoying being back at Cornell and working at The Statler. PARTICIPANTS Professor The Culinary Institute of America Douglass Miller is an assistant professor of hospitality and service management at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. He teaches arts and science of brewing, brewed: culture, history and production, spirits and principles of mixology, and beverage management. These semester-long classes are electives in the CIA’s bachelor degree program. He has also been maitre d’ instructor in several of the on-campus restaurants. A 1989 graduate of the CIA, Miller is a Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) within The Society of Wine Educators, A Certified Beer Server from Cicerone, and has passed the Introductory Level Sommelier Course from The Court of Master Sommeliers. He also holds a Master of Hospitality Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Before returning to his alma mater as a faculty member in 2007, he held various restaurant and dining room management positions with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts including assistant director of food and beverage in Santa Barbara, California. He also worked in Hawaii, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New York City. Doug Miller has spoken at Savor: The Craft Beer & Food Experience, Tales of the Cocktail, Manhattan Cocktail Classic, International Restaurant & Foodservice Show, and the National Conference of Popular Culture. He has also been interviewed by the Associated Press, the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Nation’s Restaurant News, and has had cocktails published in Liquor.com, USA Today Magazine, and AOL. JACOB MILLER ’15 Jacob Miller, a recent graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, minored in real estate and policy analysis and management. As an undergraduate, he co-founded a restaurant discovery application called Flavour. In June 2015, Flavour was acquired by Tasting Table, which is where he currently works as a product associate. Jacob also graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 2012 before continuing his undergraduate work at Cornell. In his home city of Washington, D.C., Jacob helped launch ThinkFoodProducts, the product line of chef José Andrés. Additionally, he worked in several ThinkFoodGroup restaurants, including minibar and America Eats Tavern, as well as with TFG’s research and development team. During his time at Cornell, Jacob acted as the lead TA for both the seminar in quality brewing and the wine and food pairing classes. He served as president of The Farmers’ Market at Cornell, as a collaborator for Cornell Dining, and as a member of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. DOUGLASS MILLER Product Team Member Tasting Table 12 PARTICIPANTS MONA ANITA K. OLSEN ’04 Assistant Professor and Associate Academic Director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Cornell University School of Hotel Administration GIUSEPPE PEZZOTTI ’84, MPS ’96 Senior Lecturer Cornell University School of Hotel Administration 13 Mona Anita K. Olsen, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (SHA) and associate academic director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship. Olsen is a qualitative researcher with a strong interest in arts-based selfstudy. Her other research interests include entrepreneurship, hospitality, and education. Prior to joining the SHA faculty, Olsen was a 2012–2013 U.S. Fulbright Grantee to Norway. She was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Scholarship in Education by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. While in Norway, Olsen continued her work on “I Make A Difference, Do you?” (iMADdu), an educational nonprofit organization that empowers young entrepreneurs through apprenticeship and mentorship. Olsen was the assistant director of the Mason Small Business Development Center in the Mason Enterprise Center at the Office of Research and Economic Development at George Mason University. She also worked as a worldwide sales analyst for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and launched a consulting business that focused on operational systems design and analysis for private clubs and small businesses working with the federal government. A graduate of the Cornell University School of Administration, Olsen earned a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University and a master in management of information technology degree from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. Giuseppe Pezzotti is a senior lecturer at the School of Hotel Administration, where he has taught courses in restaurant operations management since 1984. After being awarded first prize at the Italian Hotel School, Pezzotti held positions on luxury liners of both the Italian Line and Swedish American Line, at several hotels and restaurants in Europe, and in the United States. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he has conducted numerous executive education seminars worldwide for the School of Hotel Administration and Cornell University. In the early ’90s he participated in a major project for American Express to evaluate restaurant service standards; has conducted training and evaluated restaurant service standards in major projects for AAA and Mobil/Exxon; and is an expert on service and business etiquette and protocol, and restaurant operations. PARTICIPANTS ALBERT ‘BUD’ ROSEVEAR Group Leader International Food Network, LLC TED RUSSIN Associate Dean of Culinary Science The Culinary Institute of America 14 Bud Rosevear is a group leader with the International Food Network, LLC (IFN), based in Ithaca, New York. Bud has been with IFN since March 2014. As group leader, Bud is responsible for managing projects and respective project teams, developing client relationships and providing general support for IFN’s clients. In addition, he manages the professional development of four scientists and contributes to IFN’s day-today activities as a member of the management team. Bud joined IFN from the H.J. Heinz Company, where he worked in many different divisions including frozen foods, condiments, and sauces. He received his B.A. in biology from Central Connecticut State University and his MBA in applied business from Waynesburg College. His interests outside of IFN include being with his family and playing the trumpet, in addition to enjoying the outdoors through running and hiking. For 28 years IFN has been providing consulting and product development services for the food, beverage, and nutraceuticals industries covering all phases from initial idea generation through to commercialization. IFN’s mission is to deliver practical solutions through the application of skills in the art, science, and technology of food and nutrition. Ted Russin is the associate dean of culinary science at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He oversees the college’s baccalaureate degree program in culinary science, and is responsible for the curriculum, instruction, and program development for the entire academic major. He is also an instructor for the culinary research & development and the ingredient functionality courses in the program. He previously was the CIA’s director of consulting, where he managed the college’s services for food industry clients regarding menu and recipe development projects and research & development programs. Before joining the CIA, he was research scientist for customer support and applications at CP Kelco in San Diego, where he was responsible for food product development and technical support for chefs, food-service, and retail food product customers. Earlier in his career, he was a research chemist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In addition, Russin was a consulting editor for Nathan Myhrvold’s groundbreaking book, Modernist Cuisine, and has consulted with chefs Thomas Keller, Wylie Dufresne, Corey Lee, and Adrian Vasquez, among others. His work has been profiled on the Cooking Channel special Geek-A-Licious, in Riviera Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Russin holds a Master of Science in food science and agricultural chemistry from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He earned a B.S. in food science from the University of Manitoba, a B.A. (with Honors) in philosophy from the University of Winnipeg, and a cooking certificate from Pierre Radisson College. PARTICIPANTS RAJI SANKAR Co-CEO Wholesome International JASON SCHULER Founder and President Drink More Good 15 Raji Sankar is co-chief executive officer, Wholesome International, a firm she co-founded in 2004. She is the steward of the company’s culture, people, operations, and infrastructure. Her company launched its homegrown fast-casual concept, Choolaah Indian BBQ , in 2014. The company is also a licensed developer of Five Guys Burgers and Fries and operates restaurants in Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh. Raji currently serves an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper Business School. Previously, she co-founded technology and media startups and served in leadership positions to develop technology for the cable industry and management consulting at Accenture. She served on the board of the Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, a master in mechanical engineering from Indian Institute of Science, and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Jason Schuler is the founder and president of More Good, a handcrafted soda syrup manufacturing company based in Beacon, New York. More Good syrups are created from raw organic cane sugar and distilled water, and flavored with hand-crushed herbs and spices, fresh organic ginger, and fresh organic citrus. More Good’s 2,000-square-foot production center boasts a commissary kitchen and small business incubator for local food start ups. There is also a retail space attached that features a creative work space café, loose leaf tea, organic and fair trade herbs and spices, cocktail bitters, bar accoutrements, and, of course, More Good hand-crafted syrups and cocktail mixers. Schuler founded the company in December 2012 with $2,000 and a light-bulb moment while still tending bar at Gleason’s in Peekskill, New York. More Good has now grown to have a presence at over 60 different retail and restaurant locations throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, including 30 Whole Foods Markets. PARTICIPANTS ELIAS SOTO ’00 Owner and Designer ESE Lifestyle CHERYL STANLEY ’00 Lecturer Cornell University School of Hotel Administration 16 Elias Soto, Jr., is owner and designer of ESE Lifestyle. He has worked in event planning and design since 2004. Prior to starting ESE Lifestyle, he worked for the renowned Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo as an interior designer. While at WATG, he finetuned his craft for textiles, space planning, lighting design, and color. This blend of experience enables him to bring a unique approach to event project management, budgeting, space planning, and, ultimately, event execution. When not working, he enjoys traveling home and spending time with his family and close friends in Los Angeles. A native of Texas, Elias received his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He resides in West Hollywood, California. Cheryl Stanley, a lecturer in food and beverage at the School of Hotel Administration (SHA), has been involved with food since the age of 10, when she started her own chocolate business, “Cheryl’s Chocolates.” She attended the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, where she discovered her passion for beverages through the introduction to wines course, food and wine pairing, and beverage management. Upon graduation, she worked with beverages and food service at The Four Seasons Hotel, Newport Beach, and The Wine Cask in Santa Barbara. Stanley started her own restaurant consulting company specializing in beverages and service in 2008. During this time, she was also presented an opportunity to become an adjunct instructor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she taught such courses as gastronomy and food, wine, and (agri)culture. Falling in love with teaching, she decided to pursue her Master in Hospitality and Retail Management degree from Texas Tech University. After returning to the CIA, she joined SHA’s food and beverage operations area, where she teaches courses on specific elements within the field of food and beverage operations, including catering and special events and beverage management. Certified through multiple wine organizations, she has conducted research on beverage costing in hotels, bars, and restaurants and has presented at beverage related conferences. In 2015 she was awarded the Ted Teng ’79 Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award. She is a member of the Society of Wine Educators and the United States Bartenders’ Guild. PARTICIPANTS ALEX SUSSKIND Associate Professor Cornell University School of Hotel Administration GREG VOJNOVIC ’85 Chief Development Officer Arby’s Restaurant Group 17 Alex M. Susskind, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the School of Hotel Administration and a member of the graduate field of communication at Cornell University. He earned his Ph.D. in communication from Michigan State University, with cognates in organizational communication and organizational behavior, where he also earned his MBA with a concentration in personnel and human relations. Susskind’s research is based primarily in organizational communication and organizational behavior. He is currently researching: (a) the influence of customer-service provider interaction as it relates to organizational effectiveness and efficiency from the perspective of guests, employees and managers; and (b) the influence of communication relationships upon individuals’ workrelated attitudes and perceptions surrounding organizational events and processes such as teamwork and downsizing. Greg Vojnovic recently joined Arby’s Restaurant Group (ARG) as chief development officer. In this role Vojnovic is responsible for franchisee recruitment and sales, franchise and company development, real estate, construction, design, and equipment. Prior to joining ARG, Vojnovic held the position of chief development officer at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, where he was responsible for franchise and company development, real estate, construction, design, equipment, and franchisee recruitment activities. Before joining Popeyes, Vojnovic held leadership positions in restaurant development as vice president of development at Huddle House and director of franchise development at MaggieMoo’s. Prior to MaggieMoo’s, Vojnovic led the Atlanta-based Bridgetown Grill chain, a Caribbeantheme concept that received Hot Concept of the Year recognition from Restaurants & Institutions and Chain Leader and more than 40 “Best of Atlanta” awards. Vojnovic also held development positions at Denny’s and previously at Arby’s for more than five years in the 1990s. Vojnovic is an alumnus of Cornell University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel administration from the Statler School of Hotel Administration. Vojnovic is an active member of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and a board member of the VetFran program. Additionally, he is a regular lecturer on franchising and development for the IFA Development Training series, contributes articles and columns to trade journals, frequently participates as an industry expert on conference panels, and early in his career was awarded a Gold Medal in the US Chef ’s Open. NOTES 18 Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Center for Hospitality Research 537 Statler Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 Phone: 607.255.9780 [email protected] chr.cornell.edu