Alan Phillips

Alan Philips, REEF’s Chief Creative Officer, is a creative executive, entrepreneur, writer, & speaker specializing in guiding & inspiring individuals and organizations on the path to discovering their purpose & unlocking their creative potential. Alan has over two decades of experience in hospitality, food & beverage, real estate, and entrepreneurship, working with some of the world’s most recognized organizations, people, and brands. Alan’s career began with a culinary stage with chef Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. Later, he maintained positions with Myriad Restaurant Group & Strategic Group. From there he launched a hospitality consulting firm, Sky Group, developing hospitality projects nationally & internationally and brought the first “pop up” restaurants to New York, going on to execute more than a dozen such ventures and helping ignite the trend. Alan has also led concepting, marketing, & development of boutique hotels with Morgans Hotel Group, served as Senior Vice President of Brand Experience with The We Company (formerly WeWork), and led marketing, digital and innovation as Chief Marketing Officer at Turnberry. Most recently Alan managed the development of brand and product for Mint House, a technology enabled short-term rental start-up developing the first purpose built hotel for business travelers.

Steve Herz

Steve Herz is President of The Montag Group, a sports and entertainment talent and marketing consultancy. He is also a career advisor to CEOs, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals. Prior to joining TMG, Steve was the President and Founding Partner of IF Management, an industry leader whose broadcasting division became one of the largest in the space, representing over 200 television and radio personalities. The agency represents some of the biggest names in sports and news media, including NBC Sports Mike Tirico, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and Dan Shulman and CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward.  Herz received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. Herz is involved with several charities, including serving on the local leadership council at Birthright Israel. He has also been a volunteer tutor at the Horizon High School at Rikers Island Prison in NYC and the Harlem Academy Charter School. Steve is married with two children and lives on the Upper West Side of New York City.

Will Steinberg

Will Steinberg is the Co-President and Co-Founder of Zinc Agency. Zinc is an agency focused on curating creative, one-of-a-kind experiences both virtually and in-person that leverage the power of talent in sports, music, fashion, the culinary world, theater, and any of life’s other passions. Prior to starting Zinc Agency, Will was a Co-founder of Goviva which was acquired by Creative Artists Agency and later became CAA / EBG Premium Experience. When not quarantining in the Catskills, Will resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife, baby girl Teddi and puppy Griffy.

Nick Mangold

Nick Mangold is a former American football center. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Mangold was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with the Jets and a three-time All-Pro selection, and was considered to be among the best at his position. Off the field he supports a number of local and national charitable organizations including “Answer The Call” which supports the families of fallen New York Police, Fire & Transit Workers; Little St. Nick Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project. He is the Jets spokesperson for the Taste of the NFL to help raise money to fight hunger in the metropolitan area. A self-proclaimed "foodie," Mangold is also the founder of 74 BBQ sauces.

Naomi Leslie and Tracie Franklin

With everyone spending more time at home these days, we know many of you have been perfecting your cocktail (or just plain boozing) skills. So today we have an extra special spirituous episode featuring two ladies of whiskey - Naomi Leslie, East Coast Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie, and Tracie Franklin, Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich.

Naomi Leslie
After years of honing her skills in the bartending and craft cocktail industry in New York, Naomi Leslie joined The Balvenie as the east coast US brand ambassador in 2018.

Born in Massachusetts, Naomi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, then moved to New York to begin her journey in the spirits industry. Her career began at the highly revered cocktail bar Dear Irving, where she rose through the ranks and worked with the management team to open a new bar, The Bennett. During her time at Dear Irving and The Bennett, Naomi also trained at Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain where she explored food and Scotch-specific pairings, piquing her initial interest in single malts.
Following, Naomi’s most recent role was at critically acclaimed bar BlackTail in lower Manhattan, where she led staff trainings pertaining to bartending technique and product and category knowledge, while taking courses on her own that focused on branding, social media and distillation. She took an active role in helping to develop the highly regarded, award-winning cocktail menu throughout her time at BlackTail.

Naomi has taken part in a variety of cocktail training curricula across the country, including Tales of the Cocktail’s Cocktail Apprentice Program and Cocktails in the Country with Gaz Regan. Additionally, she has led tastings, workshops, seminars and dinners across the Eastern US, highlighting topics ranging from rare prestige variants, to new releases, to encouraging diversity and advocacy for women in the cocktail and whisky worlds. Her inventive cocktail creations have been featured in Forbes and Liquor.com, among others.
In her free time, Naomi is an avid traveler and a photographer, specializing in beverage, food and travel.

Tracie Franklin
Tracie Franklin’s path to the role of brand ambassador for Glenfiddich has been anything but linear. Growing up in a military family, she learned to love travel and admire the cuisines and cultures that came along with it. She was introduced to the dazzling world of theatre by her military father and followed her heart to the stage where her presence and melodic voice landed her leading roles. She has performed in productions from Thailand to London and New York City.

While traveling, her adventurous spirit drove her to seek out unique food and beverages from around the world. This passionate pursuit was a powerful asset once she took the next turn on her path into the world of hospitality. Tracie has held nearly every front of the house position in the restaurant business, but she was able to shine as a bartender is some of New York’s cocktails bars.

It wasn’t until she tasted her first Single Malt Scotch Whisky that she realized the next phase in her life was down the whisky rabbit hole. That taste of malt, saline, and fruity sweetness sent her to classes and trainings with the best teachers in the whisky community. After years of studying, internships and whisky work she founded Whersky, an organization bringing together whisky drinkers of all backgrounds to build a more diverse, inclusive whisky culture. Most recently, Tracie was awarded “Scotch Ambassador of the Year 2020” by Whisky Magazine.

Tracie currently resides in Washington D.C. and is serving as the Glenfiddich Ambassador for the East Coast.

Morgan Margolis

From growing up within a dedicated show business household to becoming the CEO of an ever-expanding organization with over 20 + years of Hospitality and Entertainment experience, Morgan Margolis has been on a long journey that continues to move forward and upward.

At the beginning of 2000, Margolis signed with Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE) as Operations Manager at the newly opened Knitting Factory Club in Los Angeles. At the time, KFE’s enterprises included only the Hollywood venue, and the well-known Manhattan avant-jazz club (established in 1987) and a catalog of independent music on the Knitting Factory label.

“At Knitting Factory Los Angeles, simultaneously managing three rooms seven nights a week at three different capacities and variable music genres really prepared me for anything tossed my direction,” notes Margolis. “It was a constant state of organized chaos.”

Margolis took over as Vice President of West Coast Operations as the company expanded to the Pacific Northwest, where KFE opened concert houses in Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington, and also produced tours and concerts at other high-capacity venues throughout the nation. In 2007, after successfully running Pacific Northwest operations, Margolis was promoted to Vice President of National Operations.

Within a year, Margolis was named CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment and for the last nine years has helmed the company. Guiding the corporation from a three-unit venue business, with $5 million in  yearly gross revenues, to a twenty unit multiple tiered operation and portfolio company to north of $40 million a year in grosses and 600 employees nationally.

Outside the normal of day-to-day promotions, Knitting Factory co-produced the Tony Awardâ-winning, Grammyâ-nominated musical “FELA!” based on KFE-produced musician and Afrobeat godfather Fela Kuti.

That show became a kernel of KFE’s first theatrical film, the Oscarâ-Nominated Alex Gibney’s Finding Fela, which had a theatrical, digital and DVD/BD release in 2014. Most recently, KFE served as producer on the 2016 documentary, They Will Have To Kill Us First.

The label has also partnered with Partisan Records, a Brooklyn-based indie label, www.partisanrecords.com. KFE further consolidated management companies and formed Knitting Factory Management, www.knittingfactorymgmt.com and finalized its music management moves by adding Selby Artist Management, www.selbyartistmgmt.com – award winning dance / theatre / composers.

Margolis is key in relationship-building, and in 2016 he strategically aligned KFE to a multi-year seven figure deal with ticketing giant, Ticket Master / Ticket Web. His overall vision is to turn KFE into a 360-degree entertainment company and these steps have led to key ownership stakes in media enterprises including: Giant Step Marketing and Media (www.giantstep.net), an award-winning experiential marketing organization, and the Connect Group (www.theconnectgrp.com), an agency focused on food, sports, and entertainment. KFE also owns the “taste maker” web property, The Talkhouse (www.thetalkhouse.com), which connects the conversation between artists.

“With venues, restaurant / bars, touring, labels, a marketing and publicity machine at our fingertips, and the artists coming through our own venues, it just seemed logical to me to try and create a division that would take care of the artist and help to move their careers forward through our system,” says Margolis. “This division is still expanding and I’m currently looking at numerous strategic partnerships with other companies.”

KFE i.e.: KFE Presents, the national touring and promotions arm of KFE has also expanded its footprint. Booking national acts across multiple states including, but not limited to Memorial Stadium, Idaho and Big Sky Brewery Amphitheatre in Montana. Between those two, there’s approximately 25 shows and 100k plus fans served outdoors annually. KFE Presents also has contracts with; Slowdown, NE; The Myth, MI; Criterion OKC, OK; and Elevation 27, VA, as a talent buyer. Recent partnerships have also included Rachel Ray’s Feedback in Chicago, Hortons Hayride in California, the ongoing Desert Daze Festival in Joshua Tree, CMoore Concerts in the Pacific Northwest, and many others.

In describing the company’s diversification, “KFE has really had a paradigm shift,” Margolis says. “We’ve moved from essentially a straightforward brick and mortar venue and touring company to a multi-layered media company. All of our assets are intertwined to create a new network that works for the greater growth of each of the business units. Sometimes I feel as though we are an eight-headed serpent and it definitely gets very difficult to rein in all of the areas we’ve expanded to. But in the long run, our goal is to expand the business to also handle outside companies and consult on business development and branding, sponsorship, advertising, construction, promoting and more. KFE is looking to become a one-stop shop for a multitude of content needs and outlets.”

To that end, Margolis has diversified Knitting Factory Entertainment in many unpredictable yet undeniably connected ways, such as opening the successful gastropub The Federal, www.thefederalbar.com in North Hollywood and Long Beach. Most recently, they also opened downtown Los Angeles’ Regent Theatre; The Thirsty Merchant, www.thirstymerchant.com in Valley Village and another four El Tejano Tex Mex restaurants, www.eltejanotexmex.com , located in North Hollywood, Woodland Hills, Downtown Los Angeles and West Hollywood. Hospitality division highlights have helped drive an additional $20  million in gross revenue yearly. Further hospitality expansion in 2017 added a stake in LA’s growing craft beer scene by taking a position in Boomtown Brewery, www.boomtownbrew.com. 2020 with Fillmore Capital on a multi-million dollar hospitality concept in LoDo, the creative hotbed of Denver, CO spinning three projects Brewery, tex mex and old school rock n roll bar into an entertainment complex, opening Winter 2021. 

KFE made its first foray into the hotel business by investing in the Arrive Hotel brand, www.arrivehotels.com, —Palm Springs’ first ground-up hotel project in ten ears. The synergy of these endeavors, from the recording studio to the stage to Broadway to Brooklyn, points to a company with the creative leadership to continue to grow and provide endless high-quality entertainment options.

“How does running restaurants fit in with managing a band or promoting an act?” Margolis explains, “There are some direct crossovers as it is all hospitality in the end. How do you treat your customer? Dealing with the different personalities and doing everything you can to put the right product in front of the consumer, taste, design detail, staffing is central to our philosophy . Management gives customers , patrons and guests the personal touch, and stays up to date with all of the clientele, as well as with shifting technology and social platforms.”

Margolis acknowledges the contributions of his department/division heads in pushing the KFE brand forward. “Essentially, while each member has deep experience in their key business unit, we are ‘all hands on deck’ and most team members can and must cross over to lend a hand in all departments when needed. Most of this team has been with me since I took the reins as CEO in 2008. To say we couldn't succeed without their individual and collective contributions would be an understatement.”

“Each day, we propel Knitting Factory Entertainment further into the future; strategically integrating KFE across an increasingly diverse portfolio of revenue-driving business units, from a broadening spectrum of Entertainment, Management, Technology, Consulting and Hospitality disciplines."

Akhtar Nawab

With the recent economic and health crisis and outbreak of coronavirus, on this episode with Chef Akhtar Nawab we discuss the fate of our industry, what actions need to be taken immediately, and how brands/companies can help support their favorite restaurants, bars, and chefs.

Akhtar Nawab is chef and owner of Alta Calidad in New York, advisor at Prather’s on the Alley in D.C. and Otra Vez in New Orleans.

With nearly 25 years of experience in the kitchen, the Kentucky-born chef of Indian heritage has embraced Mexican cuisine, connecting the layered, complex cooking and ingredients of Mexico with the Indian food he grew up eating.

Nawab’s ‘less-is-more’ style of cooking has earned him critical praise throughout the years, beginning with his experience in the kitchen at acclaimed restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Craftbar and Craft, the latter of which received three stars from The New York Times and won the James Beard Foundation’s “Best New Restaurant” Award during Nawab’s tenure. Nawab moved on to serve as the executive chef of East Village gastropub The E.U., for which he received StarChef’s “Rising Star Chef” award before striking out on his own as a partner at Elettaria. Moving towards Mexican cuisine, Nawab took the helm at popular NYC hotspot La Esquina.  In 2017, Nawab opened Alta Calidad in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. There he serves his smart and creative take on Mexican cuisine in a vibrant neighborhood atmosphere, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018. The same year, he opened Prather’s on the Alley in Washington D.C., a modern take on a classic American restaurant with a focus on local ingredients. 

In April 2019, Nawab will open to Otra Vez at The Standard in the South Market District in New Orleans. Much like his own culinary style, Nawab has long admired the diverse cuisines and gastronomic influences represented in New Orleans. At Otra Vez, Nawab will continue to build on his refined style of cooking, with dishes rooted in the big, classic flavors associated with Mexican cuisine incorporating the ingredients of Louisiana. Later this spring, Nawab will open ACTQ, a more casual version of Alta Calidad serving tacos, tortas and Mexican roti at Time Out Market in downtown Brooklyn.

Building on his vast food hall experience, with Choza and Indie Fresh, In May 2019 Nawab will open the Inner Rail Food Hall in Omaha, NE.  His vast and intimate knowledge of food halls makes Nawab an expert in the field of operations management. 

Nawab has been featured in various publications, including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Eater, and has appeared on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” He was included in acclaimed cookbook Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs (Phaidon, 2009) and will release his first cookbook Good For You, all about his unique take on healthy food, in 2020. 

Clay Conley and Zach Bell

Chef Clay Conley has worked his way around the kitchen since he started washing dishes as a teenager. Raised on 30 acres in rural Maine, in a 19th century home heated only by wood fire, Conley’s childhood was defined by chopping wood, tending to farm animals and a garden, and planting a 1000-tree orchard, which instilled his love of fresh, seasonal ingredients and the full-flavored, wood fired dishes that have become his signature as a chef.

Conley moved to Boston after college to work for Todd English, ultimately serving as the celebrity chef’s Director of Culinary Operations, overseeing 18 restaurants around the world.  Upon his return to South Florida, Conley received accolades for his tenure as Executive Chef at Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Miami before relocating to Palm Beach to open his first chef-helmed venture –Buccan – in 2011.  The modern American restaurant, which continues to be one of the island’s toughest reservations, focuses on complex yet balanced small plates, and is credited with revolutionizing the Palm Beach dining scene.  Chef-driven cuisine in a sophisticated, relaxed atmosphere was a new phenomenon on the tony island, and Conley followed Buccan’s success with Imoto (“little sister”), a Japanese/Asian concept next door inspired by his time living in Tokyo.  In 2016, Conley opened Grato, a neighborhood Italian concept West Palm Beach, which features a wood-burning oven, grill and rotisserie.  He is currently working on a new venture, Chateau Miami, to open winter 2020.

Five-time nominee for a James Beard Award as a “Best Chef in America: South,” Conley and his restaurants have been recognized in national and international publications including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, NY Post, Robb Report, Conde Nast Traveler, Miami Herald, Complot, Boston Globe, Fodor’s and USA Today. Buccan has been praised by Forbes as one of the best restaurants in Palm Beach and has received “Best Restaurant” honors from all area publications. Clay has also cooked on Emeril’s Florida, featured on both the Food Network and Cooking Channel, PBS’s The Victory Garden, The Today Show and Fox and Friends.
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Chef Zach Bell, a four-time James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: South, spent his formative years in New York working alongside Chef Andrew Carmellini with culinary legend Daniel Boulud.  A Florida native, Bell returned to Palm Beach in 2003 to open Boulud’s first venture outside New York City, the award-winning Café Boulud, and later opened Boulud’s Miami restaurant.  In 2011, Bell joined Delray Beach’s exclusive Addison Reserve Country Club, the #7th ranked private club in America, as Executive Chef.  At Addison Reserve, Bell oversaw seven separate dining venues, as well as all private dining and special events for the club.

In 2019, Bell joined friend and colleague Chef Clay Conley and his acclaimed Palm Beach County-based restaurant group to oversee culinary operations for Buccan, Grato, Imoto and the Buccan Sandwich Shop. Alongside his extensive fine dining experience, Bell boasts unparalleled knowledge of restaurant operations – from developing comprehensive training programs to overseeing all aspects of day-to-day management. Bell’s passion for recognizing and training talented chefs began while studying at Johnson & Wales and working in their Career Development Office. He brings this unique and highly valued expertise to the company as they expand and explore new opportunities for growth.

Joe Flamm

Winner of Bravo's Top Chef Season 15, Joe will open his debut restaurant in the Chicago’s Fulton Market, summer 2020. The menu will focus on Adriatic drinking food from Croatia and Italy.

Most recently, Joe worked as Executive Chef at Chicago's Michelin-starred
Spiaggia and Cafe Spiaggia for 5.5 years. There, he cooked and learned alongside the one-and-only Chef Tony Mantuano, aka the Godfather of Italian fine-dining in America, who’s forever family.

Prior to Spiaggia, Joe worked in other iconic Chicago kitchens, starting with Grandma
Mary's. She taught him how to cook for their big family. Pastas, ravioli, pizzas — all made by hand. He refined his culinary skills alongside Chicago's best chefs, including Stephanie Izard at Girl and the Goat, Art Smith at Table Fifty-Two, and Bill Kim at bellyQ. Joe has staged in some of Italy's best kitchens, too, including Glass Hostaria in Rome and Del Pescatore in Mantova, a genuinely magic place.

He's cooked for presidents, celebrities, the James Beard Foundation and more, but his favorite person to cook for is his wife/roommate, Hillary. In his free time, Joe enjoys dayoffing with Hillary and their son, Luka, who couldn’t be more awesome.

Jonathon Sawyer

An old world German chef was the best thing to happen to Jonathon Sawyer. Back in the early 2000’s Sawyer found himself in engineering school staring at an auto-cad program on a computer screen every day and cooking in a local Dayton Ohio restaurant every night. The Chef, staunch in his stubborn ways one day came to Sawyer and said in his thick German accent “you, you are good at cooking.” Surprised & enamored with praise coming from his surly German boss he realized engineering school wasn’t for him and promptly dropped out to attend to culinary school. He would find his love in the kitchen. Not an uncommon occurrence however the years that followed would be. Sawyer would go on to work for Chef Charlie Palmer in New York City before opening a Parea in NYC & Lolita in Ohio for Michael Symon. After his son Catcher was born he headed home to Cleveland where he went on to build a small empire of restaurants including The Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, & Trentina, as well as a probiotic vinegar business. In 2010 Chef Sawyer won the Food & Wine “Best New Chef” award and in 2015 he won the James Beard Foundation Award Best Chef: Great Lakes. When Jonathon is not in the kitchen he is hanging out with his wife Amelia, their two kids Catcher & Louisiana, their three dogs Potato, Clementine Francis Bean, and Brenda Walsh.

Margo Sechler

Like her father, Bell & Evans Owner Scott Sechler, Margo grew up on her family’s farm, helping raise chickens and learning the family business from a young age.

Passionate about helping others, Margo received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Penn State University. She has worked in emergency services as an ambulance EMT and emergency room nurse, and she currently volunteers as a Firefighter/EMT with the local fire company.

“I worked hard to earn my nursing license, and I think it’s important to use those skills to give back,” Margo says. “But I always knew I’d wind up in the family business because I love our company and its values. I can be philanthropic through my role and give back to our team members, farm families and local community.”

Margo’s education, experience and interpersonal skills serve her well as Bell & Evans Executive Vice President, where she is involved in Live Production, Human Resources and Public Relations. 

Margo and her brother, Scott Jr., will succeed Scott Sr. as the 5th generation of leaders of the family-owned business.

Richard Blais

Blais currently owns and operates Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed, and operated multiple popular eateries. He is a partner at San Diego’s acclaimed restaurant Juniper & Ivy and multiple locations of The Crack Shack, his rapidly expanding fried chicken and egg concept. Most recently, Trail Blais opened Yellowbelly, an island-inspired seafood restaurant, in St. Louis.

Blais is the James Beard Award-nominated author of Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, as well as his second cookbook, So Good. He frequently makes appearances on such hit Food Network shows as Guy’s Grocery Games, Next Food Network Star and Cooks vs. Cons, to name just a few. In addition, Blais hosts the hit hospitality industry podcast entitled “Starving for Attention” which provides an entertaining, behind-the-scenes look into the food industry, and has featured guests including Wylie Dufresne, Michael Voltaggio, Andrew Zimmern, Gail Simmons, Lou Diamond Phillips, and more.

When not on set, in the kitchen or at home with his family, Blais may be found traveling cross country performing his live “stand up cooking” show to enthusiastic audiences nationwide.

Tony Rodriguez

Tony Rodriguez is the Senior Director of Marketing for the Four Seasons Palm Beach.

A true brand veteran, Tony’s career with Four Seasons spans nearly twenty-four years and has placed him at many notable properties.  Tony is a humble leader and consistently recognized for his sharp business acumen and keen ability to inspire and develop top performing teams.

 Tony's Four Seasons journey started as a college recruit through the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.  His first operational role was in the Rooms Division as an Assistant Valet Parking Manager at Four Seasons Boston.  Through hard work and an unrelenting obsession to learn, he progressed through the rooms division and eventually earned his first promotion as Assistant Director of Housekeeping at Four Seasons Hotel Houston.  

It was in Houston that Tony had his first exposure to Sales and Marketing during a temporary assignment overseeing the Reservations Department, which led to the role of Director of Revenue and Reservations.  Intrigued with the Art and Science of Sales and Marketing, he transitioned to the role of Sales Manager. 

That led to a promotion to the Director of Sales at Four Season Philadelphia, followed by a transfer to Four Seasons Miami in the same role.  The experience he garnered in each of his previous positions, led to his first Executive Committee post as the Director of Sales and Marketing in Miami. Tony then embarked on his first resort experience and moved to Four Seasons Palm Beach as the Director of Marketing.

Promoted to Senior Director of Marketing in 2015, Tony has played an instrumental role in the Four Seasons brand expansion in Florida.  In his expanded role, he was part of a core team, opening the iconic and historic Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at The Surf Club in Surfside, Florida.  Most recently, Tony has been instrumental in paving the way for the multi-million-dollar renovation and re-positioning of the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach.  Through collaborations with some of the world’s most prestigious and notable design and culinary talent, these past years have been both professional and personal highlights in Tony’s career. 

Tony was the President and Founder of the University of New Hampshire Chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH).  In 1995, he became the first Hispanic person elected to National Chairperson.  Fun-Fact, he was responsible for the re-branding of NSHM from the National Society of Minority Hoteliers to the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality to embrace all aspects of our industry.

Adam Richman

TV personality, culinary traveler, cook and author, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. With the diverse culinary mecca of New York City at his fingertips, Adam’s love affair with and intense interest in food and food culture developed at an early age. Though originally he was most widely known as the host of Travel Channel’s “Man V. Food,” Adam’s résumé has since expanded to include host and co-executive producer of five titles across Travel Channel (“Man V. Food Nation,” “Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America,” “Fandemonium,” “Carnivore Chronicles” and “Secret Eats”) and host of NBC’s “Food Fighters.” In addition to being a frequent contributor to NBC’s “The TODAY Show,” he is also the author of two books (America the Edible, Straight Up Tasty), and his production company, County of Kings, co-created and co-executive produced “BBQ Champ,” a wildly popular competition series, for ITV in the UK. A Yale graduate, Adam speaks four languages and has traveled the globe – visiting 13 countries alone for season two of “Secret Eats with Adam Richman” – on his quest to highlight local food culture on a national stage and uncover the world’s hidden edible treasures.

David Sabin

...and we're back! Welcome to Season 2 of Food Connected! Kicking off our new season is David Sabin, Festival Organizer of Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival and President of Brickhouse PR & Special Events (and a recent new Dad!). With a background in design and public relations for local, national and international brands, David created Brickhouse Public Relations & Special Events to provide a unique experience and unlimited opportunities for clients. As a passionate foodie, David is the organizer of the exponential growth of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival. David’s commitment and tenacity has brought star talent and legendary celebrity chefs to the Palm Beaches for this annual event.

Kris Moon

Kris Moon is the Chief Operating Officer for the James Beard Foundation, a national culinary non-profit focused on Good Food For Good™.

During his tenure, Moon has been responsible for spearheading the strategic planning and launch of the JBF Impact Programs which focus on engaging the culinary community in food policy advocacy.

Before moving up the ranks to COO, Moon has held several positions at JBF including: VP; Senior Director, Strategy and Development; Director of Charitable Giving and Strategic Partnerships; and Director of House Operations and House Events.

In his role at COO, Moon oversees all revenue, property, IT, and general operations for the Foundation. He has been featured in numerous publications on behalf of the Foundation and also frequently speaks on the Foundation’s work at culinary events and food conferences across America.

Carl Mittleman

Carl Mittleman is president of Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment division. In this role he provides leadership for more than 120 premier stadiums, arenas, convention centers and cultural attraction venues across North America where Aramark provides award-winning food and beverage, retail service and facility service programs. As president, Mittleman engages with leaders across Aramark in the key areas of healthcare, education, leisure, and corporate dining services.  

Mittleman has over 22 years of service with Aramark and most recently served as a Regional Vice President in Sports and Entertainment. Since joining Aramark as a management trainee, he has established himself as a versatile hospitality professional in numerous sales and operational roles across the enterprise, including the parks and destinations and international business units. 

Throughout the course of his career, Mittleman has been honored for his work. In 2012, he was recognized with the company’s prestigious Most Valued Partner award for his efforts to expand client partnerships, enhance customer satisfaction and create loyal customers. He was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2013 list of “Forty Under 40,” awarded the 2011 Venues Today Generation Next Award; and twice named Aramark Manager of the Year, in 2004 and 2005.

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Cholula Holdings, LP, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, is a member of the Cornell Hotel Society, sits on the Executive Advisory Board for University of Denver, Knoebel School, and the Board of Directors for Spurs Sports and Entertainment.

Mittleman is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and earned his Executive MBA from the Daniels College of Business at University of Denver.

Randy Fisher

Randall C. Fisher is the President and Founder of Culinary Related Entertainment and Marketing, LLC. As far back as he can remember, Randy was focused on hospitality and guest experience.  “I remember as a kid having friends over and creating buffet lunches complete with separate hot and cold stations.  Most of my friends had no clue what I was doing, but it made me feel good to be doing something special for them.  I also remember making an incredible mess, but they never saw that part.”  And while attending law school, when most of his classmates were clerking for local law firms, he was busy working his way up the ladder at a local hotel or restaurant.  After earning finance and law degrees and years in business and real estate development, Randy joined a prominent Miami hotel development and management firm, The Continental Companies (TCC), where he served as a partner and Senior Vice President of Development, responsible for identifying new hotel opportunities for the company.  It was during this period that Randy also joined the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival as an Event Producer.  “I was always intrigued by food-focused events and the guest experience…especially how to deliver the very best for every person on site.  The insight I gained in the hotel and restaurant business was perfectly suited for the culinary events and marketing business.  In the end, it’s all about over-delivering for your guest.”  After being approached to produce events from New York to California and other markets, Randy knew it was time to launch an independent company to take on new opportunities and challenges.  Since 2004, Culinary Related Entertainment and Marketing (CREaM) has gained a sterling reputation for executing best-in-class culinary events and marketing initiatives throughout the nation.  CREaM works closely with the brightest stars and brands in the culinary industry and has developed long-lasting and important relationships across every discipline within the industry.  “Every once in a while I’ll run into one of my childhood friends at an event and I get a kick out of knowing that I'm still trying to impress them with great food, entertainment and an overall memorable experience.  And, I'm making less of a mess now.”

David Hardie

Dave Hardie is a member of The Revelry Group, a Certified B Corporation that creates shared value for companies in the food, beverage and hospitality sectors. As Vice President, Sales and a Managing Partner of Revelry Foods, LLC., Dave leads the creation and expansion of their innovative product solutions initiative by launching the liquid dairy, shelf stable, start-up business. The launch of “Yay! Milk” (www.yaybeverages.com) includes Strategy Development, Business Development, Product Development, Launch, Marketing and Sales. In a few short years, the business has grown from zero revenue to over $15 million annual revenue and a 5-year projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to exceed 30%.

Prior to Revelry Foods, Dave served as Director, Gastronomy, of San Pellegrino, USA. He was responsible for the general management, growth and profitability of the away from home business. Dave’s extensive experience in the restaurant and chef community has interacted across a broad network of key stakeholders including chef’s, restauranteurs, influencers and media. Under Hardie’s leadership, the business delivered unrivaled growth and relevance for the San Pellegrino portfolio.

Herb Karlitz

Herb Karlitz is the President & Founder of Karlitz & Company. From when he was 5-years old and played the drums and did the twist with ‘50s entertainer Chubby Checker, Herb knew he was destined for a life in entertainment. Little did he know that his passion would later take him to law school (he’s also an entertainment lawyer), after graduating from New York University.

Over the course of the next 14 years, he rose through the ranks of worldwide public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to create and lead its Entertainment & Event Marketing division, where he worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys to Bon Jovi and Stevie Wonder. He estimates he helped conceive and execute thousands of events there, from one of the first rock concerts in Russia to “Hands Across America,” the follow-up to the “USA For Africa” Worldwide Hunger Relief Effort in the mid ‘80s, to the Rat Pack Reunion Tour with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin.

Herb launched Karlitz & Company in 1990 as a full service “lifestyle and entertainment” marketing firm. Herb’s love for food and wine, along with his family’s background in the restaurant business, helped shape his vision that the culinary and wine worlds were just another form of entertainment to offer clients.

Herb’s passion for cooking, which he’s had for as long as he can remember, also influenced how he regarded chefs – similar to musicians or actors – whose job is to entertain and make people happy. Herb likes to say that he was working with “celebrity chefs” back when they were just called “cooks.” Now he shakes his head in amazement and admiration when he sees many of these “cooks” appearing on prime-time television, signing autographs and commanding huge appearance fees.

For nearly 3 decades, Karlitz & Company has established itself as the industry leader and recognized innovator in creating celebrity chef-driven events, programs for corporate partners and sponsors, and festivals, including the New York Wine & Food Festival, Vegas Un’Corked, Flavor! Napa Valley, EAT St. Pete Food & Wine Festival, Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, “Taste of the World” at The Breeders’ Cup, and for the last four years, Harlem EatUp!, which Herb created with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.  Herb also recently took ten celebrity chefs to Israel as part of an official ”Celebrity Chef Birthright” delegation.

Herb’s creative right-brain thinking and marketing savvy, combined with the entertainment, restaurateur and wine world relationships he has nurtured over the past 30+ years make him a force to be reckoned with – and someone with whom you would want to enjoy a good meal and glass of wine!