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
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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
hosp_research@cornell.edu
chr.cornell.edu