Jennifer Bentz
Chief Marketing Officer, Utz Brands, Inc.
 
Jennifer Bentz is the Chief Marketing Officer at Utz Brands, Inc. ®.  She is responsible for driving long term revenue growth and improved profitability across iconic Salty Snack brands including Utz®, Zapp’s®, Boulder Canyon® and On The Border® through effective advertising, category-growing innovation, and sharp portfolio prioritization.  

In her previous role as Executive Vice President, Marketing at CLIF Bar & Co., Bentz successfully infused consumer understanding into marketing activation to deliver consumer growth. She built a commercial analytics capability utilizing first-party data, enabling personalization and successful new product launches.  

Before joining CLIF Bar & Co. in 2020, she was the Chief Client Officer for Mintel, a global intelligence agency, where she led consulting and global key account teams working across the food & beverage, financial services, insurance, and technology industries. 
Bentz led Innovation & Insights for Tyson Foods where she delivered over $2B in revenue from new launches.  She identified, developed, and championed growth strategies grounded in deep consumer insight. 

Prior to joining Tyson, Bentz led the Global Consumer Insight and Strategy team at Kraft Foods.  While at Kraft, she also held leadership positions on the corporate product, package, and quality team as well as functional insights responsibility for the Foodservice and Grocery business units.   

Bentz held various positions across S.C. Johnson’s business units.  She started her career at Circana, where she functioned as a client service professional managing interactions with clients and providing marketing and sales consultation.  

Bentz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Indiana University. 

Jack Bobo
Executive Director, UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies 
 
Jack Bobo is the Executive Director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies. Previously, he led the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham. Jack’s extensive experience spans roles as the Director of Global Food and Water Policy at The Nature Conservancy, CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company, and Senior Advisor on global food policy at the U.S. Department of State. Jack is the author of Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices, a book that unpacks how our food environment has fueled the global obesity crisis and highlights the role of behavioral science in tackling food policy challenges. Known for his expertise in global food systems, Jack has delivered over 500 keynote speeches across 50 countries, inspiring audiences on topics like food security and agricultural innovation. Jack holds a J.D., an M.S. in Environmental Science, a B.S. in Biology, and a B.A. in Psychology and Chemistry, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to reshaping food policy and sustainability. 

Paul Chibe
Chief Executive Officer, Pabst Brewing Company
 
Paul Chibe is the Chief Executive Officer of Pabst Brewing Company, one of the largest independent beverage alcohol companies in the world. Pabst Brewing Company is based in San Antonio, Texas and its many brands include the newly launched Pabst Light, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lone Star, Old Style, Stroh’s, Rainier, Old Milwaukee, National Bohemian, Schlitz, Colt 45, and in partnerships, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails, El Jimador’s tequila inspired FMBs, and Dragon’s Milk Barrel Aged Stout. 

Previously, Paul was President and CEO of Ferrero North America and was responsible for Ferrero Group’s business units in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. Ferrero is the second largest confectionery company in the world with iconic brands like Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Nutella®, Kinder®, and Fannie May. Before Ferrero, Paul was U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to his time in AB InBev, Paul spent 11 years with Wrigley where he led the North American Consumer Marketing Organization, and, in this last role, was General Manager of the U.S. Gum and Mints business. Paul was also with the Quaker Oats Company in marketing and innovation roles, Paul started his career at Leaf, Inc. (now part of the Hershey Company) and had roles in Finance and Marketing. 

Craig Dubitsky 
Friendly co-founder, happy coffee  
Founder, hello products  
Former Chief Innovation Strategist, Colgate-Palmolive

Craig is the friendly co-founder of happy coffee (along with Robert Downey Jr), founder of hello products, and former Chief Innovation Strategist of Colgate-Palmolive.   
 
happy coffee launched in early 2024 with a mission to elevate the everyday. Priding itself on using only the best, selectively sourced green beans produced by thoughtful growers and opting for a slow roasting process to protect the finest of flavor, happy not only delivers a seriously delicious™ cup of coffee but they care about the person drinking it. In an effort to de-stigmatize mental health, happy coffee has partnered with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, with a dedication to building better lives for millions of Americans. Think of it as coffee with a conscience.   
 
hello, the world’s first naturally friendly™ oral care brand, was acquired by Colgate in January of 2020. hello remains the fastest-growing oral care brand in the US, with products now available in over 55,000 food, drug, and mass retailers. hello was named by Inc Magazine as one of the Best Places to Work, as well as “One of the 25 Companies That Are Changing the World.” Dubitsky himself was named to Advertising Age’s Creativity 50, the publication’s annual list of the most influential and innovative creative thinkers, and one of the 100 Most Inspirational Marketers in the World by The Internationalist.   
 
Prior to hello, Craig was a co-founder and creative lead at eos products, a founding board member at Method Products, and a strategic advisor to Seventh Generation, Boots, and various private equity funds.   
 
Craig is an inductee in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Hall of Fame, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson, and serves as an Advisory Council Member at the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship at The Simon School of Business at The University of Rochester. Craig loves people, design, brand, packaging and people. Yes, he said people twice.   

Scott Galloway 
Entrepreneur & Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern School of Business


Scott Galloway is Professor of Marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business and a serial entrepreneur. He was named one of the world’s best business professors by Poets & Quants. Scott has founded nine companies, including Prophet, RedEnvelope, L2, and Section School, where he also teaches. He is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Four, The Algebra of Happiness, Post Corona, Adrift: America in 100 Charts, and The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security.Scott has served on the boards of directors of The New York Times Company, Urban Outfitters, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Panera Bread, and Ledger. He has won multiple Webby and Best Podcast awards, and his books have been translated into 28 languages. Across his Prof G Pod, Prof G Markets, Raging Moderates, Pivot podcasts, No Mercy / No Malice newsletter, and his YouTube channel, Scott reaches millions.

Casey Gaston 
Executive Leader, Local and Emerging Brands, Whole Foods

Casey Gaston, based in Austin, Texas, is the Executive Leader of Local and Emerging Brands at Whole Foods Market. Beginning her career as a store team member in St. Louis, MO, Casey’s almost 20-year journey with the company has encompassed roles in department, store, and regional leadership, highlighting her passion for retail and brand development. Since joining the Center Store Merchandising team in 2017, she has played a key role in fostering supplier relationships and sourcing innovative products. In her current position, Casey is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of bringing local and emerging brands into Whole Foods Market’s center aisles. She works closely with a team of Foragers to identify and nurture unique local brands that align with the company’s values and customer interests. Her role involves not only scouting new products but also guiding brands through the process of becoming a part of the Whole Foods Market family. Outside of work, Casey’s passions include Texas two-step and line dancing, roller skating, reading, and gluten-free baking. She is also actively involved in Austin’s LGBTQIA+ community and leads Queer Skate Austin. 

Daymond John 
Star of ABC’s Shark Tank, Venture Capitalist and Investor 

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with billions in product sales worldwide. Former President Barack Obama appointed Daymond John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) to harness his energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad. 

John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received 100s of awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance. Most recently, Real Leaders Magazine named Daymond John one of the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World in 2023, a list of “real teachers — people who speak from experience.” His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. 

His marketing firm, The Shark Group offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.

John is also an author of 6 best-selling books including his latest New York Times best-seller, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018). In 2020, John released his fifth book, Powershift, that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any outcome. John’s most recent book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn (2023) is his first for kids, reached the New York Times and Amazon best-seller list the first week of its release. The book addresses the current void of educating our children about money in a fun and engaging story for parents and kids to connect.

John’s mission is to continue challenging the status quo and leave a lasting legacy of inspiring other leaders to do the same. 

Finally, John is celebrating his 14th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights 

Nicole Landis
Senior Manager, Product & Engineering, Amazon Ads

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with billions in product sales worldwide. Former President Barack Obama appointed Daymond John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) to harness his energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad. 

John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received 100s of awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance. Most recently, Real Leaders Magazine named Daymond John one of the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World in 2023, a list of “real teachers — people who speak from experience.” His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. 

His marketing firm, The Shark Group offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.

John is also an author of 6 best-selling books including his latest New York Times best-seller, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018). In 2020, John released his fifth book, Powershift, that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any outcome. John’s most recent book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn (2023) is his first for kids, reached the New York Times and Amazon best-seller list the first week of its release. The book addresses the current void of educating our children about money in a fun and engaging story for parents and kids to connect.

John’s mission is to continue challenging the status quo and leave a lasting legacy of inspiring other leaders to do the same. 

Finally, John is celebrating his 14th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights 

Wendy Liebmann
Founder, CEO & Chief Shopper, WSL Strategic Retail

Wendy founded WSL Strategic Retail, a global consultancy that helps clients anticipate and activate change through innovative shopper-led retail strategies.  She is recognized as an innovator of shopper insights and retail futures.  Her goal: “To get executives out of their ivory towers and out of their aisles to meet shoppers where they are, where they are going, to understand where and how they want to spend their money – be it a physical or digital space.”

WSL Strategic Retail consults to such industries as retail, health, beauty, fashion, food, beverages, home, personal care, entertainment, publishing, and financial services.  It publishes How America Shops®, a highly regarded survey, that since 1990, has tracked shoppers and retail, and successfully predicts where both are headed.   

As one of the world’s leading retailers says, “We trust WSL to help us look at our business through a different lens.  Their insights help us anticipate the changing competitive environment, where shoppers are headed, and the opportunities that arise.  They’ve helped us develop new businesses as a result.  And Wendy is never afraid to tell us when we are not being bold enough.” 

Wendy has extensive global experience in marketing, retail and research, beginning in her native Australia where she learned to be a passionate shopper.  She holds a degree in business and psychology from the University of New South Wales in Sydney.  Wendy is noted for her unique combination of Australian earthiness, global retail vision, provocative viewpoint, and inspirational story telling.  

Wendy is frequently called upon by media to provide insight into consumers, retail and shopping.  She is a regular contributor to Bloomberg’s Last Call, and cited by Fortune, The New York Times, Washington Post, WWD amongst others.  She is a noted speaker, addressing business and educational organizations around the world, and moderates WSL’s “Future Shop” podcast. 

Wendy has been recognized by the National Retail Federation as one of “The Influencers Shaping Retail’s Future”, as a “A Women of Excellence” by the Path to Purchase Institute and “One of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty” by Women’s Wear Daily/Beauty Inc.“ and “A Woman of Influence” by MMR. 

She is vice chairperson of the advisory board of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Master’s degree program in Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing and Management, sits on the board of Cosmetic Executive Women, is a Distinguished Faculty Member of the Path to Purchase Institute, and is a board member emeritus of Women In Need, an organization that helps homeless women and children build productive lives. 

Angela Martin 
V.P. Customer Insights & Brand Strategy 

Martin joined Dollar General in 1989. In her career with the company, she has served in a number of leadership roles including customer insights, branding, marketing, public relations, and corporate communication. In her current role, she leads the customer insights and brand strategy departments.  

Martin led the development of Dollar General’s first customer insights department in 1994. In 2008, she initiated the company’s first customer segmentation initiative and incorporated the findings throughout the company’s critical functions to support Dollar General’s “customer-centric” mission. She continues to lead shopper marketing insights for the company.  

Martin has led rebranding efforts for the company’s store formats, including: Traditional DG formats, Dollar General Markets, DGX, pOpshelf, and our Mexico expansion with Mi Super. She leads all in-store and corporate branding initiatives, including brand positioning for all brands, and in-store décor and customer-facing messaging.   

She graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations/ communications. 

Nik Modi
Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Consumer & Retail Research, RBC Capital Markets

Nik Modi is Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Consumer & Retail Research at RBC Capital Markets where he leads coverage of the US Consumer Staples space, which includes the Beverage, Packaged Food, Household Personal Care, and Beauty sectors. As sector co-head, Nik also oversees global consumer research strategy and collaborates with global counterparts to shape the direction of the franchise. Nik joined RBC in 2013 from UBS where he held a similar role overseeing all of UBS’ global consumer staples coverage. At present, the market capitalization under Nik’s coverage is about $1.5 trillion. Nik is well known around the industry for providing provocative predictions based on his lateral view of the consumer, technology and geopolitical developments. He has been ranked as one of the top analysts across the consumer space for almost 2 decades according to Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Institutional Investors All Star Analyst Survey. 

Greg Munves
CEO, OpenBrand

Greg Munves, CEO of OpenBrand, is an accomplished leader in technology and data, recognized for his growth-driven approach and success from startup to exit. Greg helped pioneer the Big Data Analytics and Alternative Data markets at 1010data, where he built and scaled the business. He has also advised companies like Stardog, ArthurAI, and Dealercruise. Now, at OpenBrand, Greg drives the company’s mission to empower brands and retailers with real-time market intelligence that combines market measurement with competitive intelligence. His results-oriented, hands-on leadership style supports rapid product development and innovation, enabling clients to leverage data and insights to maintain a competitive edge. 

Ajay Salpekar
Head of Beauty, TikTok Shop

Ajay Salpekar is the Head of Beauty at TikTok Shop in the US. He has been with the company since 2023, leading the growth of makeup, fragrance, and skincare brands within this fast-growing category. TikTok Shop is helping beauty and consumer goods brands leverage TikTok’s vibrant creator community and get discovered by new shoppers. In his role, Ajay works with brands of all sizes, from entrepreneurs and small businesses to large, global brands to craft their TikTok Shop strategy. This includes advising brands on how to get the most out of TikTok Shop, including choosing products that are on-trend, finding creative ways to launch new products through TikTok, and matching them with the most relevant creators. Ajay is a longtime digital commerce leader in the consumer goods space, with experience growing brands on both the brand and platform side. Prior to TikTok Shop, he led Unilever’s ecommerce business in the US, and held multiple retail and technology roles at Amazon and Microsoft. Ajay’s TikTok is filled with cooking recipes, car reviews, #FragranceTok, and stand-up comedy.   

Wes Schroll
CEO & Founder, Fetch

As the founder and CEO of Fetch – America’s Rewards App – Wes Schroll works to empower consumers to live rewarded for their everyday actions and revolutionize how brands can leverage rewards as part of a better advertising strategy. At the helm of Fetch, he oversees product development while continuing to build partnerships with the world’s largest CPG, retail, and restaurant brands – with 750 current partners and goals to expand further – to help deliver them robust returns and an advantage within the market. With visibility into $179B in retail sales annually, equivalent to the nation’s third-largest retailer, Wes leads an all-encompassing rewards ecosystem and one-stop-shop for both advertisers and consumers. An entrepreneur at heart, Wes co-founded Fetch during his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2013, Wes has grown the company to over 875 employees remotely and across 4 major office hubs – Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, Boston, and New York – and a valuation north of $2.5B.

Ajay Sharma
Vice President, eCommerce and OmniChannel, North America, Bayer Consumer Health   

As VP eCommerce & OmniChannel, Target and Emerging Platforms North America, Ajay Sharma is responsible for leading the end-to-end eCommerce commercial agenda developing strategies and programs that center on the consumer experience as well as overseeing the executional implementation across all retailers. 

Ajay has a proven track record in eCommerce & OmniChannel and prior to his current role, he was a member of the Global eCommerce team in Switzerland and Head of eCommerce in the UK. Ajay spent the first 10 years of his career progressing through several commercial, trade marketing and eCommerce roles across multiple channels at Coca-Cola. 

Bayer Consumer Health, North America, headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter (OTC) medications in the world. Bayer’s current portfolio of OTC products includes some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world, such as Bayer Aspirin, Afrin, Aleve, Alka-Seltzer, Claritin, Lotrimin, Midol, MiraLAX, One-A-Day, and Phillips’. 

Dr. Maha Tahiri
CEO and Founder, Nutrition Sustainability Strategies LLC

Dr. Maha Tahiri is a global leader with 30 years of experience in the food industry, specializing in R&D, health, and nutrition. She has held senior roles at four of the world’s top ten food companies—Mars Inc., Coca-Cola, Danone, and General Mills—working across more than 20 food categories and multiple regions, including Europe, the Middle East, the U.S., Latin America, and Asia. Her expertise spans innovation, scientific research, regulatory affairs, and influencer communication, enabling the successful launch of impactful products in diverse markets. Her most recent industry roles include Chief Health and Wellness Officer at General Mills and Global Head of Innovation at Danone. 

She is the CEO and Founder of Nutrition Sustainability Strategies, a consultancy that helps organizations innovate for a healthier, more sustainable food system. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Tufts University. Renowned for her ability to translate nutrition science into actionable business strategies, Dr. Tahiri bridges scientific rigor with consumer relevance and regulatory insight. 

A sought-after speaker and advisor, she contributes to multiple boards and expert groups and is recognized as a visionary and strategic thinker. Originally from Morocco, she earned a PhD in Human Nutrition in France and built a global career across Europe and the U.S. Personally committed to biodiversity, she is passionate about creating resilient, health-promoting food environments that advance both human and planetary health. 

Danny Yagan
Co-Founder, Yale Labs 

Danny Yagan is a leading expert in American economic policy. He is an economics professor at the University of California-Berkeley and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. From 2021 to 2022, he served as the Chief Economist of the White House Office of Management and Budget where he led tax policy and economic forecasts. In 2023, he co-founded the Budget Lab at Yale. His research has appeared in top economics journals and been cited in two State of the Union addresses. 

Gina Zilleox
Senior Director, Category Management, Glanbia Performance Nutrition 

Gina Zilleox leads category management at Glanbia Performance Nutrition. Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN) is part of Glanbia plc, a better nutrition company headquartered in Ireland. As the world’s #1 sports nutrition company, GPN’s mission is to inspire people everywhere to achieve their performance and healthy lifestyle goals. GPN’s leading sports and lifestyle nutrition brands include Optimum Nutrition®, think!®, Isopure®, Amazing Grass® SlimFast® and BSN®, among others.  

Gina is a seasoned expert in category growth strategies and execution, with over 15 years of experience across various sectors including office supplies, home décor, perishables, snacks, and health & wellness. Throughout her career, Gina has held pivotal roles in retailers, market research, and consumer packaged goods manufacturers. Her passion lies in leveraging data-driven insights to optimize shelf execution, making shopping as seamless as possible for consumers. Gina’s extensive background and dedication to enhancing the shopper experience have made her a key player in the industry. Additionally, Gina founded and leads the Glanbia Network of Women American Chapter and has established women’s ERGs at Ferrara and Quill.com, reflecting her commitment to empowering women in the workplace.