SPEAKERS

Opening Keynote – Dan Chuparkoff

Dan Chuparkoff is one of the world’s leading experts on AI, innovation, & the future of work. As a technology leader at Google, McKinsey, Atlassian, and more; Dan led transformations for teams in every industry as the world navigated three decades of technological change. Known as the practical and understandable technology speaker, Dan’s superpower is making complex things simple and useful. With his skill as an AI-educator combined with his formula for harnessing the power of innovation, he helps audiences to escape disruption and find growth and success. Dan shows teams how to make sense of AI, how to harness the Power of Technology, and how to combine that with the Power of Human Expertise. With this powerful blend, teams will learn to leverage AI & other technological advantages to thrive in the AI-powered future.

Closing Keynote – Ben Nemtin

General Session – Kevin Boehm

After opening 20 successful restaurants over two decades, James Beard nominated restaurateur Kevin Boehm has become one of the nation’s most successful owner/operators. Kevin, along with partner Rob Katz have not only built a successful restaurant group, but have established a restaurant culture built on great chefs, inspired hospitality, and amazing design.

Born in 1970, Boehm grew up in Springfield, Illinois and knew at a young age he was destined to be in the restaurant business. After dropping out of University of Illinois, he saved enough money as a server to open his first restaurant in 1992, the quaint Lazy Daze Café, in Seaside, Florida. Indigo Wine Bar (Blue Mountain Beach, Florida), Indigo Restaurant (Springfield, Illinois), and Six Degrees (Nashville, Tennessee) followed and Boehm got his education opening and selling restaurants all before the age of 30.

In 2002 Boehm partnered with Rob Katz, and the two would open 16 restaurants together in less than 15 years. Their portfolio includes Boka, Girl & the Goat, Little Goat, Duck Duck Goat, GT Fish & Oyster, GT Prime, Momotaro, Swift & Sons, Balena, Cold Storage, The J. Parker, The Bellemore, Somerset and Devereaux. The restaurants and chefs have garnered many accolades, including Michelin stars, James Beard nominations & wins, Food and Wine’s “Best New Chefs,” and one “Iron Chef.” Currently, seven of Boka Restaurant Group’s establishments are included in Chicago Tribune food critic Phil Vettel’s Top 50 Restaurants in Chicago list.

Boehm has been a featured speaker at the National Restaurant Show, South Beach Wine & Food Festival, MUFSO, keynote speaker at the Asheville Independent Restaurant Show, and has given the commencement address at a Culinary Institute of America in NYC and Kendall College in Chicago.  He was named “40 Under 40” in Crain’s Chicago Business in 2010.  Boehm currently sits on the Board of Directors of Easter Seals, The Illinois Restaurant Association, and 826 CHI. 

Sojo Alex, FCSI

Sojo’s background spans over 25 years in the higher education hospitality industry. She is highly experienced in master planning, dining assessments, facility planning, marketing and strategic planning for complex foodservice programs and provide comprehensive support for the firm’s strategic planning work. Sojo is a Professional Member at FCSI. Other associations and notable volunteer work include 2019 NACUFS National Conference Task Force, Member-at-large; NACUFS 2020-21 Industry Advisory Task Force, NACUFS 2023-2025 Industry Board of Trustees, FCSI Educational Foundation Foodservice Essentials for Effective Design (FEED) Mentor, FCSI The Americas Board of Trustees, Recipient of the 2024 Daryl Van Hook Industry Award at NACUFS. Sojo resides in Memphis, TN and enjoys restaurant adventures with her family to make up for defeating them at every table tennis game.

Chris Aquilino

Chef Chris Aquilino is a nationally acclaimed culinary executive, consultant, and educator with over 30 years of experience driving innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence across the foodservice industry.  As Chief Culinary Officer at Elior North America, he led enterprise-wide culinary strategy, culinary -marketing, product development, and trend forecasting, elevating dining experiences across diverse sectors.

Chris’s career includes influential leadership roles as well as ambassador roles, like Chief Culinary Officer at Elior North America, and Director of Culinary and concept developer @ The Lab Test Kitchen & Culinary Studio and Corporate Executive Chef for National R&D, Strategy & Innovation at Compass Group USA.  At Compass, he spearheaded culinary storytelling, brand development, and sustainability initiatives, including the creation of Stop Food Waste Day, and led national food recovery programs and celebrity chef portfolios.

He is the founder of Chef Aquilino Consulting, LLC, and Further Culinary Group, full-service culinary consultancy offering expertise in kitchen design, recipe development, food waste recovery, smart menu engineering, and branded content creation. His work supports startups, early-stage products, and established brands with hospitality-centric strategies and culinary innovation.

Chris holds a Culinary Certification from the Culinary Institute of America (2015) and a Food Management Professional Certification from the National Restaurant Association (2014). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Albany (2001), with minors in Philosophy and Psychology.

A passionate advocate for culinary education and sustainability, Chris is an engaged and active member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), currently serving as Chapter President of the Charlotte Chapter and previously as Vice President. He also contributes to several advisory boards:

• Chief Ambassador, The Burnt Chef Project
• Chef Advisory Board Member, Vitamix Commercial 
• Culinary Advisory Board Member, Forever Oceans 
• Culinary Chair & Committee Member, St. Jude/ALSAC Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner (annually), supporting fundraising efforts in Charlotte and online
• Trends Panel Expert, Flavor & the Menu

 Throughout his career, Chris has worked alongside master chefs and culinary icons, contributing to high-profile events, product development, and educational initiatives. His work is rooted in culinary artistry, strategic leadership, and a deep commitment to sustainability and community impact.

Jill Cockson

Jill Cockson is a career bartender/bar owner with more than twenty five years in hospitality. She has opened five successful and sustainable concepts in and around Kansas City. She is a James Beard nominee, as well as a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Judge. Jill’s business plan strategies and consulting services focus on bar program efficiencies that play directly into profitability. Her process begins in the bar design phase, where critical mistakes are often made that reduce the overall efficiency and output/revenue potential of a bar. 

Steve Carlson, FCSI

Steve Carlson, Principal Emeritus at Rippe Associates, has helped shape the firm’s national leadership in foodservice design since joining in 1986. With more than four decades of experience, he leads projects across gaming, corporate dining, higher education, hospitality, and large-scale institutional environments. His work emphasizes practicality, affordability, sustainability, and long-term performance.

A Professional Member of FCSI and former Chair of the FCSI Revit Task Force, Steve established widely used Revit standards for foodservice design. He is a frequent industry contributor and speaker, and a recipient of the FE&S Top Achiever – Consultant Award.

Eric Goodrich, FCSI

Eric is a Principal and member of the Rippe Ownership Team, bringing more than 20 years of operational experience in restaurants, catering, corporate dining, and university foodservice. He approaches every project with a strong operator-focused perspective, guiding complex teams to deliver solutions that improve workflow and enhance the user experience.

Eric serves on the FCSI Americas Board of Trustees and is a long-time mentor and instructor with Foodservice Design Bootcamp. A frequent conference speaker, he shares insights on foodservice design best practices, operational logic, and innovation.

Christine Guyott, FCSI RDN

Christine, President and Executive Principal, leads Rippe’s healthcare and institutional design practice and serves on the Rippe Ownership Team. With over 30 years of experience, she guides clients through complex foodservice planning and execution, from expansive academic medical centers to community hospitals, delivering practical, innovative, client-centered solutions.

A former Chair of  FCSI The Americas Division, current member of FCSI Worldwide Board of Trustees, and member of the AHF Industry Advisory Board, Christine has received the FE&S Consultant Award, FER Consultant Award, and the AHF Making a Difference Award. She is also a mentor through the FCSI Educational Foundation’s FEED program.

Jeremy Kittelson

Jeremy Kittelson is a Principal at Ricca Design Studios based in Denver, Colorado, where he leads strategic planning and culinary-driven foodservice design for hospitality, higher education, and public sector projects. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Jeremy brings a rare perspective to consulting, having spent much of his career working directly in operations before transitioning to design.

Prior to joining Ricca, Jeremy served as an Executive Chef and later Culinary Director, where he helped develop multiple restaurant concepts and led large culinary teams while overseeing operations, cost control, menu development, and strategic planning. This operational foundation informs his approach to design, ensuring kitchens and service environments function seamlessly for operators while supporting the guest experience.

Jeremy is passionate about the full lifecycle of food, from sourcing to service, and about designing spaces that empower culinary teams to succeed. His work focuses on aligning operational efficiency, sustainability, and thoughtful design to create foodservice environments that support both people and performance.

Katie Lint

Katie Lint is the Director of Operations and member of the Rippe Ownership Team, leading strategic initiatives and overseeing daily operations to support the firm’s continued growth and excellence in foodservice design. With a people-focused and highly organized approach, she strengthens internal processes, drives operational efficiency, and fosters a collaborative workplace culture grounded in team development and client service.

Her leadership spans strategic planning, financial oversight, HR, compliance, and alignment with key partners across IT, marketing, and accounting. Katie led the integration of the Traction EOS system into Rippe’s leadership structure, refined budgeting and reporting processes, enhanced employee benefits, and advanced the firm’s ERP platform as a single source of truth for project data—improving transparency, accountability, and performance across the organization.

Karen Malody, FCSI

Veronica Millares

Verónica Millares is an architect specializing in the design and planning of foodservice environments and commercial kitchens. She is the founder of Restaurantismo and Director of Operations at Gastrotec México, where she leads projects focused on concept development, architectural design, and operational optimization for restaurants, cafés, corporate dining facilities, and industrial kitchens.

Her work integrates architecture, operational efficiency, and user experience to create strategic and highly functional foodservice spaces. She has developed projects across Mexico, EUA  and Latin America and collaborates with international consultants and manufacturers within the foodservice industry.

Verónica is a member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) and regularly participates as a speaker in industry forums focused on design, operations, and the development of foodservice concepts.

Lucas Miller

Lucas Miller is the Director of Residential Dining Services at Colorado State University. CSU serves thousands of students, staff, faculty, and visitors daily. To accomplish this, he oversees a workforce of 1,000 employees operating across four dining centers, a central production facility, and a warehouse. He is an alumnus of Purdue University and The Culinary Institute of America, and has held positions at Ball State University, and has international experience in China and Singapore. Throughout his professional career, he has participated in the remodeling of numerous operations and has played pivotal roles in facility and menu design. With over two decades of experience in higher education, he has a deep understanding of the sector and its continuously evolving landscape. 

Frank Müller, FCSI

Frank H. Müller has earned his credentials in the food service industry through his experience as a food facility consultant, a designer, and a project manager across nearly three decades. He also holds a degree in architecture with a minor in engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Frank has covered all segments of the food-service industry, from high end restaurants and hotels to education/universities/culinary arts, workplace dining facilities, airports and ski resorts and health care facilities in the United States, Canada, Cayman Islands, Hawaii and abroad.

A Professional member of Foodservice Consultants Society International, Frank and his work have been featured in Food Arts Magazine, Restaurant News, Foodservice Equipment Reports, Food Safety Illustrated, Project Showcase, Hotel F&B and Hotels Magazine.

Frank was Food & Beverage Manager for Harvey’s Hotel Resort & Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.  He was responsible for 450 employees, 10 restaurants and cocktail lounges, budgets, labor costs, and banquet facilities.

Frank continues to be at the forefront of creativity and ingenuity by creating 3D virtual walk-through movies in QuickTime that provide a frame-by-frame view of the project that helps clients gain a visual understanding of their kitchen and how it will look.

Quality continues to be Frank’s highest priority. Working closely with his clients to learn their business requirements, support their strategic plans and increase their productivity and revenue potential though good facilities design is at the heart of everything he does.

Kristin Sedej, FCSI

As Principal & Owner of S2O Consultants, Kristin brings a strong operational background by drawing on her extensive hospitality experience as well as her in-depth knowledge of all facets of the food design service industry. She holds a BS in Hospitality Management from Roosevelt University and currently is a Professional member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International.  In 2014, FE&S magazine awarded Kristin the Consultant Top Achiever of the year award.

Kristin began her career in food service management. After gaining hands on experience in the industry, she entered the consulting industry and quickly became known for her personal drive, ability to learn quickly and strong personal skills. She, along with fellow partner Harry Schildkraut, left the company to form S2O Consultants.  After 22 years of partnership, in 2025, Kristin became 100% owner.  In January of 2026, the succession planning began with Ryan Rongo obtaining a small part in ownership of the firm.   As of 2026, the company has grown to a firm of 13 and is recognized as one of the top firms in the world for Sports facility design.

S2O continues to provide a broad range of specialized consulting services to the Sports, Corporate, Educational and Hospitality industries in the area of food service.  She is both a facilities designer and operational consultant. 

Key projects have included renovations to the New Orleans Superdome, starting in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina up to the current renovations slated for completion in 2025, LAFC-new soccer stadium in Los Angeles, working on the renovations to the United Center, home of her favorites, the Chicago Bulls and the Blackhawks and multiple projects at Churchill Downs, Home of the Kentucky Derby.

Kristin resides in the city of Chicago and Florida.  She enjoys dining out and traveling with friends and her 2 adult children.

Kristin is a Professional member of FCSI and has served on the Board as a Trustee and as Secretary.  She has been an enthusiastic and effective leader of the association for over 20 years.

Amelia Shuja

Amelia is a results-driven hospitality professional and the founder of Tula Consulting, a woman-owned firm established in 2022. With a career spanning 30 years, Amelia specializes in designing and managing complex corporate food service, wellness, and workplace retention programs. Her expertise lies in creating sustainable, high-level hospitality solutions that foster community and enhance employee productivity for diverse organizations across the United States.

Amelia’s entrepreneurial journey was catalyzed by her tenure at Palo Alto Networks, where she served as Manager of Business Services and Programs. During the construction of their one-million-square-foot campus, she designed and implemented 18 café concepts and managed 27 pantry areas, an award-winning Executive Briefing Center, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Her leadership supported over 8,000 worldwide, ensuring a cohesive workplace experience through meticulous program management and vendor oversight.

An honors graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, Amelia’s passion for hospitality is rooted in her global upbringing in Ohio, Guatemala, and Brazil. This background gave her a deep appreciation for diverse cuisines and the power of food to bring people together. Today, through Tula Consulting, she partners with influential industry colleagues to provide services ranging from kitchen design and menu development to safety audits and large-scale project management, helping clients build best-in-class operations where people can do their best work.

Richard Young

Richard is the Director of Outreach at the Frontier Energy Food Service Tech Center (FSTC), an unbiased, commercial foodservice, research-and-training facility.

Trained as an electrical engineer, Richard started his career in alternative energy, changing from energy-generation to energy-efficiency when he joined the FSTC research team over 37 years ago. He is a contributor to the USGBC’s LEED rating system and the EPA’s Energy Star program. Richard has lectured at UC Berkeley and UC Davis and taught a food service sustainability class at Diablo Valley College. Richard is a former member of the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve Advisory Council and is a past Fellow of the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability. Richard is currently an advisor to the Mission College culinary education program and the Worldchefs Sustainability Education for Culinary Professionals program.

Richard focuses his efforts on translating Frontier Energy’s 38 years of food service research into practical information. He has created and delivered over 1500 presentations and classes during the last 35 years and authored numerous research reports and articles in magazines, newsletters, and on the web. He is also the creator and author of the online Foodservice Energy Efficiency Expert (Fe3) training and certification program (www.fethree.com).