Healthy Food Expo New York 2027

Adam Gross has dedicated his entire career to practicing workplace law. As a strategic advisor and partner to clients spanning a broad band of industries, but with a particular concentration on hospitality and retail, Adam defends clients in employment litigation, with a focus on complex class and collective actions, and provides day-to-day advice and counsel with the goal of reducing risk to businesses. Adam has built close, long-term partnerships with employers of all sizes and at all stages of their respective life cycles, from startups to fully-formed multinational employers. As their relationship manager, he makes a concerted effort to get to know clients’ businesses on a granular level to fully understand their priorities, tolerance for risk and preferred business strategies. That knowledge informs the customized advice he provides to each client, as well as enables him to better coordinate responsive, efficient, targeted legal services across practices and throughout the country. Adam is a core member of both the firm’s Restaurant and Fitness industry groups. He provides day-to-day advice and has defended a substantial number of major restaurant groups in litigations, including dozens of wage and hour class actions. He works closely with the New York State Restaurant Association and is frequently asked to present to its members on timely employment law issues confronting the industry. Adam also serves as the employment law member of the New York City Hospitality Group, which is an external NYC-based resource group, comprised of professionals with specialized focuses, dedicated to serving the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Alison Anne worked her way from Hostess/Busser at a small family-owned restaurant in her hometown to AGM & Events Director at one of Washington, DC's largest sports bars during her 18 year career, in addition to being credentialed with the International Coaching Federation as a Professional Certified Coach. When she noticed the high levels of burnout, dissatisfaction, and turnover plaguing the industry, she discovered she had a knack for drilling down into the heart of what makes restaurants - and restaurant people - tick. Now, her love for the industry has her focusing on employee support and well-being, from the GM to the dishwasher, and working with her clients to connect their vision and growth initiatives to the needs of their staff, while making sure that they are equipped with the systems to do something about it.

Ariel Palitz is New York City’s first “Nightlife Mayor.”Appointed as the Founding Director of the Mayor's Office of Nightlife serving under both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor Eric Adams from 2018 to 2023. In that time, Ariel used her experience as a former nightclub owner and community board member to create the infrastructure for a new government office, identified systemic challenges and developed non-enforcement solutions, while helping to navigate the hospitality industry through the Covid 19 pandemic. Before serving at the Mayor’s Office, Ariel was a founding member of the NYC Hospitality Alliance while she owned and operated the Sutra Lounge from 2004-2014. Ariel continues her advocacy as the Nightlife Advisor for the NYC Hospitality Alliance and works as a global nighttime government consultant, public speaker and local industry advisor.

Carolyn is Chair of the firm’s Hospitality Practice Group and a former Co-Chair of the national Labor & Employment Department. Her practice largely consists of representing and counseling employers in the hospitality industry, specifically restaurants, hotels/resorts, ghost/centralized kitchens, caterers, nightlife operators, private clubs, commercial properties and fitness centers. Outside of the hospitality industry, Carolyn’s clients include employers in the private equity, music and retail industries. In particular, Carolyn has extensive experience litigating wage and hour class actions, ADA Title III matters. restrictive covenants and employment discrimination cases. Known for providing her clients with 24/7 service and attention, she also counsels clients extensively with respect to workplace issues such as the hiring process, diversity awareness training, union avoidance, employee policies, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and advising hospitality startups and private equity firms. In addition to her litigation and counseling practice, Carolyn is a firm believer in alternative dispute resolution. She has represented clients throughout her career in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

Bill Bonbrest is an influential leader who inspires excellence and always pursues perfection. With over 40 years of experience, Bill served as Chief Operating Officer at TAO Group, where he led a thriving organization and was the steward of TAO Group’s culture and profitability. Bill leads with curiosity, energy, and empathy. He develops those around him to be their personal best by investing his time in them and always focusing on incremental improvement. He's an active member in his community and sits on the board of the Generation SOS and is the President of the New York City Hospitality Alliance. Before joining TAO Group Hospitality, he was a Managing Partner for Carmine's restaurant group. He came up through the management ranks at iconic places in NYC, The '21' Club and Elio's. He studied art and literature at Bennington College and completed the Executive Training Program at Cornell University, where he first became an enthusiastic student of extraordinary business leadership.

Andrew Rigie is the Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, an association serving and representing restaurants and nightlife venues throughout the five boroughs, and the CEO of the Impact Foundation, a charitable organization working to support a thriving, diverse and resilient restaurant and nightlife community by serving emergency meals to people in need, offering culinary scholarships, industry education, and more. Andrew was born into the hospitality business, working at his family’s third generation bakery in Queens, NY. He later “got his apron dirty” by working multiple positions within the industry before joining the New York State Restaurant Association in 2004. There he recruited members, was a grassroots organizer, and provided resources and consulting services to restaurant operators, including its Nightlife Association chapter that represented bars and nightclubs. In 2009, Andrew took the helm of the 80+ year old Association's New York City operations as its Executive Vice President. Rigie utilized the knowledge he gained working inside the industry and on its behalf, to become the founding executive director who launched the independent New York City Hospitality Alliance in 2012. Since then, The Alliance has grown into a premier organization delivering information, education, services and representing thousands of restaurants and nightlife venues in the halls of government and in the media. With the launch of the Impact Foundation in 2023, Rigie and The Alliance complemented their work and expanded their charitable footprint in significant ways. In addition to his executive duties, Rigie serves(ed) on many advisory boards ranging from regulation to education. Notably, he is the Chair of New York City’s Office of Nightlife Advisory Board, past Interim Chair and 1st Vice Chair of Community Board 7 (Manhattan), the state’s Commissioner to Reform the Alcohol Beverage Control Law, and member of the New York State and New York City COVID-19 recovery committees. He is a vocal industry advocate, public speaker, frequent panelist and moderator, host of the Hospitality & Politics podcast, contributing author to publications, and recognized commentator on local, national and international media platforms. Rigie is a Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 Honoree, City & State listed him on their New York City Power 100 List, and he is a recipient of Hunter College’s Stars in NYC Food Policy, among other recognitions. Rigie is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan.

Dale Willerton is The Lease Coach, America's #1 Lease Consultant for tenants. Formerly a shopping center manager, Willerton switched to exclusively helping tenants over 25 years ago. Willerton has successfully negotiated and coached on over 2000 lease projects for both independent and franchise tenants across North America. As an industry insider, Willerton wrote Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES for tenants and frequently speaks at major restaurant and franchise shows across the country.

Darren S. Denington, CFBE has been in the hospitality industry for over 41 years. With a degree in Food & Beverage Management and being a Certified Food & Beverage Executive, he understands the importance education plays in the hospitality industry. Darren has an extensive background in the restaurant industry, including Owner, Executive Chef, Food & Beverage Director, District Manager and General Manager. His experience also includes an extensive background in banquets and catering. His understanding of management, operations and start up has taken him across the country to speak to companies seeking his expertise. Darren has presented his expertise at over a three hundred seminars including most of the nations most popular tradeshows. During the past twenty six years, Darren has owned and operated a secret shopping, restaurant coaching and hospitality team training company, Service With Style. He has focused on guest services and employee training, team building while helping over a thousand establishments nationwide to understand their guests’ perspective. He works extremely closely with operators helping them directly to implement the right systems he improve the establishments.

<p>Jeffrey Garcia serves as the Executive Director of the NYC Office of Nightlife at the Department of Small Business Services. He is an accomplished hospitality entrepreneur and has owned several businesses in the Washington Heights and Kingsbridge area for decades. He is also a retired first grade detective of the Organized Crime Control Bureau at the New York City Police Department. Previous to his position he served as the President of the New York State Latino Restaurant Bar and Lounge Association, working to bring equity and inclusion to the industry and working through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to founding the Latino Cannabis Association. Jeffrey also served on the New York City Small Business Advisory Commission and as a board member at the New York City Hospitality Alliance.</p>

<p>Chef Maria Loi is an internationally renowned entrepreneur, author, television personality and philanthropist working to change the world - one healthy bite at a time. Known as the Julia Child of Greece, she is the founder and face of a lifestyle brand that nurtures a healthy body and soul, melds the inspiration of ancient Greece with a modern approach to the Mediterranean diet, cooks up a heaping dose of happiness, humor and joy and helps people boost their immunity and improve their health, wellness and longevity.</p> <p>Chef Loi is known for her expertise in a variety of sectors including film and media; hospitality and entertainment; telecommunications; restaurants and food products, packaging, and marketing. Her government and media relations consulting and lobbying clients have included Net Med International (Film Net), Super Channel International, ITT Corporation (ITT Sheraton and ITT Caesars), and Nokia Telecommunications among many others.</p> <p>Chef Loi is passionate about sharing the magic of all things Greek &ndash; especially the culinary treasures, recipes and practices passed down through the generations and from her grandfather. Deeply popular and beloved in Greece and a food superstar in the U.S., she exudes kindness, friendliness and warmth, makes a friend of everyone she meets and lights up rooms with her bountiful energy, infectious smile and hearty laugh.</p> <p>The founder of Loi Food Products, a specialty brand built on traditional ingredients from Greece; her pastas, beans, botanical herbs, refrigerated dips, honey and olive oil are sold on QVC, at Whole Foods Markets and in other stores.</p> <p>The author of more than 36 cookbooks, she is also host of a new show, THE LIFE OF LOI, on PBS, debuted on broadcast in December 2022. It aims to build an inspirational and educational movement around the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle &ndash; from ancient to modern, food to culture and everything in between.&nbsp;</p> <p>The namesake of Loi