Joe Guith is the Chief Executive Officer of CKE Restaurants, where he leads the strategy and growth for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.

Bringing more than 30 years of foodservice and retail experience from leadership roles at Church’s Texas Chicken, GoTo Foods, and The Coca-Cola Company, Joe specializes in brand transformation, team development, and driving global franchisee profitability.

Tyler Marpes is an experienced digital transformation executive focused on operational excellence. Technologist, QSR-brand strategist, and advisor with a passion for brand digitalization and re-inventing the guest experience.

Nadeem Bajwa rose from Papa John's delivery driver to one of the QSR industry’s largest franchisees, with 275+ Papa John's locations. With over 24 years of experience, he’s recognized for his operational excellence, strategic vision and ability to scale high-performing teams.

Under the Bajco Group umbrella, he has founded multiple tech ventures, including BE Solutions, TSourcing, BAJCO Technologies, and Meal Dynamics to drive innovation and efficiency for franchise operators. A trusted advisor in the industry, Nadeem is committed to mentoring emerging leaders and helping brands grow without compromising quality.

Damian Hanft is a seasoned human resources leader who drives People and Culture strategy for Taco John’s International. With a proven track record of shaping high-performing talent organizations, Damian previously served as Head of Talent at Inspire Brands, where he played a pivotal role in designing the team member experience. His career spans leadership roles in talent management, learning and development, human resources, labor relations, and training.

Recognized for his ability to build innovative, growth-focused talent teams, Damian is passionate about cultivating authentic cultures that attract, engage, and develop world-class talent. He currently serves as a Trustee for the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation and as an Advisory Board Member for the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA). A respected industry leader, Damian is a past President and active member of the Council for Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART).

Matt Klug proudly serves as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Culver Franchising System, LLC, the franchisor of more than 1,060 Culver’s restaurants across 26 states. In this role, he leads the strategy, systems, and practices that support both the Culver’s Support Center and restaurant operations. His areas of responsibility include performance management, compensation and benefits, organizational planning, talent acquisition, team member relations, regulatory compliance, and leadership development.

Matt joined Culver Franchising System in January 2014 and brings extensive, progressive human resources experience across multiple industries. Prior to Culver’s, he held key HR roles with leading organizations including Nestlé and Kraft Foods. His background spans both generalist leadership and specialized expertise in benefits and labor relations, with experience supporting both manufacturing environments and corporate headquarters.

A seasoned branding and franchise executive, Jen is known for her ability to redefine brands, drive strategic growth and deliver shareholder value.

Having led aggressive expansion and turnaround initiatives with a diverse range of top ranked franchise companies throughout North America, her extensive experience includes more than 30 years as an executive in top brands across the foodservice industry in traditional and non-traditional sites. Jennifer has led businesses in 13 countries, 3 continents.

Jennifer has been a trailblazer throughout her career, guiding numerous brand redesigns and successful new market entries to lead successful organizational development. Her seasoned experience includes a diverse range of multi-site / territory companies, including a $400M+ multi-brand QSR franchise group, a $200M+ privately held, global casual dining chain, a tuition based international education franchise organization, and a 1500-unit franchise-licensed chain, with businesses in more than 10 countries.

Rajiv Dinakaran is the President and Chief Operating Officer of a family-owned restaurant organization that operates 46 Bojangles locations across Georgia and employs more than 1,000 team members. A recognized leader in the quick-service restaurant industry, Rajiv helped lead the company through a period of significant growth, earning Franchisee of the Year honors in 2022.

With a passion for developing people and building high-performing teams, Rajiv focuses on creating strong workplace cultures that drive both employee engagement and business results. Under his leadership, the organization has implemented innovative approaches to recruiting, retention, leadership development, and operational excellence.

As an operator on the front lines of a large multi-unit restaurant business, Rajiv brings a practical perspective on leveraging technology to improve the employee experience and simplify workforce management. He is a strong advocate for investing in people as the foundation of sustainable growth and believes that empowering team members is the key to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Outside of work, Rajiv is actively involved in civic and community leadership initiatives, including Rotary and leadership development programs across the Atlanta region.

Jen Kaufmann is Chief of Staff at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, where she works hand in hand with the founder and CEO to maintain clear business priorities, execute deliverables and steward company alignment to the every-growing organization.

Her role spans shaping leadership rhythms, supporting enterprise planning and stepping into complex, cross-functional works that need clarity and forward momentum. She also supports key executive communications as well as select personal priorities as an extension of the CEO’s office.

Prior to her time at Cooper’s Hawk, Jen held leadership roles at Lorient, LLC and Shawmut Design and Construction, where she focused on development and execution. Over the course of her career, she has supported restaurant builds in 22 states, leading large-scale projects and navigating the realities of rapid expansion. In 2020, she transitioned into her current role by leveraging that foundation in project management, operations, and cross-functional leadership. That experience continues to shape how she operates today – practical, grounded and focused on making things actually work.