Rick Doody is the Chairman and Founder of Bravo/Brio Restaurant Group (BBRG). Doody, his brother Chris, and Executive Chef Phil Yandolino opened their first BRAVO! Cucina Italiana Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio in 1992. In 1998, the partners were operating eight BRAVO! units when a real estate developer asked if they would create an upscale Italian concept to be one of the centerpieces of Easton Town Center, a premier retail shopping center in Columbus. Thus, the BRIO Tuscan Grille concept was born.
BRIO was honored with the Nation's Restaurant News "Hot New Concept" award in 2002, paving the way for further development. Today, the restaurant group has 48 BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and 37 BRIO Tuscan Grille restaurants, with one BRIO under construction. BBRG, which recently became a publicly traded company, continues to seek opportunities for growth and development, and Doody is often quoted, saying "the best of BBRG is yet to come."
Doody holds a Masters of Professional Studies degree from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
Joseph H. Bourdow is the prior President of Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc. Bourdow's career began as a broadcaster and radio station owner, joined Valpak Direct Marketing Systems in 1978 as a sales representative, then became a successful franchisee before joining the franchisor in 1991 and becoming president in 1996. Bourdow has been responsible for the sales development of the franchise network, encompassing more than 200 offices in the United States and Canada. He also serves as executive vice president of Cox Target Media, which acquired Valpak in 1991. He stepped down as president of ValPak at the end of 2009 and will serve as a senior advisor to the company.
Kerry Trueman is an environmental activist who has written about edible landscaping and organic gardening for the Financial Times. She served as food editor for lime.com before becoming a sustainability blogger for Participant Media's takepart.com.
Trueman currently writes about wholesome foods, low-impact living, and sustainable agriculture for the Huffington Post, AlterNet, the Green Fork, Air America, and Open Left. She is cofounder of EatingLiberally.org, an Internet roots organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and progressive politics. Her most recent project is Retrovore.com, a Web site for farmers, gardeners, and eaters who favor conservation over consumption.
David Becker is an online pioneer with more than 12 years of interactive experience. In July 2009 David launched farm-to-table blog Friend of the Farmer based on the simple premise: the more we learn about how food is produced, the more we'll buy from small farms and farmers we know.
Becker is currently CEO for I Do Now I Don't, an online marketplace for previously-owned jewelry.
Prior to I Do Now Don't, Becker served as President and Chief Operating Officer for inspiration website Beliefnet.com tripling site traffic during his tenure. David also founded Backslap Entertainment, a user-generated content production and syndication company backed by Fremantle, producers of American Idol.
Before Backslap, David was President and COO of game show site Uproar.com, which was sold to Vivendi Universal.
Lucas Fuess is a Cornell University student who is a double major in Animal Science and Agriculture Science Education. He spent Spring 2009 studying at the University of Copenhagen. He is expected to graduate in 2011.
Fuess'comments are from a Strategic Marketing Conference hosted by the Dyson School at Cornell University.
Ulla Kjarval is a New York City-based photographer and food blogger who advocates for family farms and grass-fed beef. With B.A.'s in History and Political Science from SUNY Albany, Ulla has worked in politics at both the state and federal levels. Along with her sister, she founded Sheepdog Print & Design, LLC, a company specializing in web design and social media strategy that caters specifically to rural interests. As the respected blogger behind 'Goldilocks finds Manhattan', Ulla has also contributed to blogs such as 'Goodlifer' and 'Civil Eats'. Ulla was the official policy and recipe advisor for the Grass-fed party. Her childhood on a farm in upstate New York sparked her life-long interest in family farms and the sustainability of a rural lifestyle. Ulla believes that social media holds many opportunities for farmers to promote their product and engage with the current food movement.
Kim Mills' comments are from the November 2010 Strategic Marketing Conference sponsored by the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
Susan Parker's comments are from the November 2010 Strategic Marketing Conference sponsored by the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
Megan Phillips is a Graduate Research Assistant at Colorado State University. Phillips's comments are from the November 2010 Strategic Marketing Conference sponsored by the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.