Rising Star Spotlight

Sara Abbas Good Eating Company What advice would you share with a young professional considering the industry? Be genuine. The teams you build and the client relationships you cultivate will succeed when they know they are standing in front of a person who is transparent and has their best interest at heart. Our business is […]

Rising Star Spotlight Join SHFM Rising Stars at the Young Professional Summit for an engaging discussion on the importance of taking risks, embracing failures, and learning valuable lessons for future success. Through real-life examples, explore how calculated risks can drive innovation and growth. Our moderator, Lauren Beckwith, posed the question to our Young Professionals before […]

Katie Young Director of Workplace Services JLL You found the hospitality industry as your passion in college, what would you say to our student members about pursuing a career in this industry? A career in hospitality is not just about doing a job – it’s about having a passion for making a difference in people’s […]

Steve O’Dell CEO, Co-Founder Tenzo You started your company from scratch over seven years ago, and you built your company by networking and getting yourself out there; how has SHFM been for growing your professional network? SHFM has really accelerated the growth of my professional network in the Foodservice space, which is an extremely important […]

Shannon Carroll Washington Senior Marketing, Communication & Engagement Manager ISS Guckenheimer You mentioned in your Rising Star application you feel a great deal of satisfaction from helping others, avoiding complacency and providing the opportunity for upward momentum. How has your participation in the SHFM Rising Star program helped you with these goals? I don’t think […]

Anthony Salazar Food Service Manager ISS Guckenheimer You mentioned in your Rising Star application that you have previous experience in renowned restaurants, how did this experience prepare you for working in corporate dining? It has been a privilege to collaborate and work in the various workplaces I have been in. These experiences have been truly […]

Nicole Perez, Impossible Foods After your first SHFM Conference in 2021, you made a point to reach out to other SHFM members and Rising Stars. How have those connections help you in the industry? After my first SHFM conference in 2021, I was impressed at how connected everyone was and the long time relationships all […]

Carolina Mendez, FLIK Hospitality at the World Bank Group You are pretty new to SHFM, what does it mean to you to have been selected for the Rising Star Program? It’s an absolute honor to have been selected! I knew I wanted to get involved in every way that I could with SHFM and I […]

Hannah Guy, Middleby Your first SHFM event was a Philadelphia Local, how was it for you to break into the SHFM family? Breaking into the SHFM Family was much easier and not as nerve racking as I had initially thought that it would be! I was new into my current role and new to SHFM […]