Young Professionals Summit
2026 Young Professionals Summit
Elevate Your Voice: Build Influence, Confidence & Your Professional Edge
This year’s event focuses on how strong communication builds brand visibility and lasting partnerships. Designed for workplace hospitality professionals (39 and younger), the program will help you sharpen your voice, expand your influence and build meaningful connections that drive results.
Through practical sessions on brand authenticity and intentional networking, you will refine your communication style, leverage social media to elevate your organization’s presence and cultivate strategic relationships that create long-term impact. Additionally, hear candid conversations with senior industry leaders and learn the real stories behind their success.
Leave with clear, practical tools and immediate ways to apply what you learn to strengthen your impact and voice to support your organization’s goals.
Location: American Express | Brookfield Place | 200 Vesey Street | New York, NY 10281
Note: Your registration also includes the SHFM New York City Local, taking place immediately following the Summit.
Registration
(39 years or younger)
Young Professional Member – $99
Young Professional Non-Member – $150
SHFM New York City Local is included with your Summit registration.
Not a Young Professional?
Register for the SHFM New York City Local, immediately following the Summit.
GET YOUR ATTENDANCE APPROVED
Everything You Need to Support Your Attendance: Conference Attendance Toolkit.
Need help securing workplace approval? Leverage the justification toolkit to effectively persuade decision-makers. Feel free to tailor these materials for your own unique needs and those of your company. If you require any other information or would like additional support, email your SHFM headquarters staff at SHFM@hqtrs.com.
HOTEL INFORMATION
SHFM does not have a designated hotel room block but the following hotels are conveniently located within walking distance of Brookfield Place:
Thank You to Our 2026 YP Summit Sponsors!
Aramark
The Coca-Cola Company
Compass Group
Dynamify
elite|studio e
FoodSpace
Hoshizaki Alliance
PepsiCo
Sodexo
Thank You to Our Hosts
American Express
Restaurant Associates
Interested in Sponsorship?
Download the 2026 Young Professionals Summit Sponsorship Form and return your completed form to Michelle Romero, Executive Vice President, at mromero@hqtrs.com.
Planning Committee
SHFM President
Jenna Calhoun, JLL
Chair
Sam Euler, HMG+
Committee
Mina Aguero, Aramark
Lauren Beckwith, Guckenheimer
Lauren Hassinger, Compass Group
Ryan King, Compass Group
Hannah Montes, Corporate Dining, Inc.
Josue Rodriguez, Guckenheimer
Briana Theraube, 365 Retail Markets
Agenda | Monday, April 13
All events take place at American Express unless other wise indicated.
| 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Registration Open |
| 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. |
Session 1 | From Identity to Impact - Building an Authentic, Professional Brand Katie DeSimone, Career & Leadership Coach, Hey KD Coaching & Consulting Your professional brand isn’t your logo, headshot, or job title — it’s your reputation. It’s the space between how you see yourself and how others experience you. This session reframes personal branding through a modern lens and guides participants in clarifying their authentic brand — grounded in purpose, values, strengths, and voice. Attendees will explore how to align their personal brand with their organization’s, use storytelling to build credibility and trust, and show up online in a way that feels true and energizing rather than forced or performative. Participants will leave with clarity on how they want to be perceived, how that identity supports their organization’s brand, and tangible actions to bring their brand to life immediately. |
| 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Networking Break |
| 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Session 2 | Beyond the Handshake: Networking with Intention Hannah Montes, Project Manager for Business Intelligence, Corporate Dining (Moderator) More speakers will be revealed soon! Learn practical networking strategies that aren’t focused aimed at expanding your network, but on how to identify, spark and maintain partnerships that create long-term mutual value. Put what you learn into practice right away during an interactive speed-networking round, and walk away with actionable communication and speaking tips that elevate your confidence, leadership presence, and management effectiveness. This is networking with purpose—focused on quality over quantity and relationships that truly move you and your organization forward. |
| 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Break |
| 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. |
Session 3 | Inside the Boardroom: Unfiltered Perspectives and Executive Insights Briana Theraube, Manager of Sales, SaaS (Dining), 365 Retail Markets (Moderator) Additional speaker will be revealed soon! In this engaging panel discussion, senior leaders step beyond their titles to reflect on the defining moments that shaped their careers. They’ll share the key skills, pivotal decisions, unexpected setbacks, bold risks, and mindset shifts that influenced their paths to leadership. Through candid stories and practical insights, you’ll gain an authentic look at what it truly takes to grow, lead and navigate complexity in today’s environment. Expect thoughtful reflections, real-world lessons, and actionable advice you can apply immediately to your own professional journey. You’ll explore the many dimensions of leadership — from influence and resilience to opportunity and impact — gaining inspiration to lean confidently into your role and continue growing within the industry. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
SHFM New York City Local Attend the SHFM New York City Local at Le District, included as part of your Young Professionals Summit registration. Not a Young Professional? Register separately for the SHFM NYC Local! |
Presenters
Katie DeSimone, Career & Leadership Coach, Hey KD Coaching & Consulting
Katie DeSimone is a career and leadership coach with 15+ years of experience building brands at top global advertising agencies. She’s led complex accounts for both challenger and legacy brands including Tripadvisor, New Balance, AB InBev, Dave & Buster’s, and the New York Public Library - helping organizations clarify who they are, what they stand for, and how they show up in the world.
Today, Katie applies that same strategic brand lens to her work with leaders. She partners with emerging and next-gen professionals to navigate career choices and build intentional, values-driven leadership styles and brands. By clarifying how they lead, communicate, and show up under pressure; she helps her clients build trust, influence outcomes, and grow confidence with themselves, and in their organizations. Katie is known for her direct, human-humor first approach and her commitment to shaping a happier, healthier generation of confident, effective leaders.
Hannah Montes, Project Manager for Business Intelligence, Corporate Dining (Moderator)
Hannah Montes is a data analyst, researcher, and consultant specializing in optimal performance in high-demand environments. Her work sits at the intersection of human performance, stress physiology, and data-driven decision-making, with a focus on helping leaders, teams, and organizations perform consistently under pressure. She translates complex datasets into actionable insights that improve people, processes, and outcomes—particularly within corporate, athletic, and institutional settings. She regularly works with leaders, first responders, and operational teams to better understand how stress, workload, and recovery impact performance, safety, and long-term sustainability. Through her research, consulting, and educational work, Hannah is passionate about bridging the gap between science and practice so organizations can move beyond intuition and build performance strategies grounded in evidence.
Russ Benson, Founder & CEO, DayOne Hospitality Consulting
Russ Benson has over 40 years of restaurant and hospitality experience. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University with multiple degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, Russ worked in the hotel industry for five years, primarily at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago in various department head positions.
The last 31 years of Russ’ career has been in corporate dining. For 10 years of those years, he was a senior member of the MBNA America client liaison team managing over $40 million in café and catering volume. Currently, Russ is the Founder & CEO of DayOne Hospitality Consulting, an industry leading foodservice consulting firm where he leads dozens of projects annually, advising clients on best practices for their onsite food programs.
After joining SHFM in 1998, Russ became highly engaged from the beginning. He served on several national conference planning committees, the Strategic Planning Committee and co-chaired the Chicago Local, just to name a few. Russ also served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors - serving as SHFM President in 2006.
Michael DiNuzzo, Food Program Manager, Google
As a member of Google’s dynamic Workplace Programs team, Michael brings big ambition, and an even bigger appetite, to his role as Food Program Manager for the NYC offices. From overseeing bustling daily cafe operations to orchestrating expansive catering events, Michael is fueled by a singular mission: creating sustainable, engaging, and high-performing workplaces.
Prior to joining Google, he led facilities operations for Campus Services at New York University, where he championed vital sustainability initiatives. Equipped with an MS in Sustainable Real Estate Development from NYU and a BA in Facilities Management from Farmingdale State, Michael pairs his academic background with a hands-on dedication to driving systemic change through food.
Margaret Nyamumbo, Founder and CEO, Kahawa 1893
Margaret Nyamumbo is the founder and CEO of Kahawa 1893 - the first nationally distributed Black, and woman-owned coffee company in the United States. Kahawa 1893 sources specialty-grade coffee beans from woman-owned farming cooperatives in Africa and gives back to support them. Margaret grew up on her grandfather’s coffee farm in Kenya and saw firsthand that women provided majority of labor on the farm, about 90%, but they weren’t always compensated. Inspired by that experience, she founded Kahawa 1893 to empower them. Margaret is a graduate of Harvard Business School and previously worked on Wall Street.
Briana Theraube, Manager of Sales, SaaS (Dining), 365 Retail Markets (Moderator)
Before selling catering software, Briana spent years living the operational realities it’s built to support. She began her career in catering operations, developing a foundation in hospitality that continues to shape how she approaches food technology today. A culinary school graduate with over 14 years in catering, events, and food-focused businesses, Briana brings a practical, operator-informed perspective rooted in real service environments. She believes the strongest food systems are built by listening to hospitality professionals and operators who manage the day-to-day realities of service.
A people-first leader, Briana is known for going above and beyond for her clients and building trusted, long-term relationships. While she is deeply concerned with access to food, food insecurity, and inequities in food systems, her advocacy today shows up through curiosity, learning, and civic engagement.
Nicole Schweizer, Sr. Vice President, Food & Conference Services Regional Director, Bank of America
Nicole Schweizer leads enterprise amenity strategy and oversees operational delivery across the Northeast and Canada corporate offices. In this capacity, she ensures the effective management of a wide range of services, including food and beverage programs for cafés and corporate dining, grab‑and‑go markets, catering, conference center operations, and other workplace amenities.
Nicole joined Bank of America in 2020, bringing extensive experience from the food service and hospitality industry. Prior to her current role, she held leadership positions within Compass Group’s performing arts and corporate sectors. She also developed strong building operations and project build‑out expertise during her time with CBRE.
René van Camp, Chief Hospitality Officer – ISS North America, Principal Guckenheimer, ISS North America/Guckenheimer
René van Camp is a corporate food service leader with a hospitality-first philosophy and a deep belief that food is one of the most powerful tools for building community in modern institutions. With a career spanning luxury hotels and large-scale dining operations across Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia, he brings a global perspective to how culinary craft, operational excellence, and intentional hospitality shape the way people connect at work and beyond.
Today, Rene focuses on the future of the food system from the point of human experience, exploring how thoughtful food programs, strong culinary leadership, and disciplined hospitality can help organizations, campuses, and institutions foster belonging, resilience, and meaningful connection. Rene’s approach blends the rigor of large-scale performance with the warmth and attentiveness of luxury hospitality, positioning workplace dining not as an amenity, but as a platform for culture, wellbeing, and engagement. A graduate of Hotel Management School Maastricht in the Netherlands, Rene began his career in luxury hospitality in cities including Paris, New York, London, Shanghai, Dubai, and Atlanta before moving into senior corporate leadership roles overseeing food and beverage operations across the Americas and Europe.
Heather Schlesinger, Vice President of Marketing, Corporate Services, Sodexo
Bio coming soon!
Ellen Wilson, Chief Growth Officer, Aramark Workplace Experience Group
Ellen Wilson leads enterprise growth strategy and drives a high-performance sales culture. She is responsible for accelerating business development, deepening client partnerships, and delivering integrated dining and workplace amenity solutions across the business. Ellen joined Aramark in 2008 as a District Manager for Healthcare+, overseeing dining and facilities operations in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In 2012, she transitioned to Collegiate Hospitality as Director of Strategic Development and went on to lead several business development functions, including Senior Director of Premier Partnerships and Associate Vice President. Ellen's achievements in these roles earned her four consecutive President’s Circle Awards and three Chief Operating Officer Awards. Ellen was named Regional Vice President for Collegiate Hospitality in 2018, leading operations and growth across the Northeast, before assuming her current role in 2021. She holds a B.A. in Biology and Psychology from Temple University and an MBA in Management from La Salle University, and remains actively engaged in community service.