Sysco Culinary Experience - Napa, May 7 & 8 (21+YRS only)

As the COO and Co-founder of Popmenu, Tony Roy is a key figure driving next-generation technology for restaurants. With extensive expertise in revenue operations, Roy works with thousands of independent restaurants and hospitality groups to help them engage with more customers and increase sales, both on-premise and online, while improving profitability. He leads corporate development and strategic partnerships for Popmenu and is often called upon to provide industry and tech insights at events. Prior to Popmenu, Roy oversaw international operations for CareerBuilder and spearheaded partnerships and acquisitions.

Alden Parker is the managing partner of the Sacramento office and co-chair of the Hospitality Industry Group at his firm. He represents employers across various food chain industries, from growers and packers to restaurants and hotels, focusing on employment law matters. Alden defends employers in litigation involving discrimination, harassment, wage & hour violations, whistleblower, and retaliation claims. He also represents clients in investigations by agencies like the EEOC and NLRB. In addition to litigation, Alden provides counsel on compliance and leave management. He is a frequent speaker for industry associations and serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Chapter of the California Restaurant Association. Alden is part of the CRA Legal Center and provides up to 15 minutes of free legal advice each month to members.

As a meat scientist for Certified Angus Beef, Dr. Daniel Clark engages and educates grocery leaders, foodservice distributors and chefs about beef quality and meat science at The Certified Angus Beef Culinary Center and meat labs across the country. He also focuses on beef innovation and supports efforts to help them drive sales. Daniel received his associate’s degree from Lake Land College and then his bachelor’s in animal science from the University of Illinois. While completing his bachelor’s, he participated in collegiate meat judging competitions, which sparked his passion for meat science. Daniel continued his education at the University of Illinois, earning his master’s and doctorate degrees. He then journeyed to Wooster, Ohio, where he and his wife, Diana, raise their daughters, Idamarie, Annalise and Raelyn. Before joining the Certified Angus Beef team, Daniel was on faculty in the Animal Science Department at The Ohio State University, where he taught meat science courses, researched livestock production and meat quality, and developed a food safety certificate program.

Being born and raised in the Central Valley of California, I have been exposed to all that California has to offer. “When I had my restaurant, the menu changed often to reflect the season and take advantage of what each season had to offer. I attended Columbia College for my culinary degree, graduating in 2000. Upon graduation, I honed my craft in Hawaii and Santa Cruz before opening his restaurant in my hometown. Having owned a restaurant brings an empathetic skill to my Sysco service. “I’ve been in their shoes” After my 12 years as Corporate Chef at Sysco Modesto, I moved to the role of Specialty and Import Sales with European Imports. When Sysco acquired European Imports in 2012, I was introduced to all the amazing products we now have in our portfolio. Being in the field in front of our customers sharing the stories behind the EI products is very rewarding at the end of the day, because of my Chef background, and because the products are so cool!

James “JJ” Johnson has enjoyed over 20 years as a Professional Chef and Restauranteur all over California. From traditional live fire steakhouses to ethnic cuisine, Chef James has always celebrated the unparalleled products California has to offer. Chef James can often be found touring award winning Cheese and wine makers or to boutique beef, lamb, and shellfish farms. For the last 7 years Chef James has been a part of the Sysco Foods team as a Premium Protein Specialist as a business consultant. Chef James takes great satisfaction in sharing his years of experience to maximize the success of Sysco Foods customers. On his down time Chef James enjoys Camping, Hiking, Fly Fishing, or a simple motorcycle ride through mountain roads.

Matthew Rutkowski, North American Director of Spiegelau & Nachtmann Glass, has championed the Spiegelau brand rise to North American success. Over the span of his 25+ year career as a food and beverage professional, Matt has gained accolades and awards from Wine Spectator, written a nationally syndicated wine column for American City Business Journals, and served as a wine consultant for high-net-worth individuals seeking only the best for their private cellar collections. Using his vast beverage knowledge, Matt has succeeded in bringing Spiegelau Crystal, to the forefront of the glassware industry. Each year, he educates thousands of consumers and media through Spiegelau seminar-style tasting workshops, where he demonstrates the incontrovertible effects shape, color and the size of glassware have on how a beverage tastes and smells. Matt has appeared on television stations nationwide, including segments on Bloomberg TV, NBC and CBS, where he speaks to the art of serving and drinking fine wine, craft beer and bourbon. In his spare time, he enjoys touring the nation’s finest distilleries, vineyards and craft breweries and speaking at Food & Wine Festivals across the country, including Savor Central Coast Festival in California, SOBE: South Beach Food & Wine Festival and Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience. A pioneering force in the wine and craft beer and bourbon worlds, Matt continues to modernize Spiegelau glassware collections, demonstrating to tastemakers across the world the merits of variety-specific glassware.