Steering Committee
Elliot Baum
Owner | AutomateRetail.ai
Elliot Baum is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence in real estate. Through his firm, E Solutions Strategy, he advises developers and operators on strategy, asset repositioning, and technology integration. He is the creator of Automate Retail.ai, a model that transforms spaces into frictionless, tech-enabled retail environments—featuring micro-stores, digital food halls, and automated solutions. His work blends AI, PropTech, and immersive technologies to enhance consumer experiences and unlock new revenue streams.
Jeremy Cauble
Director of Strategic Innovation | Canteen North America
Jeremy Cauble, Director of Strategic Innovation for Canteen North America, has been exploring innovation in unattended retail for 15 years. Through his diversified background in marketing, digital commerce/SEO, field implementation and customer experience, Jeremy has learned how to leverage new technologies to continuously improve the shopping experience for customers in unattended retail. Quick and easy checkout, interactive shopping tools, channels for consumer engagement and feedback, and operational technologies to ensure the right product in the right place at the right time—all of these and more combined to simplify the overall shopping process and elevate customer satisfaction.
Valentina Ellison
CEO & Co-Founder | Evolvending
Valentina Ellison is a seasoned executive with nearly two decades of experience in the non-traditional restaurant industry. She has held leadership positions in travel hospitality at Areas USA and REEF Kitchens, and in 2023, she led non-traditional growth for Earl Enterprises. In 2024, Valentina founded her own operating company to pioneer a new concept within the U.S. airport industry. She leverages her strategic vision and collaborative leadership to develop and operate specialty restaurant-branded, unstaffed food vending kiosks. This innovative approach aims to serve a broader consumer base in high-volume transportation hubs. In just under a year, applying well established relationships within the airport and non-traditional industries, Ellison has secured multiple contracts at top global airports, including ATL, BOS, DAL, and many others. Ellison holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Salisbury University, with undergraduate degrees in Marketing and International Business.
Ray Friedrich
Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) | East Street Business Advisors
Ray Friedrich is a proven entrepreneurial leader with 35 years executive experience in the food and beverage industry. Ray started and grew a food service management company into one of the largest independent operators in Michigan when sold in 2019. Ray is a recognized national industry leader receiving many accolades for creating new and forward-thinking innovations related to the dining and convenience services industry. Ray now works with CEOs and business owners to help their organizations successfully identify, define and execute high-level strategic initiatives designed to meet their long-term goals. Ray is also experienced in executive team building and coaching. He helps to create a team culture of responsibility, collaboration and accountability. Throughout his career, Ray has demonstrated the power of new technologies to significantly transform an organization.
Anne Johnson
Senior Director of Everyday Retail Services | Walmart, Inc.
Anne Johnson is the Senior Director of Everyday Retail Services at Walmart, Inc. with a 40-year tenure encompassing roles in Store Operations, Training & Development, Marketing, the Walmart Foundation, Financial Services, Realty, and Frontend Operations where she currently manages Lottery and Automated Retail Self Service businesses. Known for her passionate and candid approach, combined with humor and a “no guts, no glory” attitude, Anne brings energy to every situation. She lives in Bella Vista, AR with her husband Brian and two cats, enjoying sports, singing karaoke, and entertaining family and friends as often as she can.
Steven King
CEO | Bluesky Robotics
Steven King is the CEO of Blue Sky Robotics, which uses computer vision and robotics to solve difficult problems in the supply chain, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality industries. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His lab, Blue Sky Innovations, develops groundbreaking research in applied technologies to solve complex problems for corporations such as Marriott and the Atlanta Falcons, while his company provides smart robotic solutions for companies like Eli Lilly.
Sandra Nix
President & CEO | Connected Technology Solutions (CTS)
Bio coming soon!
Alejandro Rodriquez
Founder & CEO | AmeriKiosks
Alejandro Rodriguez is the Founder and CEO of Pharmabox and its subsidiaries AmeriKiosk and SmartBox Retail. In 2014 Pharmabox was born out of the idea of providing customers with the best over the counter products using the latest technologies in the most convenient way. Seven years later and Pharmabox is more than an idea – it has grown into a huge success. Pharmabox is currently providing services to more than 100 locations around the US and has grown to include subsidiaries like AmeriKiosk – offering Hardware and Software solutions to brands and retailers in a variety of sectors – and SmartBox – an in-store robotic technology solution that addresses shrink while improving the customer experience and increasing ROI.
michael saletta
Co-Founder | Beagle Advisory Group
Michael Saletta is a co-founder of Beagle Advisory Group, a consulting firm that helps operators and emerging brands scale across automated retail, vending, and foodservice channels. Prior to Beagle, Michael led Farmer’s Fridge expansion across 30+ U.S. airports, securing key partnerships and driving go-to-market strategy in complex, high-traffic environments.
Ben Wheeler
Director: Bus Dev – Automated Retail | T-ROC – The Revenue Optimization Companies
Ben Wheeler “The Kiosk Guy” the Founder of The Kiosk Guy is a Senior Executive with proven ability to lead companies in the process of new product development. He thrives on the challenges of new making ideas come to life! Since his involvement in some of the most groundbreaking self-service products in the past twenty-five years – Skittles Remix (Incredivend), CraveBot (Crave Robotics), Just Baked, PyePOS, Redbox (Flextronics), Kodak Picture Maker (Flextronics), NCR Fastlane (Flextronics), Wendy’s QSR (RedyRef), and MinuteKey (Flextronics) among many others – finds himself hunting for new challenges and meeting their demands. He has dedicated his life to mastering any role necessary at every company he has worked for, gaining vast experience in New Product Development, Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing, Consumer Electronics, Self-Service devices, and supporting engineering/manufacturing teams and goals. In 2017 he was inducted into the Kiosk Industry Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dave Wurm
Vice President of Strategic Sales | Networld Media Group
Dave Wurm is Vice President of Strategic Sales at Networld Media Group, with more than 20 years of driving revenue growth and building lasting client partnerships. He leads strategic sales across the company’s digital platforms and industry events, with a focus on customer-facing technologies such as kiosks, automation, robotics, and restaurant tech. Dave works closely with vendors to elevate their brands and expand market reach, delivering integrated marketing and PR solutions that help businesses grow.