Niagara University Food Marketing Center of Excellence Presents 2025 Innovation Summit: “Built to Thrive: Next-Gen Innovation”

Speakers across the retail food and service sectors will share their insights on being agile and adaptable at the 2025 Niagara University Food Industry Center of Excellence Summit, Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, 2 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, N.Y. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with lunch at noon and a cocktail reception at 4 p.m.

This year's theme showcases the brightest minds shaping the future of the food industry, who will offer fresh perspectives and discuss the latest developments poised to redefine the market.

Speakers include:

Author and training and development expert Jim Knight, who teaches organizations of all sizes how to amp up organizational culture, deliver world-class differentiated service, and build rock star teams and leaders. For two decades, Knight led global training for Hard Rock International, consistently developing award-winning, cutting-edge training concepts. He is the owner and CEO of Knight Speaker and the author of "Culture That Rocks: How to Revolutionize Your Company's Culture," "Leadership That Rocks: Take Your Brand's Culture to Eleven and Amp Up Results," and "Service That Rocks: Create Unforgettable Experiences and Turn Customers into Fans."

Co-founder and former executive director of AI at The Wharton School, Mary Purk, who is at the forefront of AI innovation. Purk is currently a visiting scholar at The University of Illinois Chicago and contributes her expertise to the Department of Homeland Security's SAGE program. She is the co-author of the 2024 Wharton AI Adoption Report and has been part of numerous collaborative industry research projects focused on AI adoption in the C-Suite and AI workforce readiness. She is a selected member of the OpenAI Community Forum, as well as a contributing editor to the Journal of AI, Robotics & Workplace Automation, and is launching a new podcast series, "AI EmpowerHER."

Recognized scholar in supply chain economics, Dr. Mark Frascatore, dean of the Holzschuh College of Business Administration. Dr. Frascatore has published extensively in prestigious journals, including the International Journal of Industrial Organization, International Game Theory Review, the European Journal of Operational Research, and the International Journal of Business and Economics. His research expertise spans supply chain economics, industry structure, game theory, and microeconomics. Recently, he served as co-PI on a $1M NSF grant to develop advanced resilient microgrid technology for improved disaster response capability.

Seasoned entrepreneur Nick Nickitas, who has a track record of building successful software startups across North America and globally. He currently serves as general manager of local independent grocery at Instacart, where he leads strategy and business development for this vital segment of the grocery industry. Prior to Instacart, he was the founder and CEO of Rosie, a leading e-commerce platform that empowered local grocers with ecommerce, mobile apps, and digital tools to compete with national chains and online marketplaces. Rosie was acquired by Instacart in September 2022.

In addition, Mary Kiener, senior vice president of global supply chain at Rich Products; Ken Malecki, vice president of sales-East at Musco Family Olive Co.; Fergus Byrne, vice president of procurement and culinary at MBI Brands; and Bill Mayo, chief operating officer of Save A Lot, will share their expertise during an executive panel session.

For more information and to register, visit https://www.niagara.edu/food-industry-center-of-excellence-summit/.

This annual summit is presented by the Holzschuh College of Business Administration, which recently announced the launch of a dynamic new Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Management. The program's unique multidisciplinary approach, created through collaboration with industry partners, covers a wide variety of food-specific areas, including global supply chains, nutrition, and food chemistry, coupled with experiential learning opportunities and a strong foundation in business to prepare students for leadership roles in this essential and fast-changing sector.