2026 Food Industry Center of Excellence Summit

Geoff Alexander is President and CEO of Wow Bao, a Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) affiliated Asian fast-casual concept. He also maintains his role as Managing Partner with LEYE. During his more than 30 years with the Chicago-based company, he has worked on the implementation of various restaurant concepts.

An innovative leader in technology, Geoff brought his expertise to Wow Bao in 2009. His knack for industry disruption was evident through a series of initiatives, including taking Wow Bao to the metaverse with Digital Collectibles, a Roblox partnership, and marrying a web3 integrated loyalty program with real life benefits, all putting the concept on the cutting edge of restaurant technology.

From 2020 – 2023 Geoff oversaw the implementation of more than 1,200 Wow Bao Delivery-Only Kitchens across the U.S. and Canada, allowing restaurant operators to grow top-line sales and increase bottom-line profits.

Not to be outdone, since 2023 Geoff and the team have grown the company’s Consumer Packaged Goods presence to more than 16,000 freezer doors across the United States; working with large name retailers like Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, and Costco. Additionally, Wow Bao can be found in airports, universities, hotels, e-commerce sites including Amazon, and even hot-food vending machines.

Most recently, Geoff spearheaded the opening of Wow Bao’s 77,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the first quarter of 2026. In just 8 weeks the team has efficiently produced four SKUs with 15 more planned before the year’s end.

An industry thought leader, Geoff is a sought-after voice and is frequently showcased at conferences, on podcasts, and in consumer and trade press. Nation’s Restaurant News placed Geoff on their Power List and twice cited him as one of their Most Influential Restaurant CEOs in the country. Under his leadership Wow Bao was named “Brand of the Year” twice – the first company to be recognized more than once. In 2025 Geoff was awarded the restaurant industry’s coveted Silver Plate Award from the IFMA’s Food Away from Home Association in the category of Grocery, Convenience, and Specialty Retail. He is the Chairman of the National Restaurant Association’s Fast Casual Industry Council.

Amanda Lai is an Associate Partner at McMillanDoolittle, a Chicago-based consultancy that has served the retail industry for over 35 years. She manages the firm’s Food Industry Practice and brings a decade of cross-functional experience across retail and the food industry, with expertise spanning strategic planning, consumer insights, sales, marketing, concept development, go-to-market strategy, and real estate.

Amanda partners with food and retail clients to develop comprehensive strategies and concepts that help retailers and brands navigate disruption, identify growth opportunities, and respond to shifting consumer expectations. Her key client engagements have included Emart in South Korea, The Fresh Market, Sprouts, Roche Bros., Good Food Holdings, Bristol Farms, Metropolitan Market, New Seasons Market, and Dom’s Kitchen & Market.

A frequent keynote speaker, media contributor, and subject matter expert on retail trends, innovation, grocery, and the evolving consumer landscape, Amanda has delivered presentations and insights across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She is a recurring guest analyst on the Schwab Network and has been recognized as a 2025 RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert, a Shelby Report Emerging Leader in the Food Industry, a Progressive Grocer GenNext Award honoree, and a Consulting Magazine Rising Star of Consulting. Amanda holds an Executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management and an undergraduate degree in Retail Merchandising, Marketing, and Global Studies from the University of Minnesota.
Connect with Amanda at alai@mdretail.com or on LinkedIn.

Dr. Mark Frascatore serves as Dean of the Holzschuh College of Business Administration at Niagara University, where he has led significant growth and innovation. Under his leadership, the college was named the Holzschuh College of Business Administration in 2022, following a transformative $10 million gift from Jeff and Mary Helen Holzschuh. He led efforts that secured a $1.5M gift from Wegmans to establish the inaugural Robert B. Wegman Director of Food Industry Innovation and Supply Chain Excellence, and helped guide fundraising efforts exceeding $2M for the future Bieler Institute of Business Ethics. Under his direction, the college expanded into the Greater Toronto Area with a new facility in Vaughan, Ontario, and obtained ministerial approval to offer MBA and MS Finance programs in Canada. He also oversaw the development and NYSED approval of two new undergraduate degrees: a B.S. in Supply Chain Management and a multidisciplinary B.S. in Food Industry Leadership. These initiatives reflect his commitment to advancing the college’s academic offerings, global reach, and reputation for innovation.

A recognized scholar in supply chain economics, Dr. Frascatore has published extensively in prestigious journals including the International Journal of Industrial Organization, International Game Theory Review, European Journal of Operational Research, and 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.

As an educator, Dr. Frascatore has taught courses in Supply Chain and Industrial Economics, Managerial Economics, Personnel Economics, and Principles of Microeconomics. His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the MBA Program Best Professor Award, Student Association Outstanding Teacher Award, Outstanding New Teacher Award, and the University Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Frascatore currently serves as President of the Northeast Business Deans Association (NEBDA) and board member of the Mid Atlantic Association for Colleges of Business Administration (MAACBA). His international academic experience includes a Fulbright Scholar Research Lectureship at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, Italy, and an appointment as Adjunct Research Professor at Massey University in New Zealand. Before academia, Dr. Frascatore worked as an economist at Glassman-Oliver Economics Consultants Inc. in Washington D.C.

Dr. Frascatore holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Economics from SUNY Binghamton. Beyond his professional pursuits,

Dr. Frascatore enjoys woodworking, playing piano, bicycling, cooking, and traveling.

Laura Strange is the Chief Public Affairs and Advocacy Officer at the National Grocers Association (NGA), the national trade association representing the independent supermarket industry. In this role, she leads NGA’s public affairs, advocacy communications, strategic messaging, marketing, member engagement, and media relations efforts. She oversees a broad portfolio that includes the organization’s communications strategy, advocacy campaigns and government relations efforts, brand management, marketing and advertising for programs and events, and stakeholder engagement initiatives designed to advance the interests of independent grocers nationwide.

Since joining NGA in 2013, Strange has played a key role in elevating the association’s visibility and influence among policymakers, industry leaders, media, and consumers. In 2021, she led NGA’s comprehensive rebranding initiative, the first major brand enhancement since the association’s founding in 1982, which included the development of a new logo, refreshed visual identity, and updated stakeholder messaging platform.

Prior to joining NGA, Strange served on Capitol Hill as communications director for Members of Congress serving on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Earlier in her career, she worked in the government relations department at Yahoo! Inc., where she managed a portfolio of federal and state public policy issues, and in the communications and marketing division of a state taxpayer trade association. Strange began her career in the U.S. Senate, where she advanced from staff assistant to deputy press secretary.

She holds a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of South Carolina.