Choose The Topics That Will Benefit You
Three days of education, inspiration and meaningful connections. This workshop speaks to women who are ready to make hospitality their forever career as well as those ready to ramp up their current businesses with new skills. Attendees will walk away ready to write a new chapter with a much-needed dose of renewed energy. Let your evolution begin!
- Badge pick-up on Sunday from 11am-1pm
- First-Timer Orientation on Sunday after badge pick-up
- 6 bonus sessions on Sunday for additional learning (optional)
- Welcome Reception + Keynote Address
- No Reservations Required Happy Hour on Sunday after the Welcome Reception
- Morning wellness activities (optional)
- Two full days of educational sessions
- Breakfast, snacks, lunch and beverages all day long
- Bites + Biz (peer-connect + happy hour) after Monday sessions end
- Networking opportunities with industry leaders
- Tuesday Closing Reception + Maker’s Market
- Zero bullshit and honest conversations with incredible women
You asked for more small groups and actionable takeaways from each session and we listened! Our schedule this year has 4 different types of sessions, ranging in size and style.
FAB Tip: Look through the schedule and identify at least 2 sessions in each time block that you are most interested in BEFORE tickets go on sale March 4th. You will be selecting your schedule when you purchase your ticket. Session descriptions will not be in the ticketing platform and as sessions fill up they will close, so it's good to have an alternative topic in your back pocket!
Coffee/Tea with a Speaker: An early morning pre-workshop 20 minute one-on-one conversation with a speaker. This has limited capacity. *Sign up will be at a later date, not when tickets go on sale.
In Conversation: The topic will be led by one or two speakers. These sessions are practical and strategic. Come with questions and be ready to learn.
The Dish: An intimate 20 person group. Each speaker has selected a topic that is personal to them and important to either the future of the industry or career growth. They will talk about their experience and insights and answer questions.
Panel: Listen and learn. A moderator will lead a panel of multiple voices. At the end of the discussion, there will be time for questions from the audience.
Each session has an indicator of what level(s) of experience it is best suited for.
Welcome
Badge Pickup
Grab your FAB badge and event packet. Arriving a little later? Badges will be available for pick-up during the Welcome Reception.
Location: Hyatt Place
First-Timers Orientation
First time at FAB? Join us and your fellow first-timers for a quick 30min rundown on what's ahead, where to go, and what to expect!
Location: Hyatt Place
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Moving Towards Authenticity in Leadership
Speaker: Sam Appel
We all have parts of us that get in our way by holding limiting beliefs. We'll learn about these parts, their limiting beliefs, and help them release to ensure you're showing up as a leader that's aligned with your values.
Location: TBA
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Future-Proofing Your Business
Speaker: Rachael Hoover
Defining mission, values, and a framework for aligned decision making in your small business.
Location: TBA
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Reclaim Your Energy
Speaker: Kate Edwards
Are you a highly responsive leader who says YES to everything? Let's identify how responsiveness reduces your power as a leader and strategies for saying no with authority and compassion.
Location: TBA
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Finance for Business
Speakers: Dana Zukofsky + The Aprio Team
All things accounting, tax, and financial planning. From starting your business to prepping it for sale and everything in between. Bring your questions!
Location: TBA
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Building a Confidence Practice
Speaker: Anna Gordon
A sustainable Confidence practice can open us up to a creative and balanced lifestyle. Engage in an interactive discussion to identify and celebrate your inner creative voice and build tools and structure for staying grounded, motivated, and inspired.
Location: TBA
Conversation
*Pre-sign up required
Useful Bookkeeping
Speaker: Irene Li
Good bookkeeping should unlock huge insights, but does it feel more like an expensive chore? Learn how to use your P&L to gain useful insights that allow you to make informed decisions, identify red flags, and how to use numbers to set goals and track progress.
Location: TBA
Welcome
Welcome Reception + Keynote Address
Keynote Speaker: TBA
FAB starts now! Meet your fellow attendees, catch up with old friends, and enjoy passed hors d'oeuvres and fun cocktails. If you were unable to make it to badge pick-up earlier in the day, you can get your badge here.
Sponsored by: Amex/Resy
Passed Bites by: The Charleston chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier
Welcome
No Reservations Required
FAB attendees are invited to gather at a favorite local Charleston spot.
Location: TBA
Welcome
Start your morning with a yoga session OR a walk/run through downtown Charleston.
- Yoga meets in the Magnolia Ballroom of Hyatt Place at 7:00am. Up the stairs from where badge pick-up was.
- Run Club & Walking Club meet outside the front doors of Hyatt Place at 7:00am
a Speaker
*Pre-sign up required
One-on-one conversations based on pre-submitted questions. No more than 3 attendees per speaker in 20-minute blocks. Space is limited.
*Sign up will be at a later date, not when tickets go on sale.
Speakers: Christina McKeough, Sam Appel, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Esq., Camari Mick, Cat Bill, Sandi Kronick
How to identify, cultivate, knowledge-transfer, and empower future leaders so they can flourish.
Moderator: Kate Edwards
Panelists: Edie Weintrab, Vanessa Miller, Melissa Yanc-McGaughey
Creating alternative revenue streams within your product line that enable you to expand your concept within your business and your customer base.
Moderator: Anna Gordon
Panelists: Jenni Harris, Tess Hart, Melissa Katrincic
Recognizing the power of vulnerability, acknowledging its value and how to feel safe in sharing how you're feeling at work.
Moderator: Von Diaz
Panelists: LP O'Brien, Sophina Uong, Jackson Flores
Do you hire an agency? An internal expert? Tackle it yourself? A discussion around setting goals and strategies and how best to achieve them.
Moderator: Liz Grossman
Panelists: Gia Vecchio, Irene Li, Kara Graves
Conversation
Understand how HR supports growing teams and builds positive work cultures that foster happy, long-term employees. We'll cover the thorny issues facing employers, how to navigate the complex obligations to accommodate employees, understanding the importance of ensuring I-9 compliance and how to leverage technology.
Speakers: Felice Ekelman, Sarah Diehl
Conversation
For those looking to better understand and analyze their P&L and how it affects your bottom line.
Speaker: Corrie Wang
Conversation
Understanding your space and how to strategically plot your schematic.
Speaker: Linda Callahan
Hear first-hand about Dana's passion for the food & drink products and the businesses that she feels are nourishing the people and planet.
Speaker: Dana Cowin
The mental shift from non-ownership to being an owner, opening during/post pandemic, and all the shit in between that you learn during your first year.
Moderator: Liz Grossman
Panelists: Corrie Wang, Bethany Heinze, Tess Hart
There is a creative and systematic process in building a profitable menu. It's more than the ingredients. A discussion around what variables come into play and how it affects your bottom line.
Moderator: Lyndsay C. Green
Panelists: Suzanne Hays Bailey, Camari Mick, Christina McKeough
Recognizing burnout, understanding its root causes, normalizing rest & recovery, and tools to use for sustainable success.
Moderator: LP O'Brien
Panelists: Aretah Ettrah, Lynn House, Laura Torres
Insights for how to create a brand's core visual elements, tone of voice, and an identity that will have recognition and longevity.
Moderator: Erin Perkins
Panelists: Sara Mardanbigi, Megan Overbay, Katharine Ames
Conversation
For those starting for the first time - or starting something new - learn how to write a killer business plan.
Speaker: Dana Zukofsky
Conversation
Practical tips + tangible takeaways for putting together your own press kit, building long-lasting relationships with media, and harnessing the power of storytelling to raise awareness, drive revenue, and elevate your brand's reputation -- no experience required!
Speaker: Gia Vecchio
Conversation
How to get the most out of the camera on your phone to capture imagery for your business purposes.
Speaker: Angie Mosier
Dishing with Martha, everything you didn't realize you needed to know!
Speaker: Martha Hoover
Lunch
Lunch provided by: First Name Basis, Blanca Estrada, Seol Ah's, Berkley's
How to develop strategic goals and an action plan, foster a growth-mindset and ensure scalability.
Moderator: Lilly Jan
Panelists: Tamara Keefe, Emma Blecker, Edie Weintrab
Understand the actionable steps to take in order to rebuild a community after a disaster. How to get governmental agencies and the community aligned for the recovery.
Moderator: Cat Bill
Panelists: Molly Irani, Sandi Kronick, Terri Terrel
The critical components you need to hire and retain the right people for your business and how to attract them.
Moderator: Sarah Diehl
Panelists: Meghan Crocker, Laura Torres, Effie Richardson
Using reports and insights to understand your business better while increasing your turns, learning more about your customers and bolstering your business.
Moderator: Elizabeth Vakil
Panelists: Logan Farley, Amy Zhou, Megan Overbay
Conversation
Did you open your business with the end goal to sell? When is a good time to start thinking about selling your business and how do you go about it?
Speakers: Jenny Goodman, Martha Hoover
Conversation
How does one begin to build a local supply chain? This conversation will cover how to bolster those in your community and seek out those businesses that can contribute to the success.
Speakers: Olivia Meyers, Mara King
Conversation
What makes great mutually beneficial partnerships? We'll discuss the journey from ideation to execution.
Speaker: Nina Oduro
With personal anecdotes and experience, Elaine will talk about how curiosity, learning, and turning discrete skills into adaptable capabilities empowers you to own your narrative and how failures are not roadblocks, but powerful catalysts for building a resilient, multidimensional life.
Speaker: Elaine Chon-Baker
In order to attain sustainability in our food sytems, you'll have to understand the impact it will have on future generations. It's about meeting current food needs, how to integrate environmentally friendly practices, sustain economic viability, and attain social equity.
Moderator: Dana Cowin
Panelists: Olivia Meyers, Tia Clark, Jenni Harris, Martha Stoumen
Motivating marketing tactics and the costs associated, from email & digital marketing, social media, working with influencers, and more.
Moderator: Erin Perkins
Panelists: Kara Graves, Katharine Ames, Simone Reggie
An open and honest discussion about when it's time to acknowledge where you're at and how to move forward.
Moderator: Von Diaz
Panelists: Kari Crowe, Angie Mosier, Terri Terrel
How what's happening at local, state, and federal levels impacts our day-to-day: foot traffic, average check size, labor, and more.
Moderator: Kristen Hawley
Panelists: Julie Veratti, Lauren Fernandez, Elizabeth Tilton
Conversation
Understand how to best protect trade secrets and intellectual property in contracts with the supply chain and other contractors. The key considerations when negotiating and preparing collaboration and design services agreements, as well as relevant provisions in co-packing, distribution agreements and licensing agreements.
Speaker: Danielle M. DeFilippis, Esq.
Conversation
How to find and secure funding for your initial round of investment and understand which available option is best for you.
Speakers: Dana Zukofsky, Elaine Chon-Baker
Welcome
Bites + Biz
We are all about Bites + Biz for our Monday night gathering. You've been asking to "meet like-positioned people" and we are delivering that opportunity. Find your designated group and let the conversation flow. We'll keep it delicious, by having charcuterie, cheese boards and all the accouterments from female owned and co-owned businesses, along with wine, specialty cocktails and an N/A bar to wash it all down with!
Food & Bev by: The Caviar Co, Counter Cheesemongers, Third Wheel Cheese Co., Niman Ranch, and more
Welcome
Start your morning with a yoga session OR a walk/run through downtown Charleston.
- Yoga meets in the Magnolia Ballroom of Hyatt Place at 7:00am. Up the stairs from where badge pick-up was.
- Run Club & Walking Club meet outside the front doors of Hyatt Place at 7:00am
a Speaker
*Pre-sign up required
One-on-one conversations based on pre-submitted questions. No more than 3 attendees per speaker in 20-minute blocks. Space is limited.
*Sign up will be at a later date, not when tickets go on sale.
Speakers: Elaine Chon-Baker, Simone Reggie, Liz Grossman, Anna Gordon, Felice Ekelman
How to create a roadmap and organize a variety of movements for positive change in your community and beyond.
Moderator: Lilly Jan
Panelists: Tess Hart, Jackson Flores, Nina Oduro
The reality of being able to balance the demands of your business and your family.
Moderator: Lyndsay C. Green
Panelists: Amy Zhou, Simone Reggie, Mara King
Landlord bullying...it's a real thing. Learn how to protect yourself and understand your rights.
Moderator: Danielle M. DeFilippis, Esq.
Panelists: Kari Crowe, Edie Weintrab, Julie Verratti
How to identify potential mentors and how to build a long-term relationship that adds value to your professional growth.
Moderator: Jenny Goodman
Panelists: Camari Mick, Martha Stoumen, Lynn House
Conversation
For those looking to better understand and analyze their P&L and how it affects your bottom line.
Speaker: Vanessa Miller
Conversation
Preparing your business for investment and growth into a multi-channel brand.
Speaker: Lauren Fernandez
Conversation
Self-advocating is something we can all use help with. How to advocate for yourself & negotiate your value.
Speakers: Suzanne Hays Bailey, Meghan Crocker
Many hospitality owners try to save money by skipping health benefits, but this can actually backfire. Without coverage, you risk high turnover, low morale, and trouble attracting talent. Let’s take a closer look at the costs of not offering benefits, backed by data, to see how it can affect your business.
Speaker: Elizabeth Tilton
We all have parts of us that get in our way by holding limiting beliefs. We'll learn about these parts, their limiting beliefs, and help them release to ensure you're showing up as a leader that's aligned with your values.
Panelists: Sam Appel
There are two sides to successfully working with your partner, 1) creating a division of responsibilities in order to successfully run the business and not step on each other's toes and 2) how to leave work at work in order to maintain your relationship.
Moderator: Rachael Hoover
Panelists: Bethany Heinze, Jenni Harris, Sara Mardanbigi, Jenny Goodman
How to ensure that your voice is heard when you are the one in a key position, but not an owner. An open discussion on how to navigate the challenges and working dynamics for those in that position.
Moderator: Lilly Jan
Panelists: Suzanne Hays Bailey, Kate Capasso, Christina McKeough
How to change your work environment for the better, boost productivity and stop the revolving door of staffing
Moderator: Von Diaz
Panelists: Effie Richardson, Tamara Keefe, Aretah Ettarh
Conversation
What are the benefits to hosting friends & family meals before opening? Do you feel you get the feedback you're looking for to make the tweaks needed or is it strictly for PR purposes?
Speakers: Vanessa Miller, Sara Abernathy, Kara Graves
Conversation
What it takes to produce a quality product and how do you know when you achieve success.
Speakers: Martha Stoumen, Melissa Katrincic
Conversation
How to raise funding through reels and videos using free editing tools. We'll provide a roadmap on how you can do all this!
Speakers: Jackson Flores
Kristen will talk about her experience as a freelance journalist, brand-building on Substack amid a fast-evolving media landscape — and why it's more important than ever to get the story right.
Speaker: Kristen Hawley
Lunch
Lunch provided by: First Name Basis, Blanca Estrada, Seol Ah's, Berkley's
How to know what you need, who you need, and when you need that person in order to free up your time and work on your business instead of in your business.
Moderator: Gia Vecchio
Panelists: Sara Abernethy, Kari Crowe Seher, Melissa Yanc-McGaughey, Amina Syammach
Know your resources and hear ways to support your team and yourself.
Moderator: Cat Bill
Panelists: Elizabeth Tilton, Sarah Diehl, Molly Irani
Conceptualizing, pitching & finding a publisher, and the process of getting it to print. Understand what you are in control of and what is out of your control.
Moderator: Dana Cowin
Panelists: Irene Li, Nina Oduro, Angie Mosier
Getting your team onboard with your vision, addressing interpersonal challenges, how to communicate terminations, layoffs, denied raises and more.
Moderator: Lyndsay C. Green
Panelists: Sophina Uong, Sara Mardanbigi, Linda Callahan
Conversation
Is becoming a B-Corp right for your business? Understand the process required, both legally and operationally as well as the commitments to social, environmental, and governance goals, alongside traditional financial performance.
Speaker: Sandi Kronick
Conversation
How to empower hospitality through smart automation.
Speaker: Emma Blecker
Conversation
Gen Z brings unique values, perspectives, and skills to the table. Learn how to tailor strategies to connect with them effectively and create the impact that would benefit you all
Speaker: Amy Zhou
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP Act are new federal laws that cover just about all employers and present compliance requirements that are far broader than the accommodations required for employees with disabilities. An informative discussion of why these laws present unique challenges to hospitality employers and learn how to ensure that your workplace is compliant.
Speaker: Felice Ekelman
For both aspiring bar managers and restaurant owners. Beverage margins often offset the cost of the kitchen, better understand how to make your bar work to your benefit.
Moderator: Lynn House
Panelists: Laura Torres, Bethany Heinze, Julie Verratti
Despite achievements and recognition from others, imposter syndrome can generate doubt and anxiety. An honest conversation about how to quell, if not conquer it.
Moderator: Kate Edwards
Panelists: Aretah Ettrah, Melissa Yanc-McGaughey, Corrie Wang
Practices, strategies, and policies designed to minimize the environmental impact of waste production and how to be environmentally responsible.
Moderator: Rachael Hoover
Panelists: Irene Li, Mara King, Megan Overbay
Artificial intelligence has plenty of implications for the hospitality industry. A discussion about how best to utilize AI for your restaurant.
Moderator: Kristen Hawley
Panelists: Emma Blecker, Logan Farley
Conversation
How to create meaningful benefit packages, what can you do for your team and why it matters.
Speaker: Meghan Crocker
Conversation
Learn how to build a motivating pitch deck for raising capital.
Speaker: Lauren Fernandez
Welcome
Closing Reception + Maker's Market
After 3 days filled with inspiration and motivation, we will gather and celebrate! FAB's popular maker's market will be back and larger than ever.
