Experts

Leigh learned early on that sharing a table unites people: it’s a level playing field for everyone. She treats the kitchen as her playground, creating dishes that cultivate togetherness, joy and love. And her queso, more than any recipe, shares that love.Now, Queso Mama is bringing her beloved queso to everyone—so you can share the love with your friends and family.

As the visionary founder of AEMBR, Dr. Braly brings a unique blend of expertise as an airway, heart, and lung specialist, backed by years of experience as a board-certified Anesthesiologist. Dr. Braly's journey began with a deep passion for improving lives, both inside and outside the operating room. Recognizing the power of holistic well-being, Dr. Braly embarked on a mission to create a brand that not only enhances physical comfort but also elevates emotional and mental wellness.Drawing from extensive medical background, Dr. Braly founded AEMBR with a commitment to crafting premium products that prioritize health, sustainability, and performance. The brand story is rooted in a desire to provide consumers with innovative solutions that align with their values and aspirations.Driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Dr. Braly leads a dedicated team of professionals who share the vision for transformative change. Together, they strive to redefine standards and challenge conventions in the industry, ensuring that every AEMBR product embodies quality, efficacy, and integrity.With a steadfast focus on innovation and compassion, Dr. Braly is proud to steer AEMBR towards a future where wellness is not just a destination but a way of life. Joining on this inspiring journey allows individuals to embrace their fullest potential and live beautifully, inside and out.

Born in Houston, TX, to Vietnamese immigrant parents and raised in Germany, Khanh grew up immersed in a blend of cultures, each shaping her appreciation for craftsmanship, aesthetics, and storytelling. After studying Psychology in Boston, a chance connection with the coffee world through Jaho Coffee sparked a new passion - one that merged community, experience, and design. As Director of Brand Development for Jaho Coffee, Khanh honed an eye for how branding and visual identity shape the way people experience coffee.With a deep love for design’s ability to elevate the everyday, Khanh founded CHEEBXDESIGN, a creative studio dedicated to capturing the beauty in design and how it enhances perception - because a well-crafted experience, much like a well-brewed cup of coffee, is greater than the sum of its parts. Now, as co-founder of Dekáf Coffee Roasters, that philosophy extends to redefining decaf. Caffeine-free should never mean flavor-free, and great coffee should look just as good as it tastes.When not shaping the future of decaf, Khanh enjoys traveling, discovering new foods, spending time with family, and doting on her cat, Jeffery (who, much like a great design, brings endless joy in the simplest of ways).

​Kelly Pigeon is the Vice President of E-commerce Platforms at Go TRG and the founder of Epiphany, a company specializing in innovative solutions for the circular economy. With a background in e-commerce and sustainability, Kelly has been instrumental in developing platforms that address retail challenges, particularly in managing returns and promoting re-commerce strategies. Her leadership at Epiphany reflects her commitment to reducing waste and enhancing profitability within the retail sector. ​In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Kelly contributes thought leadership to industry discussions, focusing on integrating circular practices into traditional retail models. Her insights emphasize the importance of re-commerce and the potential for rental and resale avenues to mitigate waste and drive business growth.

Katie Smith, a Brown University graduate, had a clear vision after earning her International Relations degree: to explore the world, use her academic knowledge, create beautiful products, and take control of her destiny. These passions set the stage for a journey that would lead her to create two successful companies.Katie’s post-college years started with a unique opportunity to work with one of her closest friends, Katha Diddel, who had studied Mandarin and moved to Hong Kong. With China opening to the West in 1979, Katha began sourcing products from China for American markets and later founded her own wholesale home décor company. Katie managed sales and operations from San Francisco, while Katha oversaw design and supplier relations from Hong Kong.After three years, Katie felt the pull to create something of her own. Recognizing a growing trend in necktie fashion, she founded Mulberry Neckwear, a company that quickly grew into a $50 million enterprise. Mulberry became a household name with iconic lines, such as the J. Garcia, Grateful Dead and Fillmore Poster Ties, as well as more classic collections like Claiborne and Kenneth Cole. After 20 years of success, Mulberry became the third-largest tie company in the U.S., which led to its eventual sale to Van Heusen in 2008.Following the sale, Katie sought her next entrepreneurial challenge. In 2010, inspired by a passion for design and empowered by her global experiences, she launched rockflowerpaper, a wholesale brand that blended beautiful aesthetics with accessible prices for women’s products. Katie reunited with Katie Blanchard, the former VP of Design at Mulberry, who brought her artistic expertise to the new venture as President. Together, they focused on building an international network of suppliers while fostering a vibrant in-house design culture.

From Charleston to Jackson Hole, San Francisco to Santa Barbara, Katherine Knowlton is a classically trained chef, wellness entrepreneur, and founder of Happy Chance—a brand rooted in ingredient integrity and sustainable, better-for-you food. With over 15 years in the culinary world, Katherine has worked as a private chef, recipe developer, and creative force behind intimate events and wellness-forward meals for discerning clientele—including prominent public figures and global tastemakers.Trained at the San Francisco Cooking School, Katherine blends classical technique with a deep passion for functional, nourishing food. As a private chef and sustainable food advocate, she creates elevated dining experiences centered on whole ingredients, seasonal cooking, and thoughtful sourcing. Whether through her clean-label hemp capsules or curated catering menus, Katherine is dedicated to helping people feel their best—through food made with intention and integrity.Explore her culinary work at katherineknowlton.com.

A long-time New Yorker now based in Bermuda and Paris, Kate Lessa is the creative behind the brand—responsible for Saint Holiday's design, images, and overall mood. A Philadelphia native and alumnus of Boston University, she started working as a stylist after graduation.  This work led to a fascination with design and a move to New York City.  After years of designing accessories for brands DVF, Vera Wang and J Crew, Kate teamed up with friend Vijay Paintal in 2018 and pivoted into resort wear. An avid traveler, she always shops for wearable souvenirs on her trips.  Exploring markets, hotel boutiques, and artisan shops for embroidered tops, crochet dresses, and beaded jewelry, she likes to find items that conjure memories of a specific place and time. Influenced by this hobby, the duo started making vacation-ready pieces at a small factory in New York City.  The first samples were inspired by a vintage tuxedo shirt bought in the South of France.  Barneys picked up the launch collection and many of these original designs are still core to the brand. 

Our journey began in 2019 when Julie Napolitano founded Pup Wax®,  the first & only 100% clean premium skincare for dogs. February 2022, Pup Wax® rebranded as Puppington®, and our assortment evolved into a comprehensive collection of products designed to promote dog mental health and well-being. Julie has cross-cultural leadership experience at Fortune 500 companies and a track record of building successful partnerships with international teams to deliver innovation and scalable, consistent results. Prior to founding Pup Wax / Puppington, Julie led multiple international cross-functional teams in a variety of global strategic projects as head of global legal operations for Bunge, where she also served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer. Julie has extensive experience in new business development and establishing new business units, commodity derivatives, managing risk, and treasury management. Over more than 10 years, Julie contributed to various areas of Bunge, having also served as Assistant Treasurer, head of Global Financial Services Group Business Development, Commodity Derivatives Trader, and Cross Asset Solutions Strategist. Prior to joining Bunge, Julie focused on financial market analysis and risk management at Lehman Brothers and HypoVereinsbank.Julie served on the board of GallopNYC, an organization that provides hippotherapy and therapeutic riding services to children with disabilities from low-income families.Julie has an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University and a BS in Computer Science from Columbia University, School of Engineering and Applied Science.A dog mom to two adopted rescue hounds, Julie lives in Chappaqua, NY. Each foster that joins the family has a permanent place in her heart.

For two decades John Beck McConnico has developed award-winning creative strategies, campaigns, systems, and products for Fortune 50 companies such as Apple, Sony, and NBC—as well as early-stage and mid-growth startups. His areas of expertise include Visual Design, Art Direction, Creative Strategy, Brand & Product Development, and User Experience for web & broadcast media, applications, and consumer products.A strong believer in the power of collaboration and cross-pollination of creative ideas, he built Bespoke Watch Projects to offer equal parts Design, Product, and Service—with the customer being the paramount collaborator.

Jo's background as a history teacher meant that if she was going to build a business, it would have to be one that worked to make the world a better place - as she always felt that teaching does. Seeing first hand how historical and current disinvestment in her west side Chicago neighborhood had legacy effects on the residents and the economy was the inspiration for a savory business model. Starting with the idea that businesses should build communities, not extract from them, Keep It Savory Salt Co works to ensure that our ingredients support small urban farmers and vendors on Chicago's West Side. Each year since inception, she's found a way to build her list of local growers and grocers to ensure she is keep dollars in her neighborhood as long as possible. Jo's also an avid DIY-er, gardener, cyclist, and lover of food and laughter. Although a very decent cook, Jo admits that her partner is the real home chef and grillmaster. Jo's favorite place is at a dinner party with good friends and a proper cocktail in hand.

As a former agency recruiter with a focus on manufacturing and technology, Jenni Morse is inspired by change and by the trailblazing footsteps of her late father. Jenni realized her dream of product-based entrepreneurship with Simpli Press. From there, Made Simpli was born–offering its flagship product Simpli Press for everyday coffee lovers. She now contributes bliss and and ease to the world from her home in Southern California where she resides with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

A natural born creative, textile designer Jalene Kanani began her creative expression through hula, beginning at the age of 3, and within 3 years she was a regular keiki performer in Don Ho's iconic Waikīkī show. As a teenager she became a governor’s model who traveled the United States promoting Hawai'i as well as an international hula dancer for Tihati Productions. Her experience as a hula dancer provided a steadfast foundation to ignite her cultural curiosities while defining herself as an ambassador of aloha.Creativity was not only encouraged but modeled for Jalene, whose mother owned and designed Hawaiian fashion label Wailani Originals: Hula Girl Creations, a line of t-shirts and bags sold at Liberty House and McInerny in the early 1970s and became her first foray into design.Determined to develop her business acumen to complement her creative impulses, she earned a B.A. in Political Science which led her to a corporate job in furniture flooring and equipment supply. Working with textile manufacturers afforded her the unique opportunity to forge important relationships within the industry as well as realize the niche markets that had yet to be developed in Hawai'i and beyond. Her designs were well-received, and she began licensing designs to international manufacturers such as Duralee and Durkan.In 2008, she established Jalene Kanani Inc., designing commercial carpeting and flooring through ProSPEC contract fabric, where she continued to hone her skills and develop her unique brand aesthetic. Her experience inspired her to parlay her tribal prints into a collection of home goods in unexplored areas of Hawaiʻi's interior industry.In 2019, she launched NOHO HOME with a line of bedding featuring her distinguished patterns. With dreams of new textiles and product development on the horizon, Jalene's success in the world of coastal home decor has only just begun.