Chason Hecht
Retensa Retention

Chason Hecht is an advocate and innovator of employee retention strategies, and the Founder and CEO of Retensa. Retensa unlocks the insights hidden in workforce data. With predictive analytics software used by organizations in 54 countries and 15 languages, Retensa addresses the social and financial impact of employee turnover. 

Chason is one of the most recognized employee retention experts in the world, noted by global media including NBC News, ABC News, Forbes, BusinessWeek, the Associated Press, HR Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and World Policy Institute. He is a popular keynote speaker from Adobe to the United Nations, delivering insights from Kuala Lumpur to Kentucky. 

Previously, Chason served as Vice President of Operations at an American manufacturer where he led employee motivation and reward programs, and enterprise software implementation. As Manager of Technology at a global consulting firm he oversaw multi-million dollar IT projects across the US and Europe. Additionally, Chason bicycled across the United States, climbed Mt Fuji, and fixed tanks in the Israeli army. 

Rachel Wyman
Montclair Bread, LLC

Rachel Wyman is an award-winning lifelong baker, who learned to write her name in buttercream with a pastry bag before she could hold a pencil. She started her career at Bread Alone, during her time as a student at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. After completing her studies, she went on to manage the night production at Amy’s Bread in New York City. 

After moving to Montclair, NJ with her family, she opened the Montclair Bread Company in 2012. On a whim, she and her staff began frying up doughnuts one morning, and soon Montclair Bread Co. became known as a bread bakery with a doughnut addiction! Rachel was featured on the Food Network’s “Donut Showdown,” where her tres leches doughnut took home the top prize.

Presentation
Building Your Community: Building Your Brand
1:40 pm – 2:15 pm
Breakout 1: Marketing

Kathy Sargent
Corbion

Kathy Sargent is the Strategic Innovation Director for Corbion, a global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, and a leader in functional blends containing enzymes, emulsifiers, minerals and vitamins. Kathy is respected for her ability to bring industry knowledge, insights and team-building to projects. She is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a master’s degree in food science and technology and a bachelor’s degree in cereal chemistry and bakery science.

Presentation
A Safe, Label Friendly Way to Reduce pH in Baked Goods
Monday, March 2, 2020
1:00 pm – 1:35 pm
Breakout 2: Ingredients

Naggie T. Jeradechachai
Bay State Milling Company

Naggie T. Jeradechachai is the Manager of Research at Bay State Milling Company. She leads BSMC strategic activities focuses on varietal identification and commercialization, new test method development, and fundamental carbohydrate research in food systems. Prior to joining Bay State, Naggie worked for the Northern Crops Institute as the Crop Quality Specialist, where she was responsible for providing technical solutions on wheat and legumes applications in baking, pasta, and snack extrusion. As well, Naggie served as a research assistant with the USDA in Fargo, ND where she conducted research on plant proteomics and insect lipid biochemistry. Naggie got her B.S. and M.S. Degrees at North Dakota State University in Cereal and Food Science. She is from Bangkok, Thailand.

Presentation
The Evolution of Alternative Protein Ingredients in Baking from the Past to the Future
Monday, March 2, 2020
1:40 pm – 2:15 pm
Breakout 2: Ingredients

Scott Stratten
Disruptive and UN-traditional Sales, Marketing, Branding & Relationship Expert

As the ultimate sales and marketing truth slayer, Scott helps organizations see their business through a new lens with his unconventional “unmarketing” views and vanguard approach to building and maintaining real customer relationships.

As the president of Un-Marketing, he has transformed how corporations like PepsiCo, Century 21, Fidelity and Microsoft do business with radical insights on how to engage better with customers through social and viral marketing. Named a top 5 social media power influencer by Forbes.com, Scott elevates the conversation by putting the focus back on what matters most to current and potential buyers, values like trust, authenticity, relationships and service. In 2018, Scott was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame.

Drawing from his experience as a marketing industry innovator and the author of four best-selling business books, he convinces audiences to look at the big picture, which is about creating loyal, repeat customers who become brand evangelists because they genuinely love the goods or services you provide. With humor, passion and candor, Scott blends real world strategies with memorable stories that will completely change the way you market and sell, for the better.

Keynote Address
UnMarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging
Monday, March 2
Opening General Session