Gabe Disbrow is an Army Veteran and experienced executive who leads one of the largest employee-owned companies in Colorado. He has a demonstrated track record of helping companies significantly enhance shareholder value by achieving growth through organizational design focused on core scale methodology, detailed strategic planning, disciplined capital deployment, and strong financial acumen. He has extensive experience in new market development, large acquisition integration, and commercial real estate development.

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In his 7 years with Leevers Supermarkets the company has achieved industry leading Revenue and EBITDA CAGR resulting in nearly a 10x multiple of share price growth.

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He believes in the importance of connecting employee engagement to enhanced customer experience. Understands the vital partnership dynamic between the board of directors and management, and is passionate about leadership development and cultivating organizational competencies. His experience in large retail organizations adds a unique perspective in the independent business space from a global strategy and corporate capital deployment lens.

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Gabe holds an MBA from Michigan State University. His wife Melanie and their 4 children call Castle Rock, CO home.

A Colorado native, Debra developed a passion for local history on childhood family trips around the state. She earned her Bachelors in Education and Masters in History from the University of Colorado and taught U.S. and Colorado History at Metropolitan State University for many years. Faulkner is also the award-winning author of 10 books on Colorado history, including two about the Brown Palace. As Hotel Historian, she enjoys sharing The Brown's story through tours, programs, and displays throughout the hotel. 

Genna Gent is the executive vice president of membership and industry engagement at the Consumer Brands Association. In this role, she serves as the organization’s strategic engineer for members services, partner engagement and membership growth. 

Responsible for cultivating experiences that drive industry engagement and value, Gent oversees Membership, Industry Solutions, and Meetings & Events, including Consumer Brands’ flagship events, CPG Summit and CPG Legal Forum.

Gent joined the Consumer Brands Association in May 2023 after serving as the vice president of global public policy & government relations at McDonald’s.  As VP, she she led a team of government relations and public affairs specialists in the U.S. and internationally, working to bring external public policy insights into the McDonald’s business, influence public policy and represent the business before governments and NGOs.

Prior to joining McDonald’s, Gent was senior vice president of government affairs for the American Beverage Association where she developed advocacy strategies for the country’s non-alcoholic beverage industry.   At ABA, she represented the industry before Congress, state legislatures and local governments and ran integrated public affairs campaigns in more than a dozen states and cities.

Historically, Gent served as deputy chief of staff and Washington, D.C. office director to then-Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm. The longest-serving member of the Granholm administration, she began her tenure as a speechwriter to the then-attorney general, later as communications director to the governor’s two campaigns and finally served as deputy chief of staff for communications and strategic planning in in the Governor’s two administrations.   Prior to her work in state government, Gent worked in the private sector, providing public relations counsel to corporate clients in Michigan and the Midwest.

A runner and aspiring “foodie,” Genna graduated from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and two children.

Steve Goode is Principal of Natural State Consulting and Strategies. As a former state director under Governor Asa Hutchinson, Steve has extensive knowledge of state agencies and their practices. Following his return to the private sector he started Natural State Consulting and Strategies. Under Steve’s direction, Natural State focuses on relationship and coalition building to provide the best outcome for his clients' issues. Clients include the Arkansas Retailers Association, where he serves as the executive director. 

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A lifelong retailer, Steve and his wife Christie own and operate 2 supermarkets in North Central Arkansas. They also run a small cow/calf and hay farming operation in their spare time. 

Lindsey Kueffner serves as Executive Director of the Carolinas Food Industry Council, a division of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association—a position that she has held since 2012. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day activities for the Council, Lindsey works on grocery-specific issues pertaining to SNAP, WIC, Food Safety, and more for both North and South Carolina. Prior to joining the Council in 2007, Lindsey was the Director of Research and Education at the North Carolina Forum for Research and Economic Education (NCFREE), where she analyzed financial data, election results, and district information to predict the outcome of statewide and state legislative races.

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As a native of San Diego, California, Lindsey moved to North Carolina to attended Wake Forest University, where she earned her degree in Political Science with a minor in Latin American Studies. Lindsey is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management program, a four-year program for those in nonprofit management. She serves on the board of directors of the Food Industry Association Executives, a national professional association of local, state and regional food association executives. Lindsey was named a 2022 Woman of Influence in the Food Industry by The Shelby Report.

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Lindsey lives with her husband and two sons in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hannah Lopez is the Head of Marketplace at the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), where she leads strategic partnerships and initiatives that drive growth, visibility, and distribution for plant-based food brands across retail and foodservice channels. With a deep understanding of consumer trends, category development, and shopper marketing, Hannah works closely with member companies, retailers, and distributors to expand plant-based assortment and awareness nationwide. Her work is rooted in a mission to make plant-based options more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for both emerging and established brands.

Kyle May, Director External Relations, started his career with RAI in 2012. Prior to joining RAI Kyle had experience across the political spectrum including the U.S House of Representatives, Congressional Campaigns, Advocacy Organizations, and Public Health Policy.  He started with RAI as a Territory Manager in Greenville, NC. From there he was an Account Manager in Fort Worth, TX, a Senior Division Manager in Macon, GA and most recently the Senior Manger External Relations.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lenoir-Rhyne University and a Masters of Business Administration from Grand Canyon University. He is the proud parent of two boys Jonah (6) and Graham (3). In his free time, he enjoys cycling and running and traveling with his family.

Grace McCarrick is a leadership and soft skills coach loved by millions on the Internet. She’s been featured in Vogue, Inc. and Newsweek and works with household name brands like Amazon, AirBnB, Live Nation, Chewy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Marriott and Hims.

Barbara Patterson is proud to leverage her background in nutrition to help clients understand the dynamic food policy landscape. She serves as the vice president for government affairs for the Torrey Advisory Group where she focuses mainly on issues that impact hunger and nutrition. She knows the best work in DC happens through coalitions and partnerships and works hard to build out sustainable and strong alliances.

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Prior to joining the firm, she worked as government affairs director at National Farmers Union, giving her a solid foundation of food issues from farm to table. These experiences allow Barbara to identify opportunities for partnership across the value chain, leading to greater success for clients.

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Barbara has a Master of Science degree from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. When she is not at work, you can often find her on top of a mountain near Seattle or in the water with her dog Moose.

Stephanie Reid is President and COO of Shelby Publishing Co, Inc., a 58-year-old national media brand covering the food retailing industry.  Publishers of The Shelby Report of the Southeast, Southwest, West, Midwest and The Griffin Report, Shelby’s monthly print and digital issues, along with their daily enewsletters reach more than 71,000 food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers … the industry’s largest audience.

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Stephanie joined Shelby in January of 2014 and has spent 34 years in business-to-business trade media, and more than 31 in the vertical supermarket channel working for such titles as Supermarket News, Grocery Headquarters and Food People. 

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Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Kennesaw State University in 1990 and primarily works on the business side of publishing involving marketing, advertising and industry relations.

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In her current role at Shelby, Stephanie travels the country engaging with retailers, wholesalers and suppliers regarding editorial content and integrated trade communication strategies.   She also creates and maintains alliances with our industry’s largest trade associations and holds a seat on the Board of Directors for the Women Grocers of America.

Kevin Paul Scott has traveled to six continents and spoken to leaders from more than 100countries. Kevin co-founded the leadership consultancy ADDO, Latin for “Inspire”, which has developed the national Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, Coca-Cola Leader Lab, and the Baltimore Ravens Leadership Institute. He speaks and consults organizations on elevating the employee experience through attracting, retaining, and developing talent, inspiring brand loyalty in employees and customers.

For his leadership and business acumen, Kevin has been featured on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. He is the author of five books, including his latest: Inspired Every Day.

Kevin is the proud husband to Laura and father of three children. Together, they enjoy cheering on the Atlanta Braves and University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Doug is President of Enstrom Candies, Inc​.  He was born in London, England and immigrated to the United States in 1957 where his family settled in the Denver area.  In 1973 he came to Grand Junction to attend Mesa College to study music and theatre.  It was there he met Jamee Enstrom Simons while playing in the Mesa College concert band.  They were married in 1977. 

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He was employed at Coors Porcelain Company for about three years in Golden, Colorado.  In the spring of 1979 Doug and Jamee decided to move back to Grand Junction to join Jamee’s parents in the family business, Enstrom Candies, Inc.  He attended the Retail Confectioners International (RCI)’s Candy School in 1982, making him the first in the company to have official candy making training.  Doug spent his formative years in the confectionery industry working in all areas of the business under the watchful tutelage of founder Chet Enstrom and his son, Emil.  In 1987 Doug became President of the company, and in 1993 Doug and Jamee purchased the business to become the third-generation owners.

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Doug has turned a “Mom and Pop” business into a competitive, high-quality producer of confections.  Under his leadership, two manufacturing facilities and corporate offices have been constructed.  He has also brought innovation through technological advancements to both the mail-order and manufacturing sides of the business having assisted in the development of cutting-edge machinery to allow for continuous production of Enstrom’s premiere product, World-Famous Almond Toffee.

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Doug is also known for being very involved in the candy industry.  Serving as a board member for the Retail Confectioners International (RCI) from 1991-2000, Doug was named President for the 1999–2000-year term.  He served on the National Confectioners Association (NCA)’s advisory board from 2005-2008 and again from 2010-2013.  He has also been active in the Western Candy Conference serving on the board and is a past convention chair and is a past President. In 2021 he was inducted into the National Confectioners Association (NCA) candy Hall of Fame.

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He has served on many local boards including the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, Grand Junction Lions Club, and the Downtown Development Authority.  He served 8 years on the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority Board, and two-time chairman.  Doug is currently serving on the Grand Junction Economic Partnership board. Doug also served on the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation Board and Co-Chaired the $2 campaign for the St. Mary’s Advanced Medical Pavilion and served on the President’s Cabinet for the Century Project to build a new hospital tower.

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In 2007 Doug was Lion of the Year for the Grand Junction Lion’s Club and received the Prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in 2023, an award that has only been given to 10 people in the history of the Grand junction Lion’s Club. He received an honorary Doctorate from CMU in 2018 and the Joseph C. Prinster Leadership award in 2023.

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His hobbies include golf, boating, and bird hunting, and he is an instrument rated private pilot.  As a musician Doug has been active in the local music scene for the last four decades. Doug and Jamee have two sons, Doug Jr. and Jim.  Both are now involved in the family business as the fourth-generation owners of the company!

Travis Smith is Chief Revenue Officer at Kaleidoscope, the scholarship management platform ranked #1 by G2's 2025 Best Software Awards. With over a decade of tech leadership at SportsEngine, helping grow from startup to ultimately being acquired by NBC Sports, Travis brings a unique business perspective to educational philanthropy and investment.

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His early career included experience in scholarship fundraising, which sparked his belief that scholarships done well are a strategic investment that can create a win for the students, win for the offering organizations, and a win for the organization that makes it easier. At Kaleidoscope, Travis champions the "scholarship ecosystem" that transforms educational investments into measurable business outcomes.