With her finger on the pulse of better-for-you brands, Rachel Krupa is the Founder of The Goods Mart, a better-for-you, socially conscious convenience store which opened its doors in 2018 and now has three locations in New York City. As a professional “Snack Curator,” Rachel has deep insights into what makes a small brand stand out on the shelves with a goal of elevating emerging food brands to be household names, with a focus on female and diverse founders. She also offers personalized and customized snack curation for corporations, hotels, and beyond such as Standard Hotels in New York, Hotel Chelsea, The Smyth Tribeca, Jose Andres Catering, + more. Rachel is also the founder of Krupa Consulting, a boutique PR agency focused on food and wellness brands. She launched Thrive Market, Tastemade, Goop’s wellness vertical, Brownie Brittle, Barnana, Mercado Famous, Our Place, WTHN, Clean Market and played an integral part in the growth of MatchaBar, Milk Bar, LaColombe, The Class by Taryn Toomey, and many more. Rachel’s work as a leader in better-for-you food and wellness iterations has garnered her features in Fast Company, Marie Claire, New York Times, Today Show, and Vogue, among others. Rachel has graced Create & Cultivate’s annual list of forward-thinking women, and she is an advisor for Food Tank, Naturally New York, and New American Kitchen.

Charlie graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a film degree. After a stint in Los Angeles he decided that food was his ultimate passion. He has been with Whole Foods for twelve years. He started in the stores working his way up from the very most entry level position. He was on the Exclusive Brands Team for over 5 years developing private label products and managing the P&L for many different categories. He became the Senior Category Manager for Refrigerated Beverages in 2021, which includes Juice, Refrigerated Coffee, and Functional Beverage. Charlie is also a trained Certified Cheese Professional. For anyone who needs cheese board advice, he is your guy. Charlie is routinely plotting his next travel destination with his Fiancée and is an avid movie goer.

Kurt is a retail industry veteran with extensive experience in beverage across the supplier landscape, grocery industry, and category leadership across convenience. In his current capacity as Head of North America Merchandising for Couche-Tard, he is leading efforts to drive growth across all strategic in-store product categories, with a heavy focus on packaged and dispensed beverages.

Candice Ternus is the Principal Category Merchant for Shelf-Stable Beverages at Whole Foods Market, where she oversees water, ready-to-drink tea, and shelf-stable functional beverages. Her journey with Whole Foods Market began in 2014 at the Champions store in Houston, where she gained hands-on experience across multiple roles, including Market Assistant Team Leader for the Specialty, Grocery, and Whole Body departments. She later transitioned to the Global Accounts Payable team, serving as both a Specialist and an Analyst before returning to her passion for products and suppliers. In 2020, Candice joined the Specialty team as an Associate Category Merchant, managing beer and spirits, and was later promoted to Senior Category Merchant, overseeing all local beer on the West Coast. Along the way, she earned her Level 1 Cicerone certification, becoming a certified beer expert. In her current role, Candice leverages her deep industry knowledge and sharp eye for innovation to lead category management and supplier relations, supporting hundreds of brands. She is passionate about upholding Whole Foods Market’s rigorous quality standards and is dedicated to sourcing the highest quality products. Recognizing the impact of her purchasing decisions, she prioritizes onboarding brands that focus on sustainable sourcing and packaging. Outside of work, Candice enjoys hiking, exploring Austin’s best happy hour spots, traveling, and spending time by the water—whether it’s rivers, beaches, or pools.

Eddie Attubato is the Beverage Category Manager at Stop & Shop, where he leads a dedicated team focused on bringing the right mix of innovation, value, and customer appeal to the beverage aisle. With a background in retail operations, Eddie brings a practical, store-level perspective to category strategy—helping turn big ideas into real results on the shelf. He’s passionate about building strong supplier partnerships, staying ahead of consumer trends, and creating a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.

Mike Sanchez began his career with H-E-B in 2009 as an Overnight Stocker in San Antonio. He served as Grocery Manager in the Central Texas region for 2 years before entering store operations for 4 years. In 2020, Mike joined the corporate Shelf Edge Team as a Merchandising Manager and transitioned to Senior Leader in 2022. In 2024, Mike moved to procurement to be the buyer for Still Beverages- Water, Sports Drinks, RTD Tea, and RTD Coffee. Mike and his wife, Leah celebrated eight years of marriage this year and have a Goldendoodle named Louie and a Dachshund named Hank. Mike and Leah are self-proclaimed foodies and enjoy cooking together and trying new foods and restaurants. In Mike’s free time, you will find him making his famous homemade salsa, listening to Taylor Swift, or hitting the links on the weekend with his grandpa. His favorite time of year is football season, and he is an avid fantasy football player and a loyal supporter of his Denver Broncos.

After a lengthy career in arenas, stadiums, and amusement parks, transitioned to the convenience retail channel, beginning in 2004, managing a store for Turkey Hill Minit Markets. Held positions of progressive responsibility, including District Manager, Regional Operations Manager, and Director of Operations. Spent final six years with Turkey Hill Minit Markets as Vice President of Operations. As part of a development plan within Kroger, moved to the Loaf ‘N Jug Division of Kroger’s Convenience Stores as Vice President of Marketing in 2016. Joined Buchanan Energy as a Category Manager in Omaha, Nebraska after leaving Kroger. The 2021 acquisition of Buchanan Energy resulted in joining the Casey’s Merchandising Team as Senior Category Manager.