2025 Speakers

Khanh Nguyen, Zalat Pizza’s founder & CEO, came to the United States as a refugee in 1975 after the fall of Vietnam. Raised in Texas and a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Nguyen transitioned from over […]

Juan Gabriel Pérez, known as @JuangPizza on social media, is an award-winning pizzaiolo with over 15 years of experience in the pizza industry. Specializing in both traditional AVPN-style Neapolitan pizza and modern Neapolitan techniques, he has built a reputation for […]

Matt Plapp is the Chief Energy Officer of America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) — a marketing powerhouse that helps independent restaurants get massive attention in their communities and turn casual diners into loyal, repeat customers. He’s been working with restaurants on digital […]

Chef Vitangelo Recchia is the owner of Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida, which he founded in 2014. A highly accomplished chef, he grew up in the pizza business—his parents own Dino’s Italian Restaurant, a Pizza Hall […]

Salvatore Reina is owner of Francesca Pizza & Pasta in Glen Rock and Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Francesca boasts two slice shops, two virtual brands and a school lunch program. Sal has years of experience in the industry, having first […]

Wilhelm Rodriguez Flores was born in 1976 in Puerto Rico and has since dedicated over 30 years to perfecting pizza making. He owns Papa’s Pizza in Puerto Rico, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. As […]

Hengam Stanfield is the co-founder of Mattenga’s Pizzeria, a seven-location restaurant group based in San Antonio, TX. With a background in electrical engineering, she brings a data-driven approach to restaurant operations and marketing. She hosts the Making Dough Show podcast, followed by over […]

Matthew Stanfield is the co-founder of Mattenga’s Pizzeria, a seven-location restaurant group based in San Antonio, TX. As the builder and visionary behind the brand, he leads financial strategy, cash flow management, equipment planning, and store turnarounds. Through his outside-the-box thinking, […]

Jeff Varasano is owner/founder of Varasano’s Pizzeria, the highly acclaimed independent restaurant in Atlanta with a stellar 4.9 rating on Google Reviews. As one of the country’s leading pizza gurus, the Bronx native, formerly a software engineer, was dubbed “The […]

Janet Zapata is the owner/founder of 550 Pizzeria, a Laredo, Texas pizza shop honored as one of 50 Top Pizza’s Excellent Pizzerias for 2024. Zapata was also featured on PMQ’s August 2022 cover. Prior to launching 550 Pizzeria in 2020, […]