The entire BOARD OF DIRECTORS volunteer their time and efforts to serve the IHC.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born and raised in LA, Eddie’s passion for social justice has been a constant. A product of the LA public school system and independent arts community, Eddie views his world through the lens of improving equitable street culture. As a young rock musician (when christened the nickname “Fast Eddie”), Eddie discovered support through employment at local bars like Three Clubs and restaurants like Miceli’s. Jabberjaw, a 1990s performance venue in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, was his sanctuary. He would learn that Jabberjaw was suffering from the same small-business inequities that informs the work that he does today.
In 2002, Eddie founded FE Design & Consulting to help hospitality businesses get their doors open, providing a variety of services for hospitality from architecture, land use and kitchen design. Today, Eddie is the Board President of Art Share LA supporting emerging artists in the community he grew up in. He continues to advocate for independent food & beverage businesses as a co-founder of the Independent Hospitality Coalition (IHC). Eddie lives in Downtown LA, serving as Executive Director of the IHC and living his values in preserving arts and culture in LA.
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PRESIDENT
Ann is the Chief Operating Officer for pasjoli and now the closed 1 Michelin starred fine dining restaurant, Dialogue from Chef Dave Beran. She is responsible for the business and financial health of the restaurants in addition to working with Chef Dave to guide overall strategy.
Ann was at The Alinea Group from 2013 to 2016 in business development and strategy. At the time of her departure in August 2016, Ann was the Director of Business Operations, overseeing all departments and functions directly involved with running the businesses of all locations. She managed guest relations and reservations, payroll, accounts payable, business analytics and strategy, and general business operations. Under Ann’s guidance, Alinea was able to reduce food costs by 15% and increase revenues by 10%. Ann was the first business team hire by TAG, and when she left in August 2016, the team had grown to 8 business team members and 5 guest relations members, all under her supervision.
Prior to The Alinea Group, Ann was Vice President in Equity Derivatives Sales at Credit Suisse from 2009 to 2013 in New York City. Ann also worked as a strategy consultant from 2005 to 2007 at the small boutique The Callidon Group in Boston, focusing on private equity due diligence projects and pricing structures. Upon graduating from college, she opened and operated a bubble tea shop in Boston from 2002 to 2005.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management.
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VICE PRESIDENT
Adam oversees a portfolio that includes strategic planning, campaigns, both political and community outreach, crisis communications, as well as lobbying to secure our clients the results they need. His successful leadership of hard fought campaigns includes multiple ballot issues and land use decisions in cities across Southern California including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Long Beach, Hermosa Beach and Whittier. Recently, Adam’s team won an overwhelming electoral victory in a land use initiative despite being outspent 8:1. He has led successful campaigns both publicly and behind the scenes for development projects, project entitlements, procurement bids and regulatory approvals across Los Angeles on the local and County levels.
Combining his background as a practicing attorney and political strategist, Adam provides crisis and litigation communication services to clients nationwide. His insight into the communications process is shaped through a litigation framework and delivers positive national and international media coverage for his clients.
Adam was selected as a 2009 and 2010 “Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine. He is a board member of the Silver Lake Independent Jewish Community Center and the Heidi Duckler Dance Theater, which creates site-specific contemporary art experiences in nontraditional venues. A graduate of Cornell University, Adam then earned his JD from the UCLA School of Law.
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TREASURER, MEMBER SERVICES CHAIR
Dina Samson is the Co-Founder/Owner of Rossoblu, Superfine Playa, and Superfine Pizza in Los Angeles.
She has also co-founded the Independent Hospitality Coalition, RE:Her, and FeedLoveLA, all organizations which focus on supporting and uplifting the Los Angeles restaurant community. Before joining the restaurant industry, Dina developed her business acumen by spending years in the financial world, both as an investment banker in San Francisco and New York. She also served in Chief of Staff roles to several financial CEOs and celebrity entrepreneurs P. Diddy and MTV’s Rob Dyrdek. She even had a stint as a video game producer at Brash Entertainment/Wall Street Games.
Samson is both a James Beard Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) and C200 Champion WinLab fellow. She is also on various advisory boards such as the LA Tourism DEI Committee, Dine LA Committee, and James Beard WEL Committee. She also miraculously finds time to raise her young twins.
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SECRETARY, COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
For over 18 years, Hesam has developed award-winning marketing campaigns for Fortune 50 companies, small businesses, and non-profit organizations alike. A data-driven storyteller, Hesam streamlines strategy and creativity to generate maximum brand power and revenue while honoring each audience's experience.
Hesam has worked with an array of public relations, event and marketing agencies while being committed to organizations such as US Doctors for Africa, the Beverly Hills Film Festival, and Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. He is currently the CMO of a company powering payment and loyalty technologies for multi-unit operators.
With his deep love of all things culinary and travel (who doesn't?), coupled with his storied digital marketing background, Hesam co-founded the Independent Hospitality Coalition (IHC) at the onset of the pandemic. Distributing crucial information and resources while mobilizing advocates of the Los Angeles hospitality community to ratify business-friendly legislation was and continues to be essential to keeping small businesses safe and open.
Hesam holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. When not behind the desk, Hesam enjoys playing guitar, cycling, and exploring the world's culinary offerings.
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BOARD MEMBER
Kristel Arabian was born in Beirut, Lebanon to an Armenian family rich in culinary traditions. Hers is a “food family”- Her father works in food importing, her mother is an avid cook and her sisters love to eat as much as she does. During her younger years, Kristel dabbled in both food and science; working first at a bakery at the age of 14, then spending 8 years as a pharmacy technician and later in Microbiology laboratories. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology, with an emphasis in Chemistry.
Later, Kristel spent years in the back of house, starting as a line cook at some of LA’s best restaurants and eventually becoming the daytime Chef De Cuisine of Joe Miller’s Michelin Starred restaurant in Venice and finally, she opened Milo & Olive for The Rustic Canyon Group. Upon her exit from BOH operations, Kristel became the Sole Culinary Recruiter for a small recruiting company in SoCal. A few years later, she moved to NYC and was the Opening Director of Recruitment for what was to become a large agency. She now enjoys running her high-touch recruiting firm, Kitchen Culture Recruiting (named as a nod to her background in Microbiology along with the nuanced nature of Restaurant Culture), where she is dedicated to working with a small, like-minded group of Chefs, Managers, Executives, Owners and Operators to help further their success in the realm of hospitality… Both front and back of house, as well as Executive and Corporate roles. From coast to coast.
In the last 5 years, Kristel has also Co-Founded two food-tech apps, weaving her love of hospitality with her flair for innovation. Along with her work for the IHC, she sits on the board of other non-profits. Her work includes activity with The Independent Restaurant Coalition, Hospitality United Alliance, and Armenia Empowered. She is also actively working with Chrysalis, an organization that helps “change lives through jobs”.
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BOARD MEMBER
Jason Berkowitz is currently the CEO and Founder of Arrow Up Training - restaurant safety, compliance & leadership in one easy toolkit. Their programs have become standard practice for independent restaurants, top companies and large-scale corporations. Jason has opened over 30 restaurants in LA, served as VP of Operations for Umami Burger, COO and Partner for Tocaya Organica, and is a founding board member for The Independent Hospitality Coalition.
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BOARD MEMBER
Caitlin Cutler is the co-owner of Ronan restaurant on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. She runs Ronan with her chef-husband, Daniel, where she oversees daily operations and assembles the restaurant's rotating selection of natural wines. Caitlin's dream for Ronan is to create an all encompassing source of hospitality with friendly and genuine service where we serve food and beverages that provide nourishment without restraint, and ultimately where we honor the farmers who make running a restaurant in Southern California such a rewarding experience. Caitlin has been an outspoken advocate for small business relief since the COVID-19 pandemic, with an "open-book" strategy to publicly discuss the financial pressures on her restaurant, specifically targeting the challenges that arose when adapting to a world of takeout and delivery.
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BOARD MEMBER
Holly Fox is the wife to the inimitable Morgan Fox, mother to Mosey the dog, and proof that whoever requires an eye patch in kindergarten remains a badass forever. Born in Palm Springs and influenced by a lifelong passion for travel, Fox co-founded LWH in 2014 and leads the company in all strategic operations, interior design and construction management, financial performance, and keeping the rest of us from coasting off the tracks.
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BOARD MEMBER
A progressive hospitality and business advocacy professional, Hunter brings a wealth of information and insight into association management, civic engagement, emerging trends, and best practices. He now serves in the role of Executive Director of the Main Street Business Improvement District in Santa Monica, acting as the chief lobbyist and advocate for all merchants on Main Street in Santa Monica and as a liaison to The City. In this role, he regularly negotiates issues affecting the interests of Main Street with City Council, City Staff, and community stakeholders as well as neighborhood groups and residents.
Hunter was the primary architect of Main Street’s wildly successful ‘Al Fresco’ Parklet program early in the pandemic. He also worked as a government contractor Citywide on other outdoor dining projects. Under his leadership, Main Street has enjoyed an explosive renaissance and is the most successful business district in Santa Monica.
He regularly works alongside City Staff and The Chamber of Commerce, and was honored at the Chamber’s annual dinner for his advocacy work on behalf of the small business community surrounding controversial legislative changes. He often acts as the point person for legislation affecting the hospitality and small business communities. He is also a certified Human Resources professional with extensive experience in hostile takeovers, bankruptcy operations, compliance, and restructuring. He has also been tapped by technology companies to work on applications and systems unique to the hospitality industry, having worked with corporate brands and independent operations.
Hunter served as the President of the California Restaurant Association’s L.A. Chapter before helping to launch the IHC, and is a regular speaker in Southern California, covering issues specific to the hospitality industry. He is a thought leader in Alternative Compensation Models (A.C.M.’s) and is regularly called upon for advice and practical insight on the topic, both culturally and legally speaking
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BOARD MEMBER
Corissa Hernandez is the co-founder and visionary of Legacy Full Circle Financial & Insurance Services, The Empire Tavern, House of Xelas, and Nativo HLP. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Corissabegan her career as a middle school teacher after earning degrees at Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA. Working as a Los Angeles public school teacher during the height of the great recession inspired Corissa to launch her first mission-driven company. In 2007, Corissa and her partners opened Legacy Full Circle, a company dedicated to educating low to middle-income families about financial literacy and planning. Inspired to fill gaps for her community, she then opened three craft beer & cocktail businesses over the next four years, establishing herself as one of the few female forces in a predominantly male industry. Her bars have been featured prominently in print and online publications, including the Los Angeles Times, ABC VistaLA, LA Mag, EaterLA, Telemundo and UCLA Magazine.
Never losing sight of the importance of giving back, Corissa has partnered with over a hundred aspiring chefs and restaurateurs of color. Drawing from her own experience as a first-generation college student and Latina entrepreneur, she takes pride in creating opportunities for entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities unfamiliar with the competitive landscape of business ownership.
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BOARD MEMBER
Alan Morales is the founder and Co-CEO of Civil Coffee, one of the first Latino-owned specialty coffee shops in Southern California. Now three cafes strong, Civil has become a staple coffee experience for those who come to visit Los Angeles, and is often a reason why people stay.
Alan’s vision for bringing coffee to the people is expressed through his company collaborations. Civil’s flagship location in Highland Park hosts an annual summer market pop-up - a grassroots showcasing of local small businesses, and a means for new companies to shine. Civil provides a stage for Los Angeles artists and creatives, and those who are keenly invested in the local communities of Highland Park, DTLA, and Studio City. The buzz of collaborative energy in Alan’s spaces showcases the impact of how a cup of coffee can bring elegance and grace to good, old-fashioned grit.
When Alan is not surveying the daily activity of his company, he spends his time with his family and loved ones. He is known to enjoy a glass of Barolo, Beaujolais, or Burgundy.
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BOARD MEMBER
In less than a decade Brittney Valles’ dedication to doing what she feels is right, has positioned her as a leader of change in the industry, as evidenced by Eater’s recent selection of eleven upcoming in their 2021 “New Guard.” One of Valles’ first jobs was for Chef Walter Manzke at Petty Cash Taqueria where she was office manager. In 2015, Valles started a side hustle called, “The Bee-Keepers.” She connected with small businesses and would help them with their in-house financials and general operations. One of her clients was chef Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos. By January 2016, she had become an integral part of the concept, working part-time, but officially as his business partner. Guerrilla Tacos grew annual catering sales going from $21,000 annually to nearly $225,000 annually. She left Petty Cash to focus on Guerrilla Tacos full-time. Valles fundraised $1.8 million to open their first brick and mortar at the age of 23. When construction began in 2017, Valles oversaw the entire 4,600 sq ft build out while managing an increasingly busy food truck business. In July 2018, Guerrilla Tacos finally had a home with a full bar. In its first year, the restaurant grossed more than $3 million. Valles is a founding board member of the Independent Hospitality Coalition. In December 2020, she began working closely with a group of women restaurant owners and founded RE:Her. After the loss of a close friend to suicide, Brittney sought motivation and founded the Juan Carlos Cantoni Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing transition-age youth with professional, educational and mental health support. Her desire to maintain these services for local youth was the impetus behind opening Gogo’s Tacos. She developed, fundraised and opened the concept all within one year. Gogo’s Tacos offers street taco style food made with ingredients that have integrity. Additionally, they donate 20% of all net profits to support the foundation.
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BOARD MEMBER
Adam Weisblatt is a proud son of the great state of Massachusetts, husband to Leah June and father to Owen Arlo, professional diner, and lover of fine sherry and brandy. Since co-founding LWH in 2014, Weisblatt leads the company in establishing new business, creating new restaurant concepts, shaping long term strategy, and giving motivational hospitality speeches that go on just slightly too long.
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CONTRIBUTOR
Here's Looking At You, All Day Baby
Co-Founder Regarding Her
Lien Ta is the co-owner of two Los Angeles restaurants with Chef Jonathan Whitener, Here's Looking At You and All Day Baby. She is the subject of "Becoming a Restaurateur" by author Patric Kuh, and she appeared at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, giving voice to America’s small business owners persevering amid the Covid pandemic. After 17 dormant months and one incredible GoFundMe campaign, HLAY reopened its doors and was listed on The NY Times' "2022 Restaurant List" and named a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for "Outstanding Hospitality." Lien also operates Tet-a-Tet, a Vietnamese-inspired concept inside All Day Baby. In 2020, Lien co-founded Regarding Her, a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement and empowerment of women restaurateurs, and to date, RE:Her has awarded $350,000 in grants. Before working in hospitality, she was a food, fashion & lifestyle writer and entertainment editor for eight years.