YAD Nework & Nosh: Cannabis, Coffee & Covid

Justin Petaccio works as a mortgage lender in Denver for Spire Financial. He specializes in direct to consumer mortgage loans, and he prides himself on making an otherwise confusing and overwhelming process manageable, even in a pandemic. Justin grew up in Philadelphia and earned degrees in finance and entrepreneurship from Northeastern University.

Ryan Kilpatrick brings 20 years of experience in the service and hospitality industry in numerous areas including management, operations, accounting, and finance. He is the co-founder and co-owner of Fiction Beer Company, a craft brewery in Denver. In addition to his duties at Fiction Beer Company, Ryan is the general manager for one of the largest cannabis edibles companies in Colorado.

Jennifer Banken is the senior director of strategy and insights for Coffee House Creations, a business unit of Danone North America. Prior to joining Danone, she managed brands including Horizon Organic, Left Field Farms, and Silk coffee creamers. She brings a 20 year background of strategy and consumer insights experience in industries ranging from fast casual restaurants to telecom.

Thuan La is the director of sales and marketing of Culinary Trendz Marketing and has spent a majority of his professional career in the hospitality. Starting at Marriott International as a teenager, he has worked in operations, house-keeping, and food service. He also managed his family’s restaurants before landing at Shamrock Foods, where manages eight brands.