Anna currently serves as the Chief Revenue and Innovation Officer for the Texas Restaurant Association.
At the Texas Restaurant Association, Anna leads the charge on shaking things up at the 83-year-old institution. She heads up all products and services, business development, marketing, and communication and also creates new member value through unique events and education. Additionally, she is driven to bring more restaurant technology to the state of Texas with unique partnerships and innovative programming. Her passion for food and restaurants runs deep.
Previously, Anna was the Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Services at the National Restaurant Association. She served to connect restaurant operator members of the Association with new technology, operations and marketing concepts. This included directing the Association’s new innovation outreach programs and building relationships with high tech, finance and payment companies, startups, venture capitalists, and curious restaurateurs. Her projects included the Restaurant Innovation Summit, Startup Alley, and the Silicon Valley Tech Tour.
Anna is a frequent speaker on innovation and disruption in the restaurant space, including tech trends, mobile payment, food delivery, tableside tablets, BOH inventory and staff management platforms, food+tech startups, and online reservations.
Previous to her career in associations, Anna was the web and social media editor for J-Lab, a nonprofit journalism research center and startup incubator.
Anna serves on the advisory board for SXSW Interactive and Restaurant Unstoppable. She is active in the user experience and food+tech communities and was a volunteer sous chef at Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit working to end homelessness in Washington, D.C.
She has a master of arts in journalism from American University and a bachelor of arts in mass communication from Texas State University.
Anna is a native Texan and enjoys live music, restaurants (obviously), and riding her motorcycle. No she is not in a gang.
