Barbara Kessler
Barbara Kessler, Marketing Director
CrossAmerica Partners
Barbara Kessler brings decades of expertise in the food, beverage, and convenience retail sectors, with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in foodservice. As Senior Director of Food and Beverage for The Wills Group, Barbara oversees the strategic development of Dash In's foodservice offerings across the Mid-Atlantic region. Her leadership has been instrumental in elevating the brand's culinary program, crafting modern menus, and redesigning retail concepts to meet evolving customer expectations.
Barbara's passion for innovation aligns with the mission of CFVG to reimagine the role of foodservice in the convenience channel. She is deeply committed to knowledge sharing and collaboration, believing that cross-functional partnerships and bold ideas are essential to shaping the future of convenience foodservice. A recognized industry leader, Barbara was honored as a 2022 Top Women in Convenience, Senior Leader Level.
Through her work, Barbara continues to champion excellence in foodservice, creating memorable guest experiences while delivering measurable results for her organization and the industry at large.
Ed Collupy
Ed Collupy, Principal
Collupy System Solutions LLC
Ed has more than 40 years of retail systems experience in the convenience/petro (The Pantry) and grocery (Purity Supreme & Shaw’s) retail channels, including as a consultant at W. Capra Consulting Group providing strategic, operational, and project leadership to retailers, emerging businesses, and technology companies. His involvement in the industry continues as a Facilitator for various groups and as an independent consultant through Collupy System Solutions. He has served the Convenience/Petro industry as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Conexxus and as a member of the NACS Convention Content Committee. Ed writes for trade publications, leads, and participates in on-line and in-person forums focused on retail technology. A New Englander at heart, he graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, attended Harvard’s Executive Education session, Delivering Information Services, and now living on Cape Cod he is very active in the community serving on various boards and committees.