Webcasts

Moderator
Joe Carbonara
Editorial Director
Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

Panelist
Leisa Bryant, MBA, MA, RDN
Executive Director of Food and Nutrition and Patient Transportation Services
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Leisa Bryant is the Executive Director of Food and Nutrition and Patient Transportation Services at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Leisa holds a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition, a master’s degree in Community Health Education, and a master’s degree in business administration. Leisa is board certified in Healthcare Management and holds certifications as a registered dietitian nutritionist and is a Certified Patient Experience Professional.

With over 15 years of healthcare clinical and operations leadership, Leisa has long championed quality and safe patient care, advancing the patient and employee experience, and creating engaging opportunities for achieving operational excellence. Leisa has national recognition as a leader in healthcare foodservice and hospitality for her transformation of numerous healthcare dining programs and leading her teams to achieve service excellence for patients, customers, stakeholders, and each other.

Leisa has a passion for teaching, learning, and mentoring, and seize every opportunity to do just that. Leisa was an Adjunct Lecturer at Brooklyn College and shares her knowledge as well as learn from her colleagues and industry experts via her active role as a board, professional and/or operator member for organizations such as Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), American College for Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM).

Panelist
Rahul Shrivstav
Chairman-Elect
NACUFS

Rahul Shrivastav, chairman-elect of the National Association of College & University Food Services, is a recognized leader in the hospitality industry, having worked at top hotels in Syndey, Orlando, Chicago, and Ann Arbor. Since 2017, he has served as the executive director of dining & hospitality at Indiana University and previously was manager of food operations at Pennsylvania State University and director of catering at the University of Michigan. Shrivastav’s decades of experience are evident in his customer-first, student-centric approach at IU, where he actively encourages students to learn about food sourcing and solicits their feedback on campus dining. He prioritizes farm-to-table meals and supports local vendors whenever possible to provide students with the freshest, most healthful options.

Panelist
Ryan J. Stansbury, CFE
Vice President of Franchise Development
Ballard Brands (PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans)

Upon Mr. Stansbury receiving his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of New Orleans, he began working for Planet Beach Franchising Corporation (PBFC); a New Orleans based international spa franchise. Over a ten-year span, he served in numerous capacities for PBFC aiding the company’s growth from 55 units to nearly 400 units across 42 US states and eight different countries. Mr. Stansbury was also a multi-unit Planet Beach franchisee from 2001 to 2015.

In 2010, Mr. Stansbury joined Ballard Brands as Director of Franchise Development. In 2019, he was promoted to Vice President of Franchise Development. With over 20 years of franchise development experience, Mr. Stansbury’s primary responsibility is to facilitate domestic and international growth of a portfolio of retail brands. Mr. Stansbury is also a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), a designation issued by the International Franchising Association and one he has maintained since February of 2007 for his continued work and study in the franchise industry.