Anthony Anton is the president and CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association (WRA). Anthony brings more than a decade of government affairs and association management experience to the WRA. He guided the WRA’s government affairs business from 1995 to 2001 when he left to manage The Boeing Company’s state relations in Olympia. Coming back to the WRA in 2004 as vice president, Anthony successfully marshaled the industry’s efforts to support important legislation and increase the WRA’s grassroots lobbying efforts. Anthony’s family has been in the restaurant business for more than 60 years, lending him a broad understanding of industry issues.

I always thought I'd be a ""businessman"" working in investments or banking, or some other industry that required me to wear a suit. I studied Finance in college, and spent a few years working for a big bank in Chicago before getting into the restaurant business as a franchisee of Jimmy John's. It was trial by fire for sure; I had zero restaurant experience and made a lot of mistakes, but I wouldn't change a thing. In six years I built 18 restaurants generating $25M in sales...it turns out I became a businessman after all!

Franchising was a great appetizer for the restaurant industry, but now I'm ready for the main course! I started developing Superette about two years ago, using the last 12-months to hone the concept and prepare for launch. We are excited for 2016, with plans to open our flagship restaurant later this year in Seattle!

A 30-plus year veteran of the foodservice industry, Mark Freeman is senior manager of employee services for Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Wash., where he oversees dining service which conducts 50,000-plus transactions per day. Since assuming this role in 2005, Freeman has instituted a campus-wide recycling and composting program as well as a major software upgrade, swapped the disposables used for on-site dining and catering with a more eco-friendly, biodegradable product, and opened up online forums where Microsoft employees could offer feedback, a move that has dramatically improved customer satisfaction. He’s also helped upgrade the quality of all beverages and meals served, including at kiosks and retail outlets. Prior to Microsoft, Freeman has worked for Saga, a contract feeder, and most recently as a consultant for Porter Consulting.

SeaPac is one of the premier retail brokerage and consulting firms in the Puget Sound/WA Market. Since 1978 SeaPac has specialized in retail services for retailers, property owners, landlords and developers. We are the state of Washington member for Chainlinks Retail Advisors, the nation’s leading retail network. Jeff Rosen is a partner and works as a retail real estate broker.

Dugan Earl is a co-founder of Revolve. Dugan has spent the past 12 years in the commercial real estate investment industry, the majority of which was spent with a national investment advisor as an acquisitions officer, where he was involved in over $2.5 billion of commercial real estate transactions. Dugan spent nine years as an acquisition officer at ING Clarion, an institutional commercial real estate advisory firm. At ING, Dugan was directly responsible for nearly $300 million of acquisitions within the west coast.

Gray Madden, President of Filson, led the charge on the construction of a brand-new 6,000-square-foot flagship store in its current headquarters at 1741 First Ave. S - which opened in November 2015. When customers enter the building they will see workers manufacturing Filson's luggage products on the first floor. The store on the second floor will have clear glass doors that will showcase office space where the company's creative teams are coming up with the next big idea.

Margaret McCauley has been at the forefront of the urban retail industry since her days working with legendary retail developer and real estate visionary Jim Rouse. She draws on her deep experience and the resources and perspectives of retailers, private developers, corporations, urban planners, and design professionals to help clients successfully transform their downtowns into dynamic environments that serve the needs of residents, professionals, and visitors.

Sandip heads the firm’s Real Estate group, as well as the Retail, Hotel & Restaurant industry team. He practices primarily in the area of commercial real estate transactions, including retail, office and industrial leasing, purchase and sale agreements and real estate financings. He represents technology, hospitality and retail clients in this area. Sandip also brings a substantial commercial litigation background to his practice. He has represented owners, developers, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in a wide variety of construction claims, including contractor’s liens, breach of contract, changes, errors/omissions, defects, warranty claims, and environmental liability claims. Further, he has experience in real estate litigation, including earnest money agreements, easements and landlord-tenant disputes. Sandip serves as outside real estate counsel to a number of companies, including Microsoft, Nordstrom, Blue Nile and zulily.