MFHA Roundtables 2025
Purpose, People, and Profit: Using Cultural Intelligence to Drive Organizational Success
The restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality industry is built on the connection between purpose and people. These principles drive organizational profit and success. Today’s industry businesses must navigate workforce dynamics, leadership gaps, and increasing customer expectations to remain relevant. The 2025 MFHA Roundtable series will equip organizations with a roadmap to unlock their full potential and drive indispensability among employees and guests. This year’s Roundtable series will explore how cultural intelligence can build collaborative teams, enhance communication, and develop future-ready industry leaders. Designed for diverse industry stakeholders, each event will equip attendees with actionable insights and practical goals to maximize the human potential within their organization, ultimately promoting business growth and profitability.
Free registration is open for the November 5-6 Roundtable!
Register Now!
Objectives
- Recognize the connection between cultural awareness, employee engagement, and organizational resilience.
- Understand how cultural intelligence enhances collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership effectiveness.
- Develop strategies to enhance collaboration and drive innovation by embracing different perspectives and experiences.
- Develop skills to adapt communication and leadership styles across different cultural and social contexts.
- Gain tools to foster a workplace environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and motivated to contribute their best in a way that drives a positive guest experience.
Who Should Attend
- Industry Executives who oversee key business functions and engage with external stakeholders:
- Operations
- Human Resources
- Sales, Marketing and Communications
- Customer Relations
- Sustainability, Social Responsibility, or ESG
- Restaurant Owners and Franchisees
- Decision Makers for talent recruitment and employee learning & development
- Leaders with team management responsibilities (Director and above)
2025 Roundtables Schedule
November Roundtable Agenda
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Program Kickoff
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Customers, Communities and Culture: Decoding Trust
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Fireside Chat: Building Organizational Value Through Cultural Intelligence
11:00 AM-12:15 PM: Expert Exchange Panel: Building Connection Through Brand Alignment and Reputation
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Networking Lunch
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Roundtable Discussion: Community-Centered Outreach That Resonates
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Activation Lab: Culture as a Strategy
4:00 – 4:30 PM: Wrap Up
4:30 – 6:30 PM: Closing Reception/Send Off
Speakers – November 2025
Additional speakers to be announced
Erika Cospy Carr is a dynamic leader and champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion with nearly 20 years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Known for her authentic leadership style and ability to build impactful relationships, Erika consistently delivers exceptional outcomes for clients, customers, and communities. As the leader of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), Erika leverages her strategic acumen and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) experience to ensure initiatives effectively address industry challenges and create tangible impact. Erika’s leadership will be pivotal in advancing MFHA’s goals and reinforcing its commitment to creating a more equitable industry for all.

Alba leads Coca-Cola’s North America philanthropy strategy, stakeholder engagement, community marketing, employee volunteerism, disaster relief and other functions key to the company’s purpose to “refresh the world and make a difference. Previously, Alba was Vice President of Customer Marketing for North America Foodservice customers. Before that, she served as Hispanic Marketing Group Director in North America, leading the Company’s largest ever Hispanic-focused marketing program for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This program won multiple awards for digital and social media. Joining The Coca-Cola Company in 1999 after ten years in the hospitality industry, Alba fulfilled roles of increasing responsibility in Worldwide Public Affairs and Communications, Strategic Partnership Marketing, and Customer & Commercial Leadership. For six years she was assigned to the Company’s Latin America Group, first as Director of Revenue Growth Management and later as Group Director, Shopper Marketing. Alba has been recognized by Ser Padres Magazine as one of the 25 Latina Executive Moms Making a Difference. She is a strong advocate for community service and serves on the boards of the Georgia State University Foundation, the Woodruff Arts Center’s Alliance Theatre, Junior Achievement of Georgia, Leadership Atlanta, and UnidosUS Corporate Board of Advisors. Born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, Alba holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida International University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.

Katharyne and her team support people strategies for 6,200 Coca-Cola employees across plants, warehouse and office locations, as well as, collaborating with our Bottling partners. Joining the organization in 2021, Katharyne had previously been part of leading global transformation organization design, operating model optimization and talent strategies for 2,700 corporate function colleagues around the world. Katharyne also serves as a Council Member to the National Park Foundation. Katharyne started her career at The Home Depot growing across a number of teams in the organization including Mergers and Acquisitions, Employee Relations, Supply Chain, Operations, Home Services and as Chief of Staff to the CHRO. Katharyne then joined YUM! Brands as Director HR United Kingdom and Ireland. She supported the KFC brand comprising of over 800 restaurants and 25,000 team members. After returning from London, Katharyne supported the Global Marketing and Americas hotel organizations at IHG Hotels and Resorts comprising of 500 global colleagues and 2,000 corporate colleagues, 4,000 franchise hotels and 250 company managed hotels across Canada, United States and Mexico/Latin America. She holds a BA and MBA from the University of Florida.
Heather Trotter develops high performing teams, sets a bold vision, and drives innovation and agility to deliver results. Her 23 years at Coca-Cola includes roles in marketing, sales, key accounts, and leading large teams. Today Heather leads the East Region in the Foodservice and On-Premise division. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia overseeing a team of 75 sales and marketing professionals and 44 cross functional partners who work with over 1,200 valued customers with headquarters in 35 states. Heather began her foodservice career with Burger King Corporation where she held roles in brand marketing and global advertising. She credits this experience as a key enabler to her success in the foodservice industry. Heather holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of North Texas, an Executive Coaching Diploma from Emory University Goizueta Business School and is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (IFC). She is on the Board of the National Restaurant Association Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), the UNT G. Brint Ryan College of Business Advisory Board, and previously served on the Board of Trustees for Reinhardt University and the Board of Directors for the Georgia Restaurant Association. She is a longtime member of Women in Foodservice Forum and Next Up.
Christopher leads the development of the strategies and stories that amplify the value and impact that the Foundation’s programs and initiatives have on people, culture, and the industry. Previously at Spotify, he led global diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives, amplified cultural moments and brokered partnerships with the leading organizations in music and entertainment. Prior to that, Christopher was the director of brand communications at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where he launched national advertising campaigns, large in-market brand stunts, and determined where and how the SHRM brand appeared. He has a proven track record of helping organizations achieve results by creating innovative marketing and communications strategies that drive business growth. A Virginia Beach native, Christopher is an award-winning marketer and earned his master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from The George Washington University School of Political Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Lee University.
Vice President of Marketing, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation: