David Begg

Rob Fink

Rob Fink is CEO of Big Drop, a company he founded with zero brewing experience less than three years ago. And there wasn’t even anyone he could emulate… Rob was the first ever brewer to focus exclusively on Alcohol Free beer and the first to apply left-field fermenting techniques that meant no alcohol needed to be artificially extracted from the end product after brewing. Big Drop’s range of 0.5% ABV craft beers are available in supermarkets (Tesco, Ocado, Morrisons) with on-trade listings including: All Bar One, The Ivy Group, Barworks and Draft House. It has won numerous awards including No/Lo Champion at the 2019 International Brewing Awards and - the ‘Holy Grail’ of any non-alcoholic drink - winning against full-strength competitors (eg at the World Beer Awards and King of Craft at the Casual Dining show). Now with exports shortly to account for half of sales, Big Drop is also becoming a big name overseas too.

Courtney Dorne

• A Southern California girl at heart, Courtney grew up in her family’s restaurants for the first 14 years of her life. In the service industry, she learned nights, weekends, and holidays were just more opportunities to work a half day (12 hours) and to contribute to the family business. As a teenager, her first career in product telemarketing sales taught her the life lessons of rejection, the art of a good close, motivation, and knowing that each “No” she received just put her closer to the “Yes” she wanted.  Following that path, Courtney moved across the country to run sales, marketing, and management for a chain of retail stores.  She honed her talents over many trade shows and industry events, and after spending years building someone else’s empire, Courtney decided to take a leap. She agreed to an equity position to return to the business she helped start on her living room floor back in high school.  
• Fresh and Ready Foods became a fresh food manufacturer and distributor with more than 12,000 customers across the western US.  With 120,000 sq ft of FDA and USDA regulated kitchens running 24/7, and 70 daily truck routes from four distribution centers, the company grew to nearly 500 employees by servicing airlines, airports, hospitals, universities, the US Military, hotels, convention centers, convenience stores, and many others.  In fact, if you've been west of Texas or bought a pre-made sandwich in the past 20 years, there's a good chance Courtney had something to do with it. 
• After selling the food company in late 2015, Courtney left in June of 2016 to take some time off and relax with her family. She clearly did not know what that meant, because in July of 2016, she joined The Vertical Companies in Agoura Hills as President of Brands.  One of the largest Cannabis Management Companies in the US, Vertical has roughly 1.5m sq ft of cultivation and manufacturing facilities, and manages large scale licensing, development, manufacturing, extraction, and distribution operations in the industry, along with retail and consumer brands.  Under Courtney's leadership, the company is launching multiple, unique brands across the US.
• Her leadership continues as a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) Hollywood chapter.  She began in 2010 in the Las Vegas Chapter and has held multiple leadership roles including Chair of WBN (Women's Business Network) and is on her chapter's leadership ladder. When not working or networking, Courtney enjoys spending her free time with her two inspiring children. She is also passionate about working to feed hungry children and is an avid supporter of multiple cancer organizations.

Alana Burstein

Alana always had plans to one day run a business of her own. For years, wine was her drink of choice when entertaining friends. After an evening of one too many glasses of wine, Alana knew she wanted to end her relationship with alcohol. So she channeled her energy into inspiration.

Frustrated with the sugary and juicy taste of wines without alcohol on the market, Alana was motivated to innovate. In 2016, with the legalization of cannabis on the horizon, Alana sought solution that could result in a more predictable elevation than edibles and a healthier alternative to smoking.

Alana spent countless hours sourcing the finest California grapes and premium cannabis, researching compliance and technology, and developing a team that could bring her vision to life. And in 2019, Viv&Oak was born. Full of flavor, low in sugar and low in calories, her creation is disrupting the industry. With Viv&Oak, Alana hopes to help break the stigma around cannabis and encourage fellow health-conscious consumers to toast to something really worth celebrating.

Warren Bobrow

Heidi Dillon Otto

Lindsey Bauer