KSE Entrepreneur Series- Fireside Chat W/ Solomon Choi (Founder of 16 Handles)

KSE has partnered with Anytech (https://www.meetup.com/anytech/) to present our next KSE Entrepreneur Series.

We are pleased to welcome Solomon Choi (see below for bio), founder of 16 Handles (http://16handles.com/)!

And yes, amazing 16 Handles froyo will be served!

Agenda

6:45PM -> 7:00PM - Registration & Sign In

7:00PM -> 7:45PM - KSE Fireside Chat w/ Solomon Choi

7:45PM -> 8:00PM - Q&A Session

8:00PM -> 8:45PM - Networking & Refreshments

Entrepreneur Bio:

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Solomon Choi is a seasoned food service industry leader, raised on the philosophy that “passion brands” are built by engaging with consumers in ways that enrich their daily lives.

Solomon’s parents, franchise owners of the largest seafood buffet in San Diego, put him to work at a young age. Over the years he learned the operations side of the franchise business, starting as a busboy and graduating to managerial positions that eventually led to a vice president role in the family business. Later, working as a Director for a hospitality Group that included a Gelato franchise and full service restaurants in Los Angeles, Solomon gained even more business operations knowledge as his responsibilities increased to managing food costs, margins, leases and more.

Recognizing a niche market in self-serve, frozen yogurt, Solomon studied the dessert business firsthand by apprenticing in one of the original self-serve frozen yogurt shops in California. He parlayed that knowledge by taking his deep industry insights and relocating to New York to launch 16 Handles®, where the brand has since exploded into a regional phenomenon.

In 2008 the very first 16 Handles opened in New York City’s East Village. At the time, there were nine direct competitors within a four-block radius. Through smart marketing that merges grassroots, social and strong PR efforts, Solomon pioneered the concept into what is now 42 operating locations across the east coast and closed an International Agreement for 150 stores to be developed over the next 10 years in the Middle East.

Today the company remains well poised for continued growth and has since incorporated a culinary team to help drive flavor innovation. A multiple-time guest panelist for

NYU Stern’s Annual Marketing Conference, Solomon has been featured on MSN, CNBC, Bloomberg News, ABC News, Fox Business and in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, among many others. He is a graduate of the Marshall School of Business at USC with a degree in Marketing.