From Tacos to Tech: Driving Innovation

Courtney Crocker is a national accounts executive at Visual Graphic Systems, an employee-owned company specializing in branded environments, signage, and experiential rollouts for some of the most recognizable retail and restaurant brands in the country. With a background in business development, operations, and client strategy, Courtney has spent her career helping growing brands turn ideas into scalable, real-world experiences. Known for her relationship-driven approach and ability to bridge creative vision with execution, Courtney works closely with founders, operators, and leadership teams to bring brand stories to life across physical spaces. She is passionate about building strong partnerships, simplifying complex processes, and helping brands grow thoughtfully without losing what makes them special.

Ellis Winstanley is a seasoned restauranteur and business executive with a successful track record of starting up, turning around and growing businesses in the hospitality, software and several other industries. Ellis began turning around historic restaurant brands while in college and has played key roles in dozens of restaurant related operations over the years. It was during this time that Ellis realized there was a huge opportunity to flip restaurant technology on its head by focusing on front-line engagement with company goals. His passion for solving this problem led him to found the revolutionary technology platform Axial Shift.