Nate Hedtke serves as the Vice President of Innovation & Customer Engagement at the American Egg Board (AEB), working on behalf of U.S. egg farmers to spearhead groundbreaking research, educational initiatives, and promotional programs designed to drive the demand for eggs and egg products. With AEB for five years, Nate has been the driving force behind the establishment of a B2B and Consumer Insights function and launched the Eggcelerator Lab®, an open innovation resource designed to spark new product development and the commercialization process around game-changing food ideas. Through his leadership, the Lab® has collaborated with over 50+ partners across food service, food manufacturing and retail, fostering a collaborative ecosystem to propel egg innovation forward for the industry. Prior to joining AEB, Nate spent 20 years in food and beverage marketing, sales, and strategy roles, primarily within the $2B Foodservice Division at Kraft Foods.

Marlon is the Founder & CEO of NxtGen Network, a marketing, advertising, and production agency that’s passionate about relationships, telling stories, and empowering others through innovation. He partners with those in Child Nutrition, Hospitality, Food & Beverage and also has an international philanthropical project called NxtGen Cares. Marlon is the creator and host of First Taste TV™, a show dedicated to giving industry members opportunities to reach operators where they live through video. Creator and host of Next Up, a talk show focusing on thought leadership and live viewer engagement. Host of the Next Up Podcast. Creator of digital publications such as Served Digizine™ and Indulge. And the creator and emcee of Ignite, an in-person celebration for professionals working in foodservice. Marlon has spent multiple years working on the operation side of child nutrition for a large district, spent multiple years working on the industry side serving districts, and is a visionary, a team builder, and is fueled by a faith that helps him do things others think are impossible.