STEELE SMILEY - EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, FOUNDER, OWNER
Steele has served as Chairman of the Board and controlling shareholder of numerous companies including CRISP & GREEN®, STALK & SPADE®, PURALIMA®, and STEELE Fitness, and also served as Chief Officer of Lift Brands, a Global wellness company that built and managed multiple fitness concepts. Under his leadership the company added over 1000 units in over 20 countries. At the time of his departure in 2017, Lift Brands was the largest privately held wellness franchisor in the world with over 2500 locations in 25 countries.
Over the past decade, Steele has been called a Chief Executive Officer, Entrepreneur, Investor, Board Member, Creator, Founder, Chairman and Builder of Brands Worldwide. Having successfully worn all the hats, Steele is a seasoned executive that has done business all over the globe with expertise ranging from building world-class brands to world-class teams; from investment banking to international development; from transforming businesses to transforming lives.
Steele has an undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from the
McIntire School of Commerce from the University of Virginia.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
JONATHAN GRAND - CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Jonathan Grand serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Steele Brands®, where he oversees multiple business units from Corporate and Restaurant Ops to Strategic Sourcing and Distribution. Originally joining Steele Brands® as VP of Development, Jonathan has over 20 years of diverse restaurant industry experience, including in restaurant operations and real estate development. Before joining Steele Brands®, he served as Senior Director of Franchise Development at Whataburger Restaurants, and held several leadership roles across multiple brands within Darden Restaurants. Jonathan’s influence and strategic leadership continues to be instrumental in driving the next chapter of growth, innovation, and brand integrity at Steele Brands®.
MARK VINTON - CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mark Vinton is an operational-minded financial executive who brings nearly 30 years of experience to the Steele Brands team. Mark’s background spans public accounting, Fortune 100 SEC compliance, and executive leadership. Mark previously held positions within the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, including Assistant Controller of Berkshire Hathaway, CFO of International Dairy Queen, and most recently as Corporate Controller of HomeServices of America. Mark is dedicated to identifying strategic business opportunities and driving profitable sales growth. As an engaged leader, Mark is recognized for his sound judgment, financial integrity, and entrepreneurial mindset.
ADAM STANSBERRY - CHIEF RESTAURANT OFFICER
Adam Stansberry comes to Steele Brands with over 30 years of leadership experience across the restaurant and coffee industries. He built his operational foundation in fine dining and full-service restaurants, gaining broad expertise in front and back of house execution, team leadership, and service excellence. He transitioned into the coffee industry 20 years ago and went on to lead operations for Caribou Coffee, where he also led the Integration Office during the acquisitions of Einstein Bros. and Bruegger’s Bagels. Most recently, Adam served as COO of Philz Coffee, where he led the company through a rapid growth phase and successful sale in 2025. Adam is committed to developing teams, authentic hospitality, and instilling pride in quality as the core of an exceptional guest experience.
BILL FAIRBANKS - PARTNER, CHIEF CULINARY OFFICER
Bill Fairbanks has dedicated more than two decades to the Culinary and Hospitality industry. As a chef he is dedicated to creative innovation, is passionately seasonal and continually inspired by classic cuisine. He has held many positions in a wide range of kitchens, from fine dining to high concept bars and wellness focused fast-casual restaurants. In 2016 he was excited to join CRISP & GREEN®. He helped to design the culinary program to reflect CRISP & GREEN®’s mission to offer chef crafted and scratch made nutritious foods to conveniently fit into a modern wellness driven lifestyle. He believes that access to healthy eating is the future of the culinary industry and is dedicated to working with Steele Brands® to create a diverse landscape of foods in the wellness sector
CHERIE COENEN - CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER
Cherie Coenen is an accomplished Human Resources leader and business partner. She has held leadership roles within a variety of fast-changing and competitive industries and has worked with or consulted for public, private, non-profit, established and start-up companies. For almost 20 years, Cherie has been dedicated to helping organizations and leaders navigate through change and define and implement Human Resource strategies in areas of recruiting, performance management, compensation, benefits, HR systems, organizational design, leadership development, employee engagement and retention. Cherie has a passion for fostering a collaborative workplace culture and aligning people to achieve organizational goals.
LILY PHILLIPS - PARTNER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Lily has over 15 years of experience in wellness and hospitality, first beginning her career alongside Steele Smiley at STEELE Fitness. There, she focused on marketing of both the fitness and retail aspects of the business, contributing to the successful growth of company. In addition, Lily spent time in the Client Service department of STEELE Fitness where she developed a passion for providing world-class hospitality. In 2016, Lily helped create the CRISP & GREEN® brand, working in both the marketing and operations departments. Today, she continues to work across all Steele Brands® companies.
TAMMY BAILEY - VICE PRESIDENT OF ACCOUNTING
Tammy has over 16 years of progressive accounting and finance experience in a broad range of industries. Most recently, Tammy was CFO at Kris Lindahl Real Estate, LLC where she oversaw accounting, HR, IT and the facilities departments for the Real Estate Brokerage, Title Company, Advertising Agency and Home Remodeling businesses. Prior to Kris Lindahl Real Estate LLC, Tammy served as VP of Finance for Creative Apparel Concepts for six years where she was a critical piece to their leadership team in creating efficiencies and finding cost savings in excess of $200K per year for the rapidly growing wholesaler.
AMBER CORDES - VICE PRESIDENT OF HOSPITALITY & OPS EXCELLENCE
Amber Cordes brings over two decades of experience in restaurant operations and leadership to her role at Steele Brands®. Prior to joining Steele Brands, Amber spent 22 years with Buffalo Wild Wings®, where she held a variety of leadership roles, overseeing large-scale, multi-unit teams and implementing brand-wide process improvements.
In her current role, Amber leads initiatives that enhance the guest experience, elevate operational standards, and drive sustainable growth. Her leadership spans training and development, process optimization, and change management, ensuring every guest touchpoint is intentional, consistent, and rooted in hospitality.
KYLE GREENE - VICE PRESIDENT FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS
Kyle Greene joins Steele Brands with experience in various Finance roles and a passion for technology and data. Kyle has over 20 years of experience working with franchise brands, most recently at Purpose Brands and Buffalo Wild Wings. Kyle's contributions have primarily focused on leveraging systems, data, and process improvement to increase unit-level profitability. At Steele Brands, Kyle leads Performance Management (KPIs), Budgeting, Forecasting, and oversees PowerBI reporting for the organization. Kyle partners with all functional areas at Steele Brands to empower data-driven decisions."
ELLE HVOZDOVIC - VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING
Elle Hvozdovic joins Steele Brands® as the Vice President of Marketing with 10+ years of experience shaping brand strategies and driving national campaigns for both high-growth and legacy brands. As head of function, she leads brand strategy, growth, and consumer engagement for CRISP & GREEN®, driving market expansion and brand innovation through strategic marketing initiatives. Prior to joining Steele Brands, Elle worked for several premier brands—including CAVA, [solidcore], NBC Sports, and the PGA TOUR—holding roles in digital, brand, field, and expansion marketing.
MIKE MICHAELIS - VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
Mike Michaelis is a seasoned development expert with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, specializing in driving brand growth and operational efficiency. Throughout his career, Michaelis has held senior leadership roles, where he led real estate, design, and construction initiatives, including the successful launch of innovative drive-thru prototypes and the implementation of cost-saving facility programs for brands including PepperJax Grill and Scooters Coffee. At Steele Brands, he focuses on multi-unit development, lease negotiations, and construction management.
DIPESH PATEL - VICE PRESIDENT OF CATERING & OFF-PREMISE
Dipesh Patel brings over a decade of experience in strategy, marketing, and innovation, specializing in scaling off-premises channels. He has driven high-impact growth for industry leaders like CAVA and Buffalo Wild Wings, where he spearheaded digital delivery transformations and national brand-building initiatives. His versatile background also includes branding and commercializing disruptive products for global consumer organizations such as Newell Brands, Georgia-Pacific, and Procter & Gamble. Dipesh blends a rigorous analytical foundation with a passion for bringing cutting-edge consumer products and programs to market to drive sustainable brand growth.
HOLLY POE - VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC SOURCING & DISTRIBUTION
Holly Poe brings 10+ of experience in strategic procurement and supply chain management to Steele Brands®. Since joining the company, she has been instrumental in enhancing supply chain sophistication, driving cost improvements, and strengthening relationships with strategic suppliers. Holly’s leadership has also been key to implementing a long-term roadmap to ensure continued evolution and service excellence. Prior to Steele Brands, she led direct procurement at Casey’s General Stores, providing $48MM in savings and establishing the Commodity Risk Management program.
