Meet the Changemakers Headlining RC Show 2026
Every RC Show is a mirror and a megaphone: reflecting where our industry stands, and amplifying the voices leading us forward. For 2026, those voices are more essential than ever.
With seismic shifts rippling across hospitality—technological disruption, workforce transformation, evolving consumer values—the question isn’t what’s changing, but how do we lead through it?
RC Show 2026’s theme, Into the Beyond, calls on us to move boldly—not just to adapt, but to reinvent. And, to shape what comes next, we need more than inspiration. We need wisdom from those who’ve navigated complexity, challenged conventions, and built movements. That’s why this year’s keynote speakers have been carefully selected for the moment we’re in—and the momentum we need.
A Special Roster for a Transformational Time
This year’s keynote speakers—Janet Zuccarini, Chockie Tom, and Colonel Chris Hadfield—represent distinct, courageous perspectives on the forces reshaping foodservice. Their stories span continents, cultures, and even orbits. But each one helps bring the big questions confronting our industry into focus: What needs to change? How do we transform? And how do we build a resilient, future-ready industry driven by the passion and purpose that connects us?
Together, these keynote moments anchor three days of discovery at RC Show 2026, framing the experience and setting the stage for the the bigger conversations ahead.
Janet Zuccarini: Leading with Vision, Culture and Courage
March 9, 2026 | 3:30–4:30 PM | Speaker Stage (Hall 5)
As International Women’s Day (March 8) rolls into Women in Hospitality Day at RC Show on March 9, the spotlight is on one of the most influential women in North American foodservice: Janet Zuccarini, CEO and Founder of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group.
With a career marked by global expansion, award-winning design, and fierce people-first leadership, Janet epitomizes what it means to lead with both grit and grace. Her fireside chat with Restaurants Canada President & CEO Kelly Higginson will unpack how purpose and performance can coexist—and why culture and creativity are still the sharpest tools in an operator’s toolkit.
“Hospitality has always been about vision—seeing what doesn’t yet exist and creating it for others to experience.” – Janet Zuccarini
This keynote sets the tone for a day focused on elevating equity, celebrating diverse talent, and shaping a future that centres inclusion, resilience, and reinvention.
Chockie Tom: Reclaiming the Bar as a Site of Sustainability and Storytelling
March 8, 2026 | 3:30–4:30 PM | Bar & Beverage Stage (Hall 1)
On Day One, Indigenous drinks advocate and bartender-activist Chockie Tom delivers a keynote that challenges the status quo behind the bar. As the founder of The Cornsilk Road and Drink Masters Circle, Chockie merges deep cultural knowledge with forward-thinking beverage innovation.
Her work offers a radical reframe: the bar as a space of restoration, reconnection and resistance. From pre-colonial fermentation to ethical foraging practices, her keynote dives into the systems-level shifts that could redefine how we think about sustainability in beverage—and why Indigenous knowledge is essential to that evolution.
“Sustainability isn’t a branding exercise; it’s about responsibility. If we reconnect to land, to community, and to the sources of what we serve, we can start to rebuild the systems that are breaking.” – Chockie Tom
This keynote invites bar and beverage professionals to imagine a future where sourcing, serving, and storytelling are all acts of reclamation—and regeneration.
Chris Hadfield: From Space Missions to Service Missions
March 10, 2026 | 2:00–2:45 PM | Speaker Stage (Hall 5)
To close the Show, we go where few have gone before. Colonel Chris Hadfield, astronaut, author, and former Commander of the International Space Station, headlines Technology & Future of Foodservice Day with a special keynote that’s as grounded as it is galactic.
From leading complex missions in space to writing bestselling books on leadership and risk, Hadfield brings an extraordinary lens to the challenges facing hospitality today. His keynote explores what it means to lead through uncertainty, embrace innovation without fear, and reimagine the future of foodservice with creativity and courage.
“My session will give attendees a new perspective on the future, on wide opportunities, and the daily habits that fuel success.” – Colonel Chris Hadfield
In a time when operators are being asked to do more with less—while simultaneously planning for the unknown—Hadfield’s insights are a masterclass in turning pressure into purpose.
The Purpose Behind the Program
These keynote selections weren’t made to fill a slot—they were made to spark a shift. Each speaker is here to challenge assumptions, provoke new thinking, and move our industry from inspiration to implementation. From cultural sustainability to space-age strategy, they bring global relevance, practical insight, and deeply personal stories.
Together, they embody the spirit of Into the Beyond—not just exploring what’s next, but actively building it.
Keynote sessions are open to all RC Show 2026 attendees.