Straw Hat Pizza Unveils New Leadership To Poise Organization For Continued Growth

Jonathan C. Fornaci Appointed President to Bring Laser Focus on Growth.

Via Nina Lesowitz - Spinergy Group:

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Jonathan C. Fornaci was named president of Straw Hat Cooperative Corporation, which oversees Straw Hat Pizza and Straw Hat Grill operations in the USA and Canada, to head a leadership team directly responsible for executing the company’s growth and transformation agenda.

Fornaci brings significant global operations experience having developed and built premium brands while serving as CEO of several international technology start-ups. His experience also includes senior management and ownership in the restaurant industry, including the acclaimed Restaurante Vida in Lima, Peru. Fornaci’s appointment is designed to focus the organization on providing customers with a superior Straw Hat Pizza experience and build on its legacy as the originator of ‘Genuine California Pizza.’

As Straw Hat’s president, Fornaci’s mission is to grow same store sales and expand the number of Straw Hat Pizza and Straw Hat Grill locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Previously, Fornaci was the founder of IMG Universal, a real estate development, retail and mortgage broker company headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA. He co-founded Atomic Tangerine, and was Chief Operations Officer for several Bay Area companies including Provato, an enterprise software development company, and IBIS Consulting, Inc. which was sold to Proxicom. As chief technology and information officer for GE Capital/Genstar, he managed technology and operations for ten GE Capital divisions. He started his career at Accenture.

With a focus on rapid global expansion, Fornaci will leverage the chain’s strength and experience to showing the consistency of vision and values over the years and to capture the sense that Straw Hat Pizza can carry the community spirit of gathering it had back then, now and into the future.

‘Jonathan brings a history of instilling a superior experience for customers and at the same time of exceeding the customer expectations, driving the business growth of the organization,’ says Clark Rupp, Chairman of the Board. ‘We are very excited to have him on board.’

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Fornaci is currently a Director for Meals on Wheels and formerly a Chairman of the Board for Security Portal. A frequent keynote speaker at global conferences and summits including the United Nations, and the International Branding Council, Fornaci resides in Walnut Creek, CA.

Starscapes: In The Business Of A Starry Night


People who love stargazing have the opportunity to turn that love into a business of their own. Starscapes is one of the more unique ways available to make money.

A custom painted mural business, Starscapes is a business that sells murals that are painted by an “Artist-Illusionist”. These starry night skies can be painted on ceilings or walls in just a couple hours, depending on the size of the room that’s being painted.

When the lights are out a crystal clear starry night will show up on the ceiling for an amazing view that is so good it is almost surreal. The mural will appear as if it was a clear, cloudless night making it feel like you are standing outside staring up at the sky.

A StarBiz educational package is sold to potential business owners once they decide on whether this business is for them. This package includes:

Becoming an “Artist-Illusionist” can also be learned in your own home, usually within one weekend. Going through the process of learning how to get started is something that is meant to be very exciting and is for someone who appreciates the beauty of night.

Being Aware Of Food Allergies


If anyone was going to be the most aware of what food allergies exist, it would be the parent of a child that has them.

When Robyn O’Brien’s fourth child was diagnosed with food allergies that sent her on a track that she wasn’t about to be shaken off of. Launching AllergyKids on Mothers Day of 2006, Robyn created one of the most recognizable symbols for Allergy Awareness that’s available. That green stop sign with the black exclamation point inside it lets us know when a person has specific food allergies we should be aware of, and we can thank Robyn for setting it in motion.

What was your inspiration for AllergyKids?

When my fourth child was diagnosed with food allergies two years ago, I was thrown into the world of food allergies and autoimmune disorders given that we had no family history of the condition. As I began researching, I learned that food allergies affect approximately 20% of children today and grew alarmed that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and carton of milk was suddenly seen as a loaded weapon on a lunchroom table (given that we all grew up on it!). I felt that there needed to bea universal symbol, a pink ribbon, for food allergies, so I designed our bright green octagon – and placed it on simple little kid products (stickers, lunch boxes, etc.) to make it easier to identify these children at school, in the nursery or a birthday party.

What are some of the goals you have for your business?

Our goal is to find a cure for food allergies and prevent the continuing epidemic by providing parents with important information about ways to protect the health and well being of their families – from pre-pregnancy nutrition tips and beyond!

Have you learned anything since you launched that you wish you’d known before you started?

Things are not always what they seem! And you ARE going to encounter resistance, so be brave, tough and strong (our kids need you!). And…….A non-profit that is funded by Big Pharma and Big Food may not have the interests of children first!

What products do you offer through your website?

We offer our universal symbol for food allergies on lunchboxes, Crocs accessories, medical identification bracelets, stickers, decals, lunch box and backpack tags and medical carrying cases – making it easy to identify these children when they are away from home

What experience were you able to bring into AllergyKids that you already had before you started?

I have an MBA in finance and was an equity analyst on a multi-billion dollar fund and hedge fund. It was my financial analysis that led me to unearth previously undisclosed research about the role that chemical additives in the food supply have had on the health of the American children in the last ten years, earning me the title “food’s Erin Brockovich” by the New York Times! Prior to business school, I was in marketing – and learned about the importance of messaging.

Have you learned any special tricks to help you manage your website and being a mom at the same time?

Having had four kids in five years, I am used to running on sleep deprivation which definitely helps! But as a working mom, we all know, you have to work smarter! Efficiency matters A LOT. So find the time that you are most productive (for me, it is early morning, before my family is awake) and maximize those minutes! Remind yourself that it is not always going to be fun and easy, so give yourself a break (easier said then done!). And if you are able to have a wireless laptop computer, go for it, as your office, most likely, will end up being the kitchen counter!!

Do you have any advice for other moms who might be interested in starting their own allergy-aware business?

Go for it! Our children need us – and we are brilliantly educated, well connected, savvy women with so much to offer! Just because you are at home raising babies doesn’t mean that you checked your brain at the door for a diaper bag, so find what you are passionate about – is it better school lunches? A salad bar that is allergen free in the school cafeteria? Is it legislation? Is it allergen free cookies? – and find a like minded friend and start brain storming about all of the amazing things that you can do to protect the health of children! You will be amazed at how responsive people will be….!

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