As The C Society launches in 2026, we are doing so with intention, investing first in the leadership and communities shaping the future of the restaurant and hospitality industry.
This next chapter is anchored in what has always mattered most to us: cultivating strong, connected leaders and the environments where they thrive.
We are honored to sponsor LEAD (Leadership Exploration and Development) for the 2026 calendar year. LEAD is a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping emerging restaurant and hospitality leaders with accessible opportunities for learning, networking, and personal growth. By creating affordable, community-driven programming and access to experienced industry voices, LEAD removes one of the biggest barriers to leadership development in our industry, exclusivity.
For our founder, Toni Ronayne, this opportunity is deeply personal. Having built her career inside the restaurant industry, Toni has seen firsthand how leadership thrives when people are supported, connected, and given room to grow. “The work LEAD is doing to strengthen leadership benches and foster peer to peer learning reflects the very conditions that allow leaders to rise.”
At The C Society, one of our core leadership values is Community Is the Catalyst. We believe leadership is not built in isolation. Connection multiplies clarity, courage, and momentum. In trusted community, leaders expand faster, think braver, and rise together.
LEAD’s impact is rooted in the vision and leadership of its co-founders, Amy Hom and Carin Stutz, both long-standing champions of leadership development in the restaurant industry. Through decades of executive experience across some of the industry’s most respected brands, Amy and Carin have consistently prioritized investing in people, strengthening leadership capability, and giving back to the industry that shaped their careers. LEAD is a reflection of that commitment in action.
“Leadership and development sit at the heart of everything we champion at The C Society. LEAD’s commitment to strengthening the bench of leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industry is fully aligned with our mission to cultivate and connect exceptional talent with emerging brands. Community is not a side benefit of leadership; it is the force that activates it. Supporting LEAD is one way we live that belief.”
— Toni Ronayne, Founder & CEO, The C Society
This sponsorship marks the first of many intentional collaborations aligned with our 2026 launch. We are proud to stand alongside organizations like LEAD that are shaping the next generation of leaders by strengthening teams, building capability, and advancing the restaurant and hospitality industry through connection and community.