WHO WE ARE

Fresh outta Fresno, Blake first fell in love with photography and videography in high school, before transitioning to digital marketing at college. Now he uses those same skills to pay the bills, while helping Upward grow, develop and thrive. When he’s not handcrafting killer campaigns or working social media wizardry, Blake moonlights as a musician, playing guitar and piano, and otherwise staying active, either cooking with his fiancée, hitting the gym, or just enjoying a hike.

Hailing from Metairie, Louisiana, Michael is Upwards new COO, and while he might just be getting started on this ‘Joyride’, he was raised in a restaurant kitchen, literally, as his parents ran a series of restaurants. But no one said he learned how to cook, because his go-to recipe to is a protein smoothie. When he’s not overseeing all things operations, Michael loves spending time with his twin daughters, and flip-flopping around town, because, “if I can’t wear shorts, a T shirt and flip flops. I am not going.”

Katie comes from Tempe, AZ, but chances are she’s seen your hometown too as she travelled across all 50 states over the years. And while she may oversee the all-important accounting department here at Upward, she says the soundtrack of her personal life is whatever random song her two young kids are currently obsessed with. Already a master of the cheesecake, she’s now learning to play the cello, and ride a Stand Up Paddleboard.

Our pal from Portland, OR, Doug’s charged with developing and executing operational strategies, streamlining processes, optimizing efficiency and all that behind-the-scenes stuff so that our teams and guests get to focus on having fun. A big-time music fan with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, who can also knock out a chef-quality paella, Doug loves spending time outdoors with his family, biking, hiking, barbecuing and gardening.

Our homie from Houston, Calie started as a host before shifting into the catering side of Postino and now covers all of Texas and Georgia. Also a big-time biker, but after once moving seven times in a single year, Calie’s mostly happy to be a homebody, baking up brownies, watching reality TV and spending time with her baby boy, Kameron.

Riding hard outta Bullhead City, AZ, Breann wrangles everything from reconciliations and invoice processing to checks and inventory. As yet another Swiftie for the Upward team, when Breann breaks away you can find her whipping up Mexican food and margaritas, or spoiling her niece and nephew.

As Upwards’ Social Media superstar, Katie’s tasked with planning, organizing and creating all the posts for our concepts, including bringing more short-form videos to the ’gram and launching Postino’s first-ever Tik Tok. Outside the office and IRL, Katie’s life is filled with laughter, Taylor Swift and homemade chocolate chip cookies, and she loves going out to eat with friends, taking her dog to new places & spoiling her niece and nephew.

Mesa, AZ’s own, Michael has the all-important job of making sure all team members get paid accurately and on time. A proud nerd who attends Phoenix Comin-Con every year, Michael loves getting out to watch drag shows, or staying home to binge watch trash TV and play PPGs.

Proudly repping Corpus Christi, Texas (aka the home of Selena!!!), Brittany planned to attend law school until a summer internship introduced her to the wonderful world of marketing and she said ‘adios’ to her law school plans. A maestro of engaging the customer from all angles, whether it’s digital, media, social or interactive experiences, Brittany can also whip up a mean King Ranch Casserole, a Texas specialty, and when she’s not working, she can be found reading books at the beach, or cheering on her favorite teams (the Aggies, Astros and Spurs).

Our newest Payroll Analyst and a certified Perogi expert, Claudia is a Phoenix native, a self-described cat and plant lady, and proudly Polish. A fan of the musical, Moulin Rouge, and a voracious reader of true crime, when she’s not crunching numbers and processing payrolls, Claudia is busy writing her own murder mysteries.

Our smooth operator from Nebraska City, Nebraska, Lauren supports Upwards’ upward trajectory, from licenses and permits, to making a seamless transition from site selection to restaurant opening. Starting with competing in culinary competitions in high school, Lauren went from line cook to a project coordinator thanks to Bachelor’s degree in business. Outside the office, Lauren likes to jam out with her husband (she’s on bass, he’s on drums), and although she claims she’s not very competitive, they have a chalkboard with a running tally of wins of who wins every board game they play. 

If you ever wanted to meet a native of Mexico who was raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Danny’s your guy. Charged with guiding, leading and inspiring his team to achieve extraordinary results through incredible hospitality, it’s ironic that this hard-working Area Manager’s favorite album is Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite for Destruction.” A big fan of breakfast and basketball, Danny is also a former professional trumpet player who now prefers to make beautiful music in the hospitality biz.

Our man from Maricopa, AZ, Luke is our go-to when it comes to systems admin, system maintenance and assisting with new shop openings. And oh-by-the-way, he’s also a gold medal winner for Career Pathways Showcase IT and Web Design & Development at the SkillsUSA State Conference. When he’s not hanging with friends IRL, you can find Luke playing video games and making content online, often featuring his favorite shade of purple, #9D00E8 if you’re wondering. 

The pride of Winthrop Harbor, IL, (a small town about an hour north of Chicago), Cathryn is tasked with ensuring employees across the organization always have the right information at the right time to enable decision making and drive the company forward—or Upward in this case. She says the soundtrack of her life is mash up of The Cure and Ozzy Osbourne (“It’s kinda a long story”) and also loves hiking, off-roading in her Jeep, reading a good book on the patio and having family and friends over to enjoy good food and good company. Plus, you know she’s got a great since of humor, because she met her husband at an amusement park (ba-dum-tss).

Charged with keeping Upwards’ properties and buildings in tip-top shape and functioning as efficiently as they can, Adam is originally from Elk River, MN, and started in facilities engineering as a humble locksmith apprentice. A killer cook who can whip up from scratch buttermilk biscuits and anything with seafood, Adam also loves antiquing, repairing vintage and antique cameras, hiking and exploring with his fiancé. And speaking of marriages, he’s also an ordained minister who’s overseen nearly 10 ceremonies.

A native Phoenician, Tanni’s helps oversee our marketing initiatives, aka making sure everyone’s in the know with the latest, greatest offerings from Upward Projects. A music lover and diehard Switfie, Tanni also has a soft spot for dogs, cats, and really all animals. In her spare time, look for her at the river, lake, ocean or any body of water, reading books and sipping cocktails.

Proudly born and raised in Phoenix, LaKisha is Upwards Accounts Payable Manager, making sure we keep our vendors happy by managing and streamlining any and all payments. But outside the office, Lakisha transforms into a superhero, able to breathe underwater thanks to her super scuba skills, and is well on her way to becoming a certified scuba instructor. Back on dry land, you can find her reading books, or kicking back with some Mary J. Blige.

When it comes to Peter and Upward Projects, we go together, like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong. That’s because this cool rider, and Boston native, has watched the movie ‘Grease’ at least 300 times. A former classical musician and current fashionista, Peter’s day job is crafting impactful, thought-provoking, memorable campaigns that cut through the clutter like Greased Lightnin’, and will have you saying, ‘You’re the one that I want, (ooh, ooh, ooh, honey)!’

Proudly repping Riverview, Michigan, Amanda started working in a diner at age 14 and never looked back. Now serving as an Area Director, she finds inspiration building the best teams in the biz, filled with positivity, adaptability and diverse perspectives. That said, despite being a restaurant lifer, Amanda admits she’s not much of a cook, unless you like eggs, and would rather be at Disneyland than anywhere else.

Todd is your basic Brooklyn-born, snowboarding, Hula-dancing, hang-gliding construction guru. But before he started swinging a hammer, Todd was just another bored restaurant worker wondering why things were built the way they were, and how he could build it better. Now this self-taught construction pro designs and crafts efficient, eco-friendly and most of all welcoming spaces for both our guests and our team members. Also an ice hockey player and a maestro of the BBQ grill, Todd can whip up a mean pot o’ gravy with sausage and meatballs.

Our gal from Gilbert, AZ, Ashlyn’s been with Upward for more than half a decade, helping us recruit and retain the best talent in the nation. When she’s not scouring college campuses and hosting job fairs, you can find her handling all things HR while bopping along to the latest form Taylor Swift. Outside the office, Ashlyn loves thrift shopping, live music and cuddling with her English Cocker Spaniel named Coors, aka the cutest dog ever!

Phoenix’s own, Melissa can practically spy her old high school from her desk at Upward (go Gators!), where she now supports, engages and serves UP team members as our P&C Manager. A self-described HR geek who loves to lend a hand, Melissa grew up in a big, loving Mexican family and still sings along to every word in The Lion King soundtrack. Outside of the office she loves to spend time, well, outside, hiking AZ’s beautiful mountains, escaping to the beach, and maybe hoping to be abducted by aliens one day. (Keyword: maybe.)

As Upward’s People & Culture Manager, Rosana’s top priority is making sure everyone has a great experience at our restaurants, from guests to staff and everyone in-between. A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Rosana started in HR and payroll and quickly realized she had a passion for helping business owners and management have healthy and productive relationships with employees, and more importantly, for employees to feel the same way about management. Just make sure you don’t challenge her to a game of racquetball, or a race, because Rosana is both a former All-American Athlete at Arizona State University, and also a car fanatic, with a lead foot to match.

Born in Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, Chris is way too polite to say this, but he’s kind of a big deal. Previously overseeing high-profile hospitality projects ranging from the Trafalgar Hotel in London to the famed Union Square Hospitality Group in NYC, he even worked on a new museum for some guy named George Lucas. A fierce believer in holistic design, adaptive reuse, thoughtful in-fill and quirky, one-off design, Chris is also loves to cook, hates bananas, was once a fanatic drummer and is a glutton for golf punishment and cheesy romantic comedies.

The pride of Woodsville, New Hampshire, Tim’s task is simple: sourcing and hiring the best talent in the nation. A lover of everything outdoorsy (hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, kayaking, hunting, mountain biking), when he is indoors, he’s been known to whip up one hell of a quiche. In his spare time, Tim and his wife love to renovate and restore old houses.

This Arizona State University alumni is all about the numbers. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Theron Raymond is responsible for reconciling and consolidating data, analyzing variances, and forecasting outcomes as the Financial Analyst. But life is much more than spreadsheets, and when he’s done crunching data, you can find Theron jammin’ out to Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On”.

Our little slice of sunshine from the Sunshine State, Danelle grew up in West Palm Beach, but has moved all around the nation to pursue her passion for marketing, from Boston to Chicago to San Diego and now Phoenix. Charged with growing Upward’s national profile as we carefully expand to hand-picked markets, Danelle is also committed to maintaining the quirky come-as-you-are vibe that made us unique in the first place. When she’s not whipping up Chicken Piccatta, Danelle can be found anywhere outdoors, hiking, boating, golfing and spending time with her fam.

Surfing over from her hometown of Santa Monica, CA, Nina oversees supply chain and procurement analysis, helping us to grow successfully and without sacrificing quality. A lover of math, quantitative analysis, the band Queen and rap/hip hop, nobody puts Nina in a corner, but put her in the kitchen and she’ll bake you up incredible desserts, such as Fruits of the Forest pie. Also a travel junkie, when Nina’s not exploring other cultures, she can be found crocheting or knitting handmade crafts for friends and family.

Ever since he was a youngster growing up in Utah, Cory has had an affection for food. Starting with his first job tossing pizzas, which led him to culinary school, and now as Director of Procurement, Cory is constantly focused on maintaining quality and facilitating company growth. When he isn’t on the clock, you can either catch Cory on the golf course, or at home watching movies. But the next time you see Cory, ask to hear his Kermit the Frog impression, it will not disappoint!

Ground Control to Major Kayla. Meet our maestro of Communications (and Queen of the UPside), Kayla who’s always had a passion for helping people create a love for learning, dating back to her days as an elementary school teacher. But after going back to school herself to earn a Master’s in Learning Sciences from Arizona State University, while also working part-time as a server at Postino, she realized her skills were perfect for empowering the Upward family. Also a huge music fan, 90s R&B is her jam, so much so that she’s not embarrassed to admit that the Baja Men were her first concert. Google it, youngins!