Retailers and Restaurants face unique challenges such as speed, quality of service, staff turnover, and accuracy. Evolving customer expectations—increasingly driven by new digital capabilities—are pushing brands to offer greater speed, convenience, and personalization.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence is helping to make the customer experience frictionless, fast, and significantly more pleasant. Leveraging AI-powered computer vision unlocks enormous value for operators eager to use technology to improve operational efficiency, deliver real-time visibility, and make smarter decisions.
But knowing where to start is always the big question. So, we’ve brought together the CEO of a cutting-edge AI software company, an executive from a global leader in electronic components distribution, an IoT expert from the world’s largest CPU manufacturer, and an Edge AI expert to talk about real-life applications of AI-enabled Retail and Restaurant solutions that are already paying big dividends.
Susan Sly
Susan Sly is the Co-CEO and cofounder of RadiusAI (RAI), an award-winning visual intelligence company specializing in the retail and healthcare sectors. RAI is currently implementing its smart retail solution at the edge for a national retailer with 1,000 locations.
RAI has been named one of the fastest growing startups in Phoenix three years in a row and won VentureBeat’s AI Innovation at the Edge Award in 2022, beating out several highly acclaimed technology companies.
Prior to cofounding RAI, Susan led channel sales teams in three sectors generating over $2 billion in revenue. In her spare time, Susan is the host of the highly acclaimed podcast, Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, mom of five, wife, and tech investor. Susan has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Fox, ABC Family, and is a member of the prestigious Forbes Business Council.
Bruce Mckinnon
Andrea Huels
Andrea “Andi” Huels leads Lenovo’s Enterprise AI business in North America. A global go-to-market executive with expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, Andi helps F500 companies drive agility and re-invent their operations with AI. Her passion for evangelizing AI solutions inspires executives in retail, restaurants, CPG, supply chain, and manufacturing to think differently about how they can harness the power of artificial intelligence to make smarter decisions, increase operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience. A deep understanding of AI solutions, combined with her ability to cultivate technology ecosystems with software companies, GPU and CPU manufacturers, system integrators, and channel partners, enables Andi to become a trusted advisor to CXOs.
Prior to Lenovo, Andi served as Director of Business Development at Dematic, where she was instrumental in building the technology ecosystem necessary to deploy intelligent supply chain transformation to retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Her background includes two decades of global strategy, growth, and innovation leadership roles with GE, ExxonMobil, Crane, Imerys, Omron, and General Mills.
Andi frequently speaks at industry conferences as a thought leader on Enterprise AI. Her recent appearances include NRF, National Restaurant Association Show, Restaurant Leadership Conference, NVIDIA’s GTC, Manifest, AI Business Connect, Project Voice, and Voice Summit.
Andi earned a BS in Management from Indiana University and holds a Certificate in AI & Business Strategy from MIT. An avid cyclist, she resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her four children and their English Mastiff, Penelope.
Kristen Call
Burnie Legette
Burnie currently serves as Sales Director in SMG and manages a sales team supporting US Edge AI ISVs. Burnie is also a contributing member of Intel’s SW Center of Excellence (COE) team that reports directly to Intel CTO Greg Lavender. Burnie has been in the high-tech industry for 20+ years spending 15 of those years in the communications and networking sectors. Burnie officially joined Intel in November 2016 and has held various roles within IoTG - Technical Account Manager (3 years), AI specialist (1 year), and US AI ISV Sales Manager (1+ year). Starting in 2019, Burnie has been solely focused on Intel’s AI Initiative serving as an AI “Core Team” member that helped define Intel’s Edge AI sales strategy, AI organizational support structure, and internal processes which also includes product development input. Burnie holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Babson College (Management/Finance), a certificate in ‘Behavioral Economics’ from the Harvard Business School, and also holds a Master of Divinity (MDIV) from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. In addition, Burnie is active contributor to Intel’s commitment to diversity and inclusion by assisting in minority college recruiting and minority retainment initiatives. Burnie is married to his beautiful wife Michelle and they have 3 children. In his free time Burnie enjoys reading, working out, entrepreneurship, and community service.