Creative entrepreneur Solomon Choi is a seasoned food service industry leader, raised on the philosophy that "passion brands" are built by engaging with consumers in ways that enrich their daily lives. Solomon’s parents, franchise owners of the largest seafood buffet in San Diego, put him to work at a young age. Over the years he learned the operations side of the franchise business, starting as a busboy and graduating to managerial positions that eventually led to a vice president role in the family business. Later, working as a Director for a Hospitality Group that included a Gelato franchise and full service restaurants in Los Angeles, Solomon gained even more business operations knowledge as his responsibilities increased to managing food costs, margins, leases and more. Recognizing a niche market in self-­?serve, frozen yogurt, Solomon studied the dessert business firsthand by apprenticing in one of the original self-­?serve frozen yogurt shops in California. He parlayed that knowledge by taking his deep industry insights and relocating to New York to launch 16 Handles™, where the brand has since exploded into a regional phenomenon. In 2008 the very first 16 Handles opened in New York City’s East Village. At the time, there were eight direct competitors within a three-­block radius. Through smart marketing that merged grassroots, social and strong PR efforts, Solomon pioneered the concept into what is now 37 operating locations across the east coast with 13 additional stores in development. Today the company remains well poised for continued growth and has since incorporated a corporate chef to help drive flavor innovation. A multiple-time guest panelist for NYU Stern’s Annual Marketing Conference, Solomon has been featured on MSN, MSNBC, Bloomberg News, ABC News, Fox Business and in The New York Times, among many others. He is a graduate of the Marshall School of Business at USC with a degree in Marketing.