OUR TEAM
Meet the Koibito Pokē
Leadership Team
The Koibito Pokē leadership team brings together world-class expertise in fast-casual restaurant operations, franchise development, wellness-driven menu innovation, and high-performance team building. Led by 3x World Series Champion and CEO Todd Stottlemyre, and backed by the seasoned franchise professionals at FranchiseWell, our leadership team has built one of the fastest-growing poke restaurant franchise systems in the country.
From opening day operations to multi-unit franchise support, every member of the Koibito Pokē team brings deep, proven experience in building well-run, mission-driven restaurant concepts. Together, we are committed to making every Koibito Pokē franchisee and every guest experience a championship-level success.
TODD STOTTLEMYRE
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Todd is the co-founder of Koibito Poke and has served as the CEO since December 2019. He is a former three-time world champion in Major League Baseball, where he received the prestigious Branch Rickey Award and Lou Gehrig Award in the year 2000. Since leaving baseball, he has worked for a Wall Street firm, co-founded a hedge fund, written two best-selling books, and is a high-performance and mindset coach and keynote speaker. He has a passion for pursuing greatness and developing championship teams. As CEO of Koibito Poke, he is dedicated to becoming the standard for delivering high-performing food in the poke and healthy food space. Todd is married to his beautiful wife, Erica, and together they have five children and reside in Scottsdale, Arizona.
JOHN YOUNG
PRESIDENT
John has served as our President since December 2019. He co-founded Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill in 1994 and began franchising the brand in 1997. Samurai Sam’s was sold in 2003 with more than 70 locations open for business and many others in various stages of development. With Samurai Sam’s, he was integral in every aspect of the franchise business, including store operations, creation of all manuals, lease negotiations, legal and trademark matters, FDDs and audited financials, store design and architecture, plan reviews, store construction, coordination of distribution across multiple regions, store compliance, and local area marketing. He is passionate about the importance of building a strong Franchisor–Franchisee relationship. John has a total of 30 years of experience in the franchise field, including time as a Franchisor, Area Developer, and Franchisee. He fully understands the complexities and challenges of the franchise industry from every point of view. Recognizing the need to increase sales per square foot in today’s economically challenging environment, he co-founded a successful ghost kitchen concept. John lives in Arizona with his amazing wife, Dawn. They have three children, all of whom recently graduated from college — Jace and twins Rylee and Remi.
MADISON HIGHTOWER
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Madison began her journey with the company in 2018 as a server at the Scottsdale location and overtime rose through the ranks—serving as store manager, lead trainer, and VP of Operations overseeing all Arizona stores. Her leadership, attention to detail, and creative vision led her to the corporate team, where she now oversees operations, franchise training & support, and marketing across all markets. Working alongside her husband, Kamdan Hightower, and her father, Todd Stottlemyre, Madison carries forward a deep sense of purpose and legacy—continuing to help build Koibito Poke into a nationally recognized brand.
KAMDAN HIGHTOWER
VICE PRESIDENT | SYSTEMS & TECH
Kamdan graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University in 2024 with a degree in Finance and a certificate in Marketing. A former Division I football captain and Freshman All-American, Kamdan has quickly emerged as a driving force within Koibito Poke. Starting in data analytics and marketing, his relentless work ethic and leadership have elevated him to the role of Vice President. Together with his wife, Madison Hightower, they serve as the young legs of the company, bringing energy, innovation, and a modern approach to help propel Koibito’s national growth.
LYNETTE HALL
DIRECTOR OF COMPLIANCE
Lynette has served as our Director of Training since August 2019. From January 2004 through the present, she has been a training and operations consultant for various franchise organizations, domestic and international. With more than 16 years of experience in Human Resources , coupled with her certifications in food safety and prior operations history, she is a subject matter expert, able to support our growing brand.
ROCCO LENTS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & R&D
Rocco began his career at Cisco Systems, where he graduated from the Cisco Sales Academy and learned how to sell complex technology solutions. Since 2021, Rocco has worked for Koibito Poke, helping Koibito grow through new store development, catering expansion, and supporting the team’s data and analytics, including site selection. Rocco is currently focused on project management, bringing leadership and organization to scale. He’s known for turning ideas into results. Rocco is passionate about healthy eating and promoting healthy living. He literally eats at Koibito Poke every day and enjoys Arizona’s numerous walking and hiking trails.
DR. BENJAMIN C. LITALIEN
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Ben has invested three decades in the franchise community with a broad range of key management and franchise-building experience. His specific strengths are in strategic planning, organizational development, concept management, and franchise system growth. He also created and teaches the Franchise Management Certificate program at Georgetown University and is a leading researcher on the franchise model. As the founder and principal of Franchise Well, LLC, he is dedicated to supporting a better approach to franchising.
DR. ROCCO RINALDI
VP TRAINING & SUPPORT
Rocco is an expert in franchise training and support for over 25 years with several national brands such as H&R Block, Express Tax, Comfort Keepers, and Sodexo. When not serving as a franchise consultant with Franchise Well he teaches business courses at Delaware Technical Community College and Wilmington University. Rocco resides in Middletown, Delaware with his wife of 28 years. They have two daughters and four rescue dogs. In their free time, they frequent local coffee shops, bookstores, and the beautiful beaches in Delaware.
ANDREW JOHNSON
VP FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT
Andrew is a Certified Franchise Executive with extensive experience in finding and guiding qualified applicants through the intricate process of owning their own franchise. He has worked with emerging brands and Fortune 100 companies to grow their market share and formed lasting relationships with clients. In a previous life he pursued professional golf and earned a golf scholarship in college as well as his Canadian Tour PGA card. He is married to his wife, JenniMae and has 2 children, Calvin and Scarlett that enjoy late afternoons at the driving range.
REBECCA CHURCH
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING/BRANDING
Rebecca is an award-winning entrepreneur and a network growth expert with a passion for community engagement. With over two decades of experience in the beauty and wellness industries she has developed integral relationship building skills, innovative clientele growth strategies, proven sales techniques and a repeatable, impressive system for creating and building brands. She has had the pleasure of working with elite franchise organizations such as fit20 USA, BNI and Zerorez. Her academic pursuits included courses at LSU, Mary Washington University and Abilene Christian University, Rebecca and her husband Patrick are parents to 10-year-old Benjamin and a German Shepherd-Akita mix, Lucky Rose.
DOUG SUDELL
VP OPERATIONS
Doug Sudell is a seasoned entrepreneur and franchise leader with a proven track record of building, scaling, and optimizing small business operations. As a franchisee of Two Men & a Truck, Doug led the development of one of Connecticut’s largest household goods moving companies. He also successfully developed multiple Subway restaurants in the Boston market. As CEO of Hands On Hartford, he oversaw a multi-million-dollar budget and directed initiatives that served thousands of vulnerable residents. During his tenure, he launched a Huntington Learning Center, successfully blending mission-driven work with sustainable business practices. Doug holds a Master of Public Administration from NYU and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut.
FRED PIERSON
DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE
Fred is a Navy & Coast Guard veteran with a lifetime of foodservice experience including as one of Applebee’s largest franchisees with over 20 locations. He is an experienced restaurant executive, consultant and educator with a record of success Specialties include financial analysis, quality assurance, cost reduction, training, business plans, coaching & talent development, team building, operations, prime cost control, multi-state management, supply chain management, construction management, budgeting & forecasting, risk mitigation & safety measures, FOH & BOH improvements, food and alcohol safety training. Fred supports documentation of operations, training and development for foodservice concept clients.
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Koibito Pokē, the award winning and highest rated Poke Restaurant chain in Arizona is now franchising throughout the U.S.!
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