Steve Felson is a restaurant operations executive with more than four decades of experience building high-performing teams, scaling multi-unit brands, and developing the kind of leadership that drives lasting results.

Steve began his career the way the best operators often do, as a dishwasher at 15, and worked his way through every level of the business. That foundational perspective has shaped everything he has built since. He went on to serve as Executive Vice President of Business Operations at BurgerFi International, where he held oversight for Operations, Marketing, Culinary, Training, Food Safety, and Restaurant Opening teams across the brand. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations and Training at The Buona Companies, overseeing daily operations and building world-class training systems for two iconic Chicago brands including The Original Rainbow Cone, a concept approaching its 100th year in business.

Throughout his career, Steve has been a sought-after voice on leadership development, having been featured as a speaker at the Fast Casual Executive Summit. His core philosophy is straightforward and rare: develop leaders, not managers. It is a distinction that has defined his approach across every organization he has touched.

Partnered with Gravity Talent Partners, Steve brings an operator's credibility and an executive's perspective to every consulting engagement. Whether working with emerging fast casual concepts, established multi-unit groups, or franchise organizations looking to strengthen their operational foundation, Steve offers the kind of insight that only comes from having lived every stage of the business firsthand.