AUGUST POINT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Co - Founder
- Consultant
Christophe is involved in all aspects of client engagements with a particular passion and focus on farm, wholesale, and food manufacturing businesses. He also oversees all activities related to our Talent Recruitment Practice.
Christophe began his career in food during college when he began working on a vegetable farm in northern Virginia, a job that unexpectedly changed the direction of his life.
Since then, he has accumulated more than twenty years of experience in diverse sectors of the food industry-line cook, executive chef, restaurant owner, retail meat company manager, and food systems consultant. Christophe has been an investor in and managing partner of two restaurants and one nose-to-tail butchery.
Today, Christophe is a trusted consultant to retail, wholesale, and hospitality businesses in the local foods landscape. His broad food sector experience and analytical skills help make our research, planning, and recruiting work effective and impactful for clients. Christophe earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University, an Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts from the New England Culinary Institute and an MS in Food & Nutrition from New York University. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two daughters.
David is responsible for new business development and for pursuing special projects to facilitate the growth of August Point.
He is the Chairman of Helbraun Levey, the law firm he founded and has grown into New York's premier practice dedicated to the needs of the restaurant and hospitality industries. Separate from his practice of law, David has over thirty years of experience in the restaurant industry including opening and operating Pyramid Coffee Company, a multi-unit cafe business in Manhattan.
He recently served as the Chair of the Hospitality Law Committee of the NYC Bar Association and is a board member of the NYC Food & Beverage Hospitality Council. He was also a founding board member of Drive Change, a non-profit organization that trains formerly incarcerated young people in hospitality as a way to reintegrate them into the workforce.
Jared is responsible for the management and strategic direction of the firm and for quality assurance across all our activities.
After bartending his way through college at the Philadelphia institution Smokey Joe's, Jared began his professional career working for Chef Georges Perrier of Le Bec Fin and Brasserie Perrier. He spent the subsequent twenty years cultivating a diverse background in the restaurant industry holding senior management roles with New York's top operators as well as co-owning and investing in many successful food and beverage ventures.
As a consultant he has advised clients ranging from first time operators to institutional investors, combining his ground-up operational experience with a management consultant's eye to create sustainable and scalable businesses.
Jared graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Political Science and received his Masters in Hospitality Industry Studies from New York University. He lives in Westchester with his wife and daughter and when not working enjoys fly fishing, ski touring, and road cycling.
Job Titles:
- Head - Real Estate Advisory
Jason provides leadership for our real estate advisory and brokerage team.
He is the Founder and CEO of Capricorn Asset Management and Capricorn Retail Advisors, working with landlords such as Simon, Brookfield, Vornado, and Westfield as well as global retail brands including Apple, J. Crew, Gap, and Starbucks. Specific to food and beverage, Jason has worked on deals nationally with global brands such as Darden Restaurants and TGI Friday's as well as provided tenant representation for local operators including Cote, Morimoto, Nami Nori & Lamucca.
As an in-house retail real estate executive, he oversaw site selection, construction and facility management for several national and international retail brands. In his roles as head of real estate for American Apparel, Perfumania, Ricky's, Jimmy Jazz & Man Alive, Jason led strategy and all aspects of the real estate process ranging from 30 to 400 stores. His experience extends from every major high street, mall, and outlet center in 40 states as well as the largest MSAs in 18 countries.
As an amateur Chef, Jason has a passion for supporting up-and-coming restaurateurs with their real estate and general business needs. He is a graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in Business Computer Information Systems and lives in Long Island with his wife and daughter.
Job Titles:
- Brewery and Craft Beer Consultant
- Owner and President of Schmaltz Brewing Company
Jeremy is our in-house expert for all things related to breweries and beer.
In addition to his role with August Point, Jeremy is the Owner and President of Schmaltz Brewing Company and Alphabet City Brewing Company where he supervises brand development, sales and marketing and manages relationships with wholesalers and retailers across 25 states. Prior to his current role, Jeremy founded Coney Island Brewing Company. With a staff of 25 and a forty thousand square foot brewery he grew production to thirty thousand barrels per year and within five years, sold the portfolio of brands to Boston Beer/Sam Adams.
Jeremy was the co-founder and first president of the New York City Brewers Guild, is a regular speaker at the Brewers Association and Brewbound national conferences and is the author of a small business memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah. He is a graduate of Stanford University and lives in upstate New York.
He is a co-founder of Helbraun Levey where he oversees all New York State Liquor Authority and other licensing matters for the firm. Joseph's primary area of expertise is New York State Alcohol Beverage Control Law and he has extensive experience practicing before the New York State Liquor Authority with regard to various licensing and disciplinary matters.
He regularly attends local Community Board meetings on behalf of his clients and has developed a stellar reputation as a well-prepared and knowledgeable advocate. Joseph proudly serves on the Executive Board of the New York State Restaurant Association and the Board of The American Institute of Food and Wine.
He received his undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College and J.D. from Touro Law and is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Client Bookkeeping Specialist
Lynn oversees client bookkeeping and reporting during construction as well as operations.
After a twenty year career as a musician Lynn took a part-time detour to learn the ins and outs of business administration, subsequently landing him a full-time role as the financial manager for hospitality design/build firm Hecho Inc. Since that first experience, he has become a dual expert in restaurant and construction financial management, a unique skill that serves our hospitality clients especially well. Lynn continues to compose music for film and dance.
Marie is in charge of all matters relating to wine for restaurant and hospitality clients as well as private collectors.
Far from a newcomer to the business of wine, Marie grew up on her family's vineyard, Ch teau Bourgneuf, in Pomerol, France, which they have owned for 200 years. An accomplished winemaker in her own right, she is the co-founder of Colete Wine where she produces one of California's most sought after merlots.
For six years Marie served as Sommelier at the world renowned New York restaurant Le Bernardin. Prior to that she worked in wine marketing in both Paris and New York. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris and her MBA in wine marketing and management from INSEEC Business School in Bordeaux, France. Marie works with clients around the world and is based in Lyon, France where she resides with her husband and son.
With his deep, senior level industry experience, Neal is involved in all aspects of client engagements with a particular focus on new concept development, construction, and launch.
After graduating with honors from L'Académie de Cuisine, Neal began his culinary career in Washington D.C. working under Michelin Starred Chefs Jean Louis Palladin and Gerard Pangaud.
Following that he was recruited by Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You to be the Executive Chef of their premiere seafood institution, Shaw's Crab House. Progressing to Divisional Chef, he created and opened various restaurant concepts for the organization. Remaining in Chicago, Neal assumed the role of Culinary Vice President of Weber Stephen Products, where he developed and grew the Weber Grill Restaurant concept throughout the Midwest United States.
Returning home to New York City, Neal became the Corporate Executive Chef for Alicart Restaurant Group where he expanded their flagship concepts Carmine's Italian Restaurant and Virgil's Real BBQ across the country and in the Caribbean.
Neal graduated with a B.A. in Criminology from California State University and a Masters in Digital Photography from The School of Visual Arts in NYC.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant / Head - Operations
Nicolas is in charge of all matters relating to food and beverage operations.
He began his career in Europe as a cost-controller at Byblos in Saint-Tropez followed by six years in F&B management and as a part of the opening team of the Four Seasons Resorts properties in Paris and Geneva. Nicolas then served as Assistant Food & Beverage Director of the Hotel Plaza-Athenée in Paris before launching and operating three of his own restaurants in France. Two of his restaurants earned a Michelin Star within their first year of operations.
Moving to New York, Nicolas assumed the role of Director of Operations, North America on behalf of Alain Ducasse. He continued in that role until founding Wilcuma, a full-service hospitality company which he continues to serve as CEO of today.
Nicolas earned his undergraduate business degree and MBA from Kedge Business School in Marseilles, France. More fun than all, he carried the Olympic Torch during the 1992 Winter Games.
Nina oversees the internal machinations of the firm and also serves as CEO of Senseos, our partner creative studio.
She began her career by building Choreo Theatro, a non-profit performing arts center and company in Brooklyn, New York, after which she transitioned into media, advertising and consulting-she has been straddling the creative and analytic worlds ever since.
As a creative business leader, she has a record of leading teams on interdisciplinary ventures to help propel companies to the forefront of innovation. She has advised and worked within creative and digital intelligence agencies, consulting firms, real estate brokerages, retail brands, performance organizations, and academic institutions.
Nina holds a B.A. in Dance from Deree College-The American College of Greece and an M.F.A. in Choreography from Tisch School of the Arts-New York University. She lives in Astoria with her husband and son and loves mentoring young entrepreneurs, swimming, and attending performances.
Job Titles:
- Design & Construction Consultant
Phil provides construction advisory to our clients at all phases of their projects.
Before joining August Point, Phil was the Founder and CEO of Hecho Inc., where he was responsible for the successful design and construction of over 150 bars and restaurants in New York City. A seasoned food and beverage operator in his own right Phil built, owned, and operated The Lizard Lounge and The Bottle Shop in Paris, France, Suba Restaurant in NYC's Lower East Side, and Building on Bond and Bar Robert in Brooklyn. He is a graduate of Cerritos College and is a licensed general contractor in New York City.