About Breaking Bread

Meet the team

Akanksha Aga,
Founder

Akanksha was born and raised in India and moved to the USA to pursue her master’s and the “American Dream”. 

She has 25+ years of experience in hospitality, food service, and higher education including operations, training, leadership development, diversity, and inclusion. 

Akanksha’s work experience includes Loews Hotels & Co, Johnson & Wales University, Compass Group America, and Taj Hotels Group-India. 

She believes that hospitality has the power to bring people together for positive impact. 

Brittanny Taylor,
Director of Marketing

Brittanny Taylor is a seasoned photographer, content creator, and visual storyteller with over 15 years of experience in capturing authentic moments and crafting compelling stories through online visual content.

As the owner of a successful photography business, she has collaborated with numerous local small business owners, providing them with stunning imagery and helping them strategically market their brands to achieve business success. 

Her deep commitment to community is evident in her leadership roles as board president of Rising Tide Society, an international nonprofit supporting small business owners, and vice president of Haus of Codec, Rhode Island’s first shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.

Meet the board

  • President and CEO, Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau

    Kristen Adamo is the president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) - a non-profit organization responsible for promoting the cities of Providence and Warwick to meeting and convention planners, as well as the city of Providence as a top leisure destination - and its subsidiary the Rhode Island Sports Commission. She oversees all day-to-day operations at the PWCVB, leading a staff of dedicated destination sales and marketing professionals. 

    Adamo joined the PWCVB in 2005 as Director of Communications, became the Vice President of Marketing and Communications in 2007 and assumed her current role in 2019. During her tenure with the PWCVB, the organization developed a cohesive destination brand, and launched such successful marketing initiatives as Providence Restaurant Weeks and Three Nights of Lights. Her work has led to Providence being named “America’s Favorite City” in Travel + Leisure magazine and “Best CVB in the Northeast” by Northstar Media. She successfully helmed the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become a passionate advocate for the support of the Providence area’s tourism community and arts organizations, as well as the city’s downtown. 

    Prior to joining the PWCVB, Adamo served as the Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications at Johnson & Wales University, where she received national awards for her work with corporations such as SYSCO, Coors Brewing Company, and Marriott International to promote major gifts to the University and other partnerships.

    Adamo was one of two destination marketing executives named to Meetings Today’s list of the “20 Trendsetters in 2022.” In 2023, she was selected as one of the “45 Most Powerful People” in the state by Rhode Island Monthly. She was also tapped by Providence Business News’ as one of the “10 Most Influential People” for 2022 and is an alumna of its “40 Under 40” list of Rhode Island’s most successful young businesspeople. GoLocal Prov also named Adamo one of its “21 People to Watch in 2021.” She was honored as Hospitality Ambassador of the Year by the RI Hospitality Association in 2014 and has received the Producer’s Golden Circle Award from the RI Film Festival and the Morris J.W. Gaebe Profile in Excellence Award from Junior Achievement of Rhode Island. 

    Adamo is an accredited public relations practitioner and a former president of the Southeastern New England Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She currently serves on the Governor’s Workforce Board, the Air Service Development Council, and the State Planning Commission, as well as the boards of the Providence Performing Arts Center, WaterFire Providence, the Downtown Parks Network and StyleWeek Northeast. She is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and studied for a Master of Arts in the humanities at Salve Regina University.

    She resides in Warwick, Rhode Island. 

  • Massage Envy Multi-Unit Franchisee

    Michael D'Amara successfully opened 4 Massage Envy locations in Rhode Island between August 2009 and November 2015. These clinics currently employ over 175 individuals and consistently rank within the top 10% of the brand. Michael’s Cranston, RI location currently holds the number 3 spot nationwide.

    Before owning and operating Massage Envy franchised locations, Michael held senior management roles in the hotel industry. As Vice President of Human Resources and Training at Red Roof Inn, he was responsible for management training, human capital strategy, employee relations, and diversity initiatives for 250 hotels. Additionally, he served as Vice President of Operations, overseeing 17 inns along the East Coast.

    Michael holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Utica College and a master's degree in education administration from Syracuse University. He earned his Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Society for Human Resource Management and has also taught adjunct courses at the Johnson and Wales University: College of Hospitality Management.

  • Associate Professor & Dept. Chair, Food & Beverage + Travel & Tourism Studies Johnson & Wales University

    Michael Sabitoni's insight and vigorous attentiveness to industry innovation make him a popular resource within the trade circuit, both locally and nationally. A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, as well as a consultant for major hospitality industry organizations, currently, Sabitoni is the department chairperson for both the International Travel/Tourism Studies and the Food & Beverage Management departments at Johnson & Wales University’s Providence campus. Prior to entering the field of education, Sabitoni worked in both of these fields, primarily in managerial capacities, for nearly 30 years. At last count, he had visited every country except Antarctica. Michael resides in Cranston, RI with his wife, Dr. Karen Silva-Sabitoni and their rescue puppy, Casside.