Jennifer Weerheim

Yard House USA, Inc.
Vice President, Marketing

Years with company: Eight years

Education degrees and professional/volunteer organizations:

• Bachelor of Arts, California State University, Fullerton
• Board of Directors, Marketing Executives Group, National Restaurant Association
• Co-Founder, Round It Up America

Mentors and how have they assisted you in your career:
I don’t have a particular mentor; however I have known and followed the example of many great leaders.  Some who are iconic, and some who are just starting out but have this fresh and fearless perspective – that inspires me!

What are you most proud of in your career achievements? Do you have a defining moment of your career to date?
In early 2009 I co-founded an organization called Round It Up America, after hearing numerous reports that food banks and shelters in many cities across the county were running out of food and resources.  I was angry and thought, “Really? In this country we can’t feed our own people?”  We needed a solution and we needed it quickly because the economy was at its lowest levels and food banks were reporting that donations were at an all-time low.   The idea for Round It Up America® was that instead of asking a few people to make a large donation, we would ask many people to make a small donation.  At that time Yard House served nearly 30,000 guests every day.  If everyone gave a nickel, dime, quarter, or even a penny it would add up.  So we tasked our POS provider with modifying our credit card receipt (no easy task) to include a Round Up For Charity line, which had never been done.  The initial response from many was “cute idea, good luck” until after the first year we raised over $250,000 in just 27 restaurants, all of which was given to our local food banks, shelters, military support resources, etc.  From the beginning Round It Up America was designed to be a giving program for the foodservice industry, and not Yard House alone. Today, Round It Up America is live in 126 restaurants, in over 20 states, and raises $750,000 annually – and we’re just getting started.

Most challenging part of your job:
One might call it a challenge, but I would call it love – To innovate every day. To move the needle. To be relevant.  To actually make a difference.

Advice for upcoming executives:
Listen. Learn. Lead by example. Be an innovator. And then… BE RELENTLESS!

Hobbies:
My hobbies include being a mother, wife, daughter, friend, philanthropist, and a little shopping here and there.