Built by Operators.

Powered by Purpose.

Your Brand. Our Mission.

Marketing for the Autonomous Retail Industry.

We’re not an Agency...

We’re Your Marketing Department.

At Forward Thinkers, we’re not another agency just building templates. We’re your fractional CMO, your brand execution team, and your lead generation engine - fully embedded, fully accountable.

Every client is treated uniquely. Every strategy is built from scratch.
We don’t make marketing noise. We build systems that scale.

Every engagement includes a team:

Brand Manager
to lead, support, or drive your roadmap
Content Owner
to maintain one voice, clear value, & differentiate your brand
Creative Team
to align design with your brand identity & purpose
Data Science / Behavior
accelerate growth & meet the client at the point of purchase

Built by the Industry.

Built for You.

Josh Rosenberg didn’t just lead. He lived this business. He continues to serve the industry that shaped him, while helping the next generation of leaders grow the brands - and businesses - of tomorrow.

About Josh Rosenberg

Josh Rosenberg is a recognized leader in the convenience services and food & beverage industries, known for transforming legacy operations into high-growth platforms.

With over 30 years of hands-on experience - from merchandising to boardroom leadership—Josh now helps operators, brands, and investors unlock growth through strategy, technology, and modern marketing.

Career Summary

Josh began his journey as a merchandiser in the Coca-Cola System and steadily rose through executive leadership, eventually leading national strategy, channel sales, cashless/telemetry, equipment technology, consumer experience, and brand commercialization over an 18-year tenure.

He later transitioned from supplier to operator, scaling Accent Food Services from $38M to $165M across 12 states and leading the company through a successful change of control at a 14x multiple, ultimately exiting to Sodexo as part of ItsInReach.

Core Credentials

Chairman, CEO & Partner at Accent Food Services

Grew revenue from $38M to $165M across 12 states; and leading the company through a successful change of control at a 14x multiple, ultimately exiting to Sodexo as part of ItsInReach.

18-Year Coca-Cola System Executive

Led strategy, equipment, channel sales, telemetry, cashless, brand, and CX initiatives.

Former Chairman of NAMA (2020–2021)

Named Industry Person of the Year (2016) for innovation and leadership.

Board Director & Operating Partner

Advises public/private firms in healthcare, services, energy, and tech sectors.

Startup & Scale-Up Leader

Built brand from startup to national distribution and contracts across key verticals.

Developer of Keystone Partners Growth Framework

Designed a private equity tool to assess growth, reduce risk, and drive GTM strategy.

Current Focus: Forward Thinkers

Josh now leads Forward Thinkers, a family-founded growth consultancy he co-created with his sons. What started as a startup now supports clients across:

Facility Services

Convenience Services

Retail Products

Business Services

Consumer Packaged Goods

Technology

And more...

What sets Forward Thinkers apart:

Custom marketing strategy built around your business model and market potential

Data science meets behavioral insights for campaigns that convert

CRM, automation, and digital transformation to optimize every stage of the customer journey

Bespoke execution - no templates, just personalized strategies tailored to your voice and goals

Trusted partnership - we work as an extension of your leadership team, not just a vendor

Custom marketing strategy built around your business model and market potential

A Family Business Built to Fuel Yours

Forward Thinkers is more than a firm - it’s a legacy fulfilled.

Their journey is our promise:

To help you build your business and brand with the same care, accountability, and legacy mindset we bring to our own.

Ethan Rosenberg
Data & Consumer Behavior Strategy

Rice University, FinTech Graduate

Isaac Rosenberg
Content Management

Marketing Coordinator at Texas State

Tyler Bradbury
Brand Strategy / CMO / Growth Architecture

Sr. Director of Marketing & Brand Content, Tough Mudder & Spartan Race

Christophe Jobin
Client Experience & Technical Engineer

Rice University, FinTech Graduate

Meet the Entire Team That’s Building Brands That Win

Josh Rosenberg

Founder / CEO / Industry Veteran

Ethan Rosenberg

Data & Consumer Behavior Strategy

Isaac Rosenberg

Content Management

Tyler Bradbury

Brand Strategy / CMO / Growth Architecture

Christophe Jobin

Client Experience & Technical Engineer

Simeon Yanev & Team

Creative & Visual Design

Trusted by Operators, Brands & Investors

We’re proud to work with::

Family-owned operators

Private equity-backed platforms

National brands across retail, vending, wellness, and tech

Josh was our Keynote Speaker at the Cantaloupe Innovation Summit, and his impact was impressive. He worked closely with leadership to align his content with key themes and engage our audience. Many said it felt like a TED Talk. He was a pleasure to work with, and we look forward to partnering with him again at future events.

Elyssa Steiner
CMO, Cantaloupe

Partnering with Forward Thinkers transformed Launch Hydrate’s marketing. Their strategic insight and tailored approach helped refine our brand, create impactful content, and strengthen our market presence. Collaborating closely with our teams and securing key partnerships like Perfect Game made a real difference.

David Smith
Founder, Launch Hydrate

Josh has a refreshing and positive approach to leadership, it's been rewarding and insightful watching him lean into our organization. His style effectively maximizes an organization's resources and creates environments that inspire people to grow. Very fortunate to have his experience and guidance!

Armando Cardosa
CEO, PayrHealth

Josh was pivotal to our growth at Just Baked. As CRO and growth consultant, he helped define our customer, streamline operations, and build a scalable brand. His leadership drove expansion into key channels, national distribution via Vistar, and 500+ kiosk deployments. He remains a trusted board advisor today.

Ben Porter
Co-Founder, Just Baked Bistro

Forward Thinkers took the time to understand our industry and tailor messaging that resonates with our audience. Their content has boosted engagement and social metrics, and their commitment to our success is clear. 5/5 would recommend.

Steve Orlando
Chief Business Development Officer, Fixturelite

As CRO of VTG, it was crucial to find a marketing partner who could shape our GTM vision and execute with speed and precision. ForwardThinkers delivered across strategy, execution, and creative, acting as an extension of our team with structure, agility, and fresh thinking. We're excited to see the early impact continue to scale.

Quentin Gayles
Chief Revenue Officer, Virtual Technologies Group
case study

From Startup to

Standout in 90 Days

Defined full brand framework, positioning & mission

Rebuilt sales and retail collateral

Deployed high-converting social strategy with Perfect Game partnership

Elevated brand presence across youth sports, retail, and wellness channels

20%

increase in engagement

3x

content production

Our Capabilities & Systems

Core Services:

Brand Strategy & Customer Journey Mapping

Complete Brand Kit Development

Sales Enablement Collateral

(Proposals, decks, digital assets)

Digital Asset Management

(Web, Social, AEO, SEO, Performance)

Lead Generation & Lifecycle Campaigns

Behavior-Based Content & Social Automation

Strategic Backlinking & Brand Credibility Building

Tools We Provide:
*(No Additional Cost)

Apollo.io

The most advanced B2B lead engine on the planet

SEMRUSH

Full-scale SEO, keyword, competitive, and web health tracking

Webflow

Enterprise-grade web platform with speed, flexibility, and security

Digital Transformation Packages

Essentials
forward.fundamentals
For small operators ready to modernize.
Website
Brand Kit
Starter Content
Quarterly Insights
Minimal Footprint
Growth Engine
forward.growth
For regional operators growing market share.
Everything in Essentials
Weekly Content
Sales Enablement
Monthly Reporting
Prospect Targeting
Enterprise
forward.enterprise
For operators building legacy.
Everything in Growth Engine
Sales Playbooks
Multi-Platform Campaigns
Full-Funnel CRM
AI Personalization
Campaign Tracking
Real-Time Dashboards

See the System in Action

Know Who Matters Most

We map your Ideal Customer Profiles and decision-maker hierarchy using Apollo's AI-powered engine - so you stop guessing and start closing. This flowchart aligns your sales team with the right contacts.

Visibility That Converts

Our SEMRUSH-powered audit reveals hidden SEO gaps and uncovers growth opportunities. See the before/after snapshot that shows how strategic optimization transforms performance.

Lifecycle Marketing, Engineered

We build end-to-end email and CRM workflows that adapt to your customer’s journey - automating engagement, reactivations, and loyalty-building actions that scale as you grow.

Sell With Confidence

We don’t just build decks - we craft sales narratives. From branded one-pagers to full RFP responses, our mockups elevate your pitch, instill buyer confidence, and close the loop between marketing and sales.

Optional Enhanced Services

Need a more integrated relationship with Forward Thinkers? We have additional enhanced services right in house.

Customer Journey Automation
CRM Installation & Lifecycle Management
Business Consulting & Organizational Design
Sales Training & Toolkit Development
Organizational Assessments
Executive Development & Coaching
We’re not Here for a Campaign.

We’re Here for Your Legacy.

We don’t outsource your strategy. We don’t hide behind dashboards. We sit at the table as your partner - responsible for your brand, accountable for your outcomes, and committed to helping you grow something lasting.
This isn’t just a value proposition.
It’s our mission.

NAMA Downloadables

Get quick access to resources from the NAMA 2025 event.

Download Josh’s presentation handout below to follow along or reference later.