Built by Operators.
Powered by Purpose.
Your Brand. Our Mission.
Marketing for the Autonomous Retail Industry.

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
Content Owner
Creative Team
Data Science / Behavior
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.




Meet the Entire Team That’s Building Brands That Win
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








.png)

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
increase in engagement
content production
Our Capabilities & Systems
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
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
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.
We’re Here for Your Legacy.

NAMA Downloadables
Get quick access to resources from the NAMA 2025 event.
Download Josh’s presentation handout below to follow along or reference later.
