Ann Kim
Chef/Owner

A Korean immigrant, Ann credits her culinary palate to helping her mother and grandmother at an early age make traditional staples such as fermented bean paste and kimchi. Her college years at New York’s Columbia University laid the foundation for her dream of bringing great pizza to Minnesota, and her years as a freelance actor fostered her value of creativity.  Ann is the culinary mind behind Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza, Young Joni, Sooki & Mimi and Kyndred Hearth. In 2019 Ann received the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Midwest.”​ In 2022, Chef Ann was featured as one of six chefs profiled on Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza (season 7, episode 3).

I love having a job that challenges me to be creative not only in the execution of a great dish, but in every aspect of what I do. Creativity is freedom from the mundane and allows me to do my best work while inspiring others in our organization to do the same.​​

Read More about Chef ANn

Conrad LeifuR
CHIEF Financial OFFICER/Owner

Raised in North Dakota, Conrad graduated from Yale University and earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.  He worked as an analyst and in leadership positions for financial companies including Aetna, IDS, American Express, Piper Jaffray, and Black River Asset Management before devoting himself full time to restaurant ownership in 2010. He has run distance since high school and continues to compete in marathons and half marathons.

As CFO, I'm always looking for opportunities to make investments in our restaurants, our people, our organization, and new concepts.

Becky Lemon
Chief Executive Officer

Becky has over two decades of restaurant service and management experience in cities including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. She joined Pizzeria Lola in 2012 as a server, and was Vestalia's Director of People and Culture for seven years. Becky has a B.A. in Art History and Classics from UW-Madison, and has entry-level sommelier certification; she will talk about Clash of the Titans (1981), David Lynch, and Italian wine with just about anyone.  

We’ve built a lot of strength at Vestalia through developing and empowering our teams; I’m excited to help keep our shared vision of crafting craveable experiences alive while pushing the boundaries of what we can do as individuals and as an organization.

Stephanie Bergholtz
​Associate Director of people services

Stephanie (she/her) is a born and raised Minnesotan who received her Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Gender & Women's studies from UW-Madison. Her professional background has always involved customer service in some capacity, and her primary interests lie in the field of human resources. She finds herself at home with Vestalia Hospitality in the People Services role because it encompasses her favorite things: food, HR, and fearless bada**ery.

​Outside of work, you can find Stephanie eating and drinking across the Twin Cities, walking around or kayaking in Bde Maka Ska, catching up on a Brené Brown podcast, or kicking butt in a game of cribbage.

My role is so fun and interesting because it allows me to blend my interests of working with people, data and telling a story.

Rachael Crew
​marketing Director

Rachael is a lifelong Minneapolitian with 20 years of marketing experience; she's worked at the Guthrie Theater, City Pages, and Sesame Street Live. Her degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Minnesota lends itself well to the art of storytelling and connecting people to the things they love.

Rachael is a yoga teacher and student, photographer, pizza lover and cheese superfan.

I love connecting people to content through creative, and tailored marketing efforts. It's a privilege to be able to share the story of our restaurants, dishes and team.

Adam Lerner
​Executive Chef

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Adam grew up cooking with his grandmother, a professional chef specializing in Jewish cuisine. He got his industry start during high school as a short-order cook at breakfast kitchens, which led him to pursue a culinary career. In 2008, he graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and began his journey cooking and leading teams at beloved Twin Cities restaurants including La Belle Vie, The Strip Club Meat & Fish, Meyvn (where he was also co-owner) and Saint Dinette.

​When not in the kitchen, you can find Adam hanging out with his wife Jordan and their three pups and binging The X-FIles repeatedly. ​

emily O'Brien
Hospitality Director

Emily is a Twin Cities native raised with a deep love of midwestern cooking, creating celebrations and experiencing Minnesota's quirks and beauty. She attended the University of Saint Thomas and began working in the hospitality industry in 2005 on Saint Paul's West 7th Street. Emily drew inspiration as a leader with various locally owned restaurant groups. She joined Pizzeria Lola as General Manager in 2016 and found her truest voice using her favorite tools: collaboration, mindfulness practices & facilitating shared leadership. Emily and her dog Doughnut can be found on patios & park benches all over town.​

My job is to share the joy, peace and motivation that I have found in mindful leadership, asking questions and choosing compassion over all else.