William Espey

The award-winning visionary behind Chipotle, now VP of Brand Voice for environmentally conscious plant-based nutrition company Ka’Chava, William Espey shares his recipe for connecting authentically and powerfully with customers.

When Espey started with Chipotle as its sole marketing creative, the company had fewer than 20 locations, and he was instrumental in driving the brand’s explosive growth in the U.S. and abroad. From customer-facing advertising and messaging to internal communications, Espey eschewed the canned, calculated, and characteristically corporate approaches to marketing strategy, instead developing Chipotle’s award-winning brand voice organically, purposefully, and authentically, as a personal expression of the company’s unique values and culture.

Espey went on to lead the restaurant revolution as Senior Director of Creative Services for virtual restaurant pioneer Nextbite, and is now VP of Brand Voice for plant-based nutrition company, Ka’Chava, which partners with the Rainforest Trust to protect the Earth's resources. Ka’Chava was named by Business Insider as one of the Fastest Growing Digital Brands of 2022.

A marketing, brand and creative content thought leader for over 20 years, Espey has won every imaginable award for creatives—most of them multiple times. With audiences, Espey shares best practices for consumer engagement, stimulating innovation, and connecting organizational culture with your brand in a meaningful way—an approach that resonates with Millennials and Gen Z, who love Chipotle’s commitment to fresh ingredients and sustainability, Nextbite’s celebrity-curated restaurant delivery experiences, and Ka’Chava’s ethos of whole-body health and environmental preservation.