Our Team

Robert L. Williams, Jr. Ph.D.

After 20 years as a practitioner in Fortune 50/500 companies, for the last 15 years Dr. Robert L. Williams, Jr. has taught Marketing and Business courses at multiple universities. He has published in peer-reviewed journals, co-authored a textbook (Palgrave Macmillan) and written numerous textbook chapters on marketing and management; as well as presented at international conferences and workshops. His current academic research interests focus on gastro-tourism, competitive advantage, branding, innovation, and most recently, wine-in-cans. He is a Partner and Co-founder of Mar-Kadam Associates, a firm that specializes in branding, rebranding, and renaming in service industries and entrepreneurial ventures; GastroGatherings.com (focused on gastro-tourism research and consulting) and WICresearch.com, which is a leader in the fast-growing wine-in-a-can market.

Helena A. Williams, Ph.D.

Dr. Helena A. Williams’ current research focuses on gastro-tourism destination branding as a driver of sustainable economic development. Her work has been published and cited in major peer reviewed journals, and through presentations in Cyprus; Costa Rica (2019), India (2018), Gran Canaria (2018), Poland (2016), Limerick (2015), Wales (2015), as well as throughout the USA. Her research interests include economic development and emerging market entrepreneurship, gastro-tourism, wine & beverage tourism, international education, and food waste and hunger prevention. Previous experience includes Research Assistant for the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute, 20 years of entrepreneurial management as CEO of a state-wide training, event and conference-planning firm in Pennsylvania; owner and executive chef of Baltimore’s first GastroCafe and Gallery; Certificate De Cuisine, De L'Ecole Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. She is currently a Senior Partner and Co-founder of Mar-Kadam Associates, a firm that specializes in branding, rebranding, refocusing and renaming in service industries and entrepreneurial ventures; Director of the research project GastroGatherings.com (focused on gastro-tourism research and consulting) and a Research Partner in WICresearch.com, which is a leader in the wine-in-a-can market.

Matthew J. Bauman, ABD

Matthew Bauman is currently a Ph.D. student studying Hospitality Administration at Texas Tech University where he works as a Research Assistant for the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute and teaches courses in Sales and Marketing. Previous industry experience includes working in various aspects of the hospitality and retail industry, specifically focusing on the alcoholic beverage industry, working for businesses such as Spec’s Fine Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods - the largest retailer of wine and spirits in Texas; Houston Wine Merchant, a boutique, high-end retailer of wines and spirits; 8th Wonder Brewery, a craft brewery; Nice Winery, a boutique winery specializing in wines produced in California, Washington State and Argentina. His various roles include customer service, sales, account management, category management, and distribution. His academic research interests involve various aspects of the wine industry, including marketing, consumer behavior, branding, packaging sustainability, and tourism. He is a Partner at WICresearch.com, which is a leader in the wine-in-can market.