Sara Schmillen is an accomplished marketing and brand leader with more than 20 years of experience driving strategic growth, brand transformation, and integrated marketing across consumer-facing franchised and multi-unit restaurant brands.
Throughout her career, Sara has built and led high-impact brand and growth teams, consistently elevating performance and market presence for major concepts in the hospitality and food & beverage space. She previously served as Interim Chief Marketing Officer at Snooze, where she partnered with executive leadership to strengthen brand positioning and accelerate customer engagement across platforms and markets.
Prior to her role at Snooze, Sara held a series of senior leadership positions at Kahala Brands, including head of marketing for Cold Stone Creamery, where she architected comprehensive brand strategies, go-to-market plans, and scalable marketing frameworks that supported growth across a broad portfolio of franchised and company-operated units.
Sara’s expertise spans brand development, integrated marketing, consumer insights, franchise consulting, digital innovation, and cross-channel campaign execution — with a reputation for translating strategic vision into measurable business results. Her leadership has enabled market expansion, strengthened franchisee value, and enhanced customer loyalty for the brands she’s supported.
Sara holds an Executive MBA from Arizona State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Johnson & Wales University, and an Associate of Arts in Advertising from Northeastern Junior College, underpinning her blend of strategic acumen and operational insight. Her career reflects a commitment to excellence in brand growth, collaborative leadership, and elevated customer experience in dynamic, competitive markets.
