Julie Shenkman

Julie Shenkman is a marketing professional with over 30 years of experience in consumer and business marketing including communications, branding, sales programs, product marketing and community engagement. She began her career in technology, leading marketing teams around the globe. She has launched Internet start-ups, worked for visionaries such as Steve Jobs at NeXT, and acted as Vice President of Marketing for Snap.com, Softbank Expos and NBC Internet. While she was Vice President of Marketing, internet start-up Snap.com became the first internet company to receive an Emmy for its award-winning TV commercial. 

After meeting her restauranteur husband, Julie combined her love of marketing with her love of food, helping him co-found and market five Bay Area restaurants. Today she is co-owner and marketing director for coastal restaurant Sam’s Chowder House, whose lobster roll was named one of the top five “Best Sandwiches in America” by NBC’s The Today Show. The restaurant also won the national Travel + Leisure SMITTY® Award for “Best Overall Use of Social Media” for Restaurants and Food Trucks.

The restaurant is named after her son Sam, who plans to be a future resident at Big Wave. Julie is passionate about bringing the Big Wave story to life and helping to create a place to belong for her son and other adults with special needs.