Hospitality

Shaun McDonald of Harri shares how restaurant operations led him to hospitality SaaS, what Fair Work Week compliance automation actually saves operators, and a cancer misdiagnosis he kept secret for years.

Ryan Magnon helped launch Capella with Horst Schultz, transformed Chick-fil-A’s drive-through, and now builds culture-first luxury hotel and food hall experiences at Ithaka Hospitality Partners.

Krystle Holguin of Colonial Country Club shares how she went from a 15-year-old HR clerk to directing people strategy at a PGA Tour club undergoing a $120M renovation.

Sean Dee shares how launching Levi.com, placing Levi's first Super Bowl spot, and finding OUTRIGGER's brand soul in an HR manual shaped his approach to commercial leadership.

Danny Owen shares how he went from house person to Hotel of the Year GM over 17 years at the same property, why he hires formerly incarcerated workers, and the prison night that changed everything.

Andrea Belfanti shares how she went from a 2008 layoff to leading ISHC, a global network of 270 elite hospitality consultants across six continents, by leading with kindness and proving that being the host is still being the boss.

Keo Hornbostel of Safari West shares how 30 years in luxury hospitality prepared him to lead a 400-acre wildlife preserve — through fires, COVID, and an accreditation crisis.

Doug Karle, COO of LHR Hospitality, shares lessons from 30+ hotel properties, a rare cancer diagnosis, and two decades of turning complicated operations into market leaders across the Midwest.

Craig Window, Country President of Circles, shares how he went from assistant golf pro to leading a global workplace hospitality company and what it really takes to make employees want to come back to the office.

Brooks Ellis shares how he went from valet to COO, built Evolution Parking into a 100-plus location hospitality brand, and launched RevPass to revolutionize hotel self-parking.

Mike Gibbons shares how he built a 26-location restaurant empire over 45 years, opened Toledo Pickle Company in six months, and why making managers owners of the bottom line is the secret to keeping great people.

Deniz Dorbek shares how 25 years across seven countries and nine global crises shaped her decision to leave corporate hospitality and build Regulus Collective around alignment, neuroscience, and timeless brand design.