The emerging and future Black leaders in the hospitality industry have an ownership, investment and corporate mindset, according to one of the most influential educators in hospitality at a historically Black college or university.
Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, chair of the hospitality and tourism management program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, said on the Next Gen in Lodging podcast that many of her students are already in the industry, working front-desk jobs at hotels or in internships, and they are gravitating toward opportunities where there's a clear path to advance their careers.
"That's where this ownership mindset is coming from. They want to control their time; they want to control what it is that they do, their values," she told Next Gen podcast host Omari Head, adding that an "entrepreneurial journey" depends a lot on having connections, sponsors and mentors in the industry.
"A lot of it comes down to ... do you have the cash? Do you have the equity or do you have the relationships for the equity? If you're part of a certain demographic that may be a little bit of a farther reach for you," she said.
In this episode of the podcast, Tucker-Oluwole and Head discuss the motivations, aspirations, priorities and challenges of the next generation of Black hospitality industry leaders. Listen below for more of their insights.
The Next Gen in Lodging Podcast is also available to download on Apple or Spotify, where you can also subscribe to future podcast content.
Follow Next Gen in Lodging on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. For more information, email info@nextgeninlodging.com.
