HR Consultant

Raised in Atlantic City, Rachel's early start in hospitality - working as a teenager in casino food and beverage operations - had a tremendous impact on her education and career. After earning degrees from Boston University and Cornell, Rachel held various positions in F&B and hotel operations before shifting her focus to people and HR during the pandemic. Recently, her strengths in HR data & analytics, compliance, and systems positioned her to successfully manage the logistics of a four-startup merger and implement a global payroll system for the combined entity. And she's just getting started. When Rachel isn't busy thriving at Empowered, she volunteers as a crisis counselor and enjoys adventures all over the world.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

Food brings people together in unbelievable ways! My ideal restaurant experience involves using cuisine to foster a sense of community and togetherness, especially when exploring a new place. Sharing a meal with family, friends, and even strangers is a universal experience that transcends borders and languages.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

Creating a workplace where people can thrive means allowing for all employees to be their authentic selves in a safe, efficient, and productive space. Ideally, it also includes building a collaborative environment where everyone has the skills and knowledge to be successful.

Aurora brings over a decade of hospitality experience with brands such as Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton, as well as a deeply rooted "people first" approach to everything she does. In her most recent role as a senior HR manager of a growing multistate restaurant group, Aurora managed compliance initiatives, employee relations, and payroll and benefits administration for over 1,000 employees. While establishing leading practices for her clients in all areas of HR, Aurora advocates for a strong company culture with employee engagement at its core. Aurora earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Montclair State University.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

Whether it's a small mom-and-pop or a fine dining restaurant, I enjoy cozy spaces that offer a personal touch to the dining experience. Personal touches can show up in how excellent or curated the service is, or how the food is prepared and served. Even the decor can enhance the experience. I always look for personal touches wherever I go!

What does "creating workplaces where people thrive" mean to you?

When an employee is thriving, they are doing work that is meaningful and fulfilling to them and also challenging them to expand and grow. "Creating workplaces where people thrive" means fostering an environment where people are encouraged to keep growing and learning. Ideally, it is creating space for people to elevate themselves and feel comfortable leaning into growth. Most importantly, because thriving may mean different things to different people, "workplaces where people can thrive" must be adaptive.