General Manager

Melissa’s love for HR has grown over the past 10 years as she's worked in generalist roles across the quick service retail and hospitality industries in Australia and the US. Prior to joining E|H, Melissa implemented HR processes and systems for a fast-growing café & coffee shop concept with over 40 locations nationwide. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Melissa has always had a passion for travel and food, which has led her to visit over 40 countries and influenced her decision to move to New York City in 2017. Melissa has her bachelor's in psychology from Monash University and a graduate diploma in psychology from Deakin University. She is also a SHRM certified professional (SHRM-CP).

Ideal Restaurant Experience

The most special part about living in New York is having so many different cuisines at our fingertips. I love being able to experience the food of the world without leaving New York. My favorite places to eat are authentic, approachable and, most importantly, delicious! If I had to pick one food to eat forever it would no doubt be fried chicken!

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

“Thriving” to me means being the best version of myself in all aspects of life -- at work and in my personal life, both mentally and physically.

Sarah began her career in restaurant operations with Hillstone Restaurant Group, becoming one of the youngest general managers at a $10m+ location before transitioning to a corporate HR role. After several years as an HR director, however, her position was eliminated, prompting her to pursue a similar HR leadership role in NYC's bustling hospitality industry. To her dismay, many of the small hospitality businesses she was drawn to simply did not need full-time HR support, despite their struggle with HR. In many of these initial conversations, Sarah instinctively pivoted her interview into a strategy session, focusing not on her career goals but on the HR needs of each business - often offering to complete small HR projects as a freelancer. A few months of working in this capacity was all Sarah needed to embrace her calling to build a sustainable, scalable consulting business. Empowered Hospitality was born.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s in political science with honors from Yale University, and holds her SHRM-SCP, WSET Advanced Certification (Wine & Spirits Educational Trust), and CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine). Sarah was selected as a 2021 Tory Burch Foundation Fellow for her passion for building an equitable, collaborative, and socially-conscious small business, is a perennial speaker at the annual FAB Conference in Charleston, SC, and is a guest lecturer at the School of Hospitality Administration at Boston University.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

Visiting home in Massachusetts always involves a highly-anticipated trip to the local clam shack, where we would go in the summertime as kids. There's no happiness quite like catching up with friends and family over fried clams and 'lobstah' rolls in a place with so many memories!

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

Creating workplaces where people thrive means fostering growth, transparency, and well-being. It means defining the larger purpose that drives you, and building a team that believes equally in that purpose.