Apres Cru

Jessica's love of hospitality began unexpectedly while waiting tables as a college student, leading her to pivot from a planned career path in academia toward a new one studying wine. After working her way up through front-of-house and beverage leadership roles, Jessica opened her own restaurant in Oakland, CA in 2015. Always striving to do and learn more, Jessica then joined Bon Appetit Management to oversee large food-service operations including Twitter HQ and Oracle Park, gaining an abundance of HR skills along the way. Now firmly planted back on the east coast, Jessica is happiest when helping restaurants succeed. She holds a bachelor's in linguistics with honors from The University of Connecticut-Storrs, a master's of management and hospitality from Cornell University, and SHRM-CP and level 2 sommelier certifications.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

I've never stopped falling in love with Oaxaca. Fresh tortillas on the comal, a pechuga mezcalito in hand, a beautiful courtyard, and the endless possibilities of the evening ahead.

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

People thrive when they are healthy - physically and mentally - and work in an environment that cares about their health. Having worked in the restaurant industry for many years, I know it has not always been the healthiest industry. I am most excited when we get to help build healthy restaurants with healthy teams.

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.