Four Horsemen

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.

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.