Great Performances

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.

Kaelin has a strong connection to hospitality, having started her hospitality journey as a teenager and bartending alongside full-time HR positions ever since. Her diverse HR background spans several industries, including not-for-profits, law firms, and software start-ups, as well as hospitality. With over seven years of HR experience, Kaelin has excelled in managing the full employee lifecycle - from employee onboarding and orientation, employee relations, benefits administration, learning and development, offboarding, and many other areas - all while fostering a positive workplace environment. Her unique blend of HR and hospitality experience has prepared her to excel at Empowered, where she combines her passion for HR with her deep understanding of the hospitality sector, promising an exciting and positive experience for her clients and teams. When she’s not traveling to different corners of the country to visit friends and family, you can find Kaelin cheering passionately at college football games or attending other sporting events. Her love of different music genres often leads her to exciting concerts, and her taste buds are always on an adventure as she discovers new bars and restaurants. Kaelin graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA in Communication and Information Sciences, and has also earned her SHRM-CP.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

I love starting with a cocktail before transitioning to wine. I prefer appetizers to desserts. And I love to order multiple plates to share with friends, tapas style. I love all different types of food - my favorites being Mediterranean, Italian, and Southern - and I like to be in a cozy environment where I can enjoy the company of whoever I am with.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

To thrive means to be happy! A workplace where people thrive is where a person feels empowered to show up as their best self and do their best work.