It's becoming increasingly clear that the old models of human resource management in the hospitality industry aren't working: the constant turnover, low wages, lack of benefits, and worker dehumanization are not only harmful to the individuals working, but harmful to the business as well.
In this seminar, we'll discuss why prioritizing the well-being of the personnel in your organization (no matter how large or small) benefits their mental and overall health and the health of your business.
Hassel Aviles
(she/her)
Executive Director, Not 9 to 5
With over 20 years of experience in marketing and leadership in the food and beverage industry, Hassel Aviles has grown a fiery passion for restaurants, events and entrepreneurship. She created the Toronto Underground Market (TUM), a large-scale culinary festival designed as an incubator for food entrepreneurs, chefs and home cooks in 2011. Hassel successfully remained as founder and managing director for three years and led an executive committee as well as hundreds of volunteers. From there until the pandemic hit in 2020, Hassel consulted and brought her extensive tactical large-scale event production experience to music festivals like Field Trip and conferences like Restaurant Canada's RC Show.
These days, Hassel's passion for the industry is seen through her work as the Executive Director of Not 9 to 5 and Principal Consultant heading all hospitality and culinary work at Reunion Inc., an Ovare Group-owned business transformation consultancy.
Instagram: @hassel_aviles @not9to5_
Dr. Dick Loveless Jr.
(he/him)
Learned Doctor, Azimuth Data Consulting
Dr. Dick Loveless Jr. is a professional data collector, analyst, and the owner of Azimuth, a data analysis and organization consulting company. He is the Research Coordinator at OFFSITE, an events and spirits
marketing firm. Dick has also worked in the Mental Health, Hospitality, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Logistics, and Retail industries. Dick received his Doctorate in Education: Majoring in Organizational Learning, Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University in July 2019. He has a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Wesley College.
Over the past 10 years, Dick has been able to integrate a diverse collection of experiences with the principles and discipline of research, analytics, storytelling, coaching, and academia, enabling him to explore and operate outside traditional thinking to influence decision making,
financial performance, operational excellence, and people development. He is able to examine operational needs, identify issues, problem solve, and act as a navigational change agent helping organizations realize and reach their goals.
Instagram: @dr.dickloveless
Kris Hall
(he/him)
Founder, The Burnt Chef Project
Kris has worked in hospitality for over 10 years across multiple sectors of this great industry. Having experienced his own mental health issues in the past and he was compelled to create a conversation to challenge the stigma associated with mental health issues within hospitality and to let others know that, quite frankly, they aren’t ‘f**ked up’ and definitely not alone.
The Burnt Chef Project was born to challenge mental health stigma through branded apparel with profits used to raise awareness and provide training to the worlds 72 million hospitality workers one person at a time. Being able to partner with great initiatives like this re-affirms that we are in the right place at the right time.
Instagram: @theburntchefproject