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Jeremy Nichols and Dr. Peter Ricci hosted a live panel featuring five rising hospitality leaders who offered a direct, unfiltered look at what their generation sees, expects, and wants from this industry. These students are already gaining real experience across hotels, resorts, events, private clubs, and large-scale operations, and they brought a level of honesty operators rarely get to hear.

For anyone leading teams, hiring, or focused on retention, this conversation delivered a clear advantage. The panel dug into culture, growth paths, leadership, work-life balance, and what genuinely attracts Gen Z to hospitality. Their perspective challenged assumptions and helped shed light on how to build workplaces where this generation actually wants to stay.

Our panel:

Sophia McDonnell, FAU
Events, resort, convention center, and private club experience
https://lnkd.in/eyhh22wd

Joaquin Dorazio, Palm Beach State College
Operations, The Boca Raton
https://lnkd.in/eq38Abm8

Nicole Jaimes, FIU
Events, SOBE Food and Wine Festival
https://lnkd.in/epjER3HD

Taylor Sackella, UCF Rosen
Operations and HR at JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton Orlando
https://lnkd.in/eEyRJwJZ

Dailany Echeverria, FSU Dedman School of Hospitality
Operations
https://lnkd.in/eMuKBmvT

This episode was a valuable discussion for anyone looking to recruit more effectively, retain stronger teams, and understand the mindset of the next generation before they shape the industry without your input. The insights from this group made the session one of our most impactful to date.

You can follow Peter Ricci at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterriccihospitality/

You can follow Jeremy Nichols at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremycnichols/

https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyNichols