Hospitality with Purpose

What does it really take to lead a university, manage a $70M reserve, and still make time for karate, campus walks, and connecting with students?On this week’s episode of Leadership Unplugged with WiFi, we sit down with Joe Greene, Vice Chancellor & Providence Campus President at Johnson & Wales University, to talk about:- His unexpected path from factory work to university leadership- The mentor who changed his entire career trajectory- What he believes every future leader must understand about long-term decision-making- How JWU approaches financial stability, endowment strategy, and student affordability- Why honesty, integrity, and “admitting when you don’t know” matter more than ever- New initiatives like campus walks, the suggestion box, and “Snack & Chats”Plus: Joe’s personal finance advice for students, reflections on the Wildcat Investment Fund, and a lightning round that settles the age-old question… iced or hot coffee?Tune in for real insights, real leadership lessons, and a refreshingly authentic look at the person behind the position.

To wrap up the 4th season of Hospitable, Nick & Dean welcome a very special guest to the HwP Studio - JWU Providence Campus President, Marie Bernardo-Sousa. Marie has been a JWU staple for the past 36 years and she sat down to talk all things JWU, here career path, and some awesome words of advice reflecting on a long and fruitful career. Turns out, saying "yes" and challenging yourself can result in a pretty incredible career path and lots of stories to tell! The guys thank Marie for taking the time out of her busy schedule to sit for a chat and wish her all the best during her "re-wire-ment". Check out this and all the other episodes of Hospitable with Nick & Dean wherever you download your podcasts!

On this special episode of Hospitable, Dean reconnects with his High School buddy, also Dean, to catch up on the last 40 years of their lives. Dean (as in "Guest Dean") offers some incredible insights on being a corporate chef for Marriott and details some of the very cool things he is doing on property down in Louisiana. Chef Donnell hit's all the highlights of the mentality needed to run a kitchen to work / life balance in the food and beverage industry. This is a great listen for anyone interested in how food operations work on a large scale and interested in possible careers with some of the major players! Be sure to check out all the episodes of HwP and Hospitable wherever you download your podcasts.

As the academic year begins to wrap up, Dean surprises Nick with a long time friend - Saki from Hope St. Pizza - as this week's guest. In addition to sharing a ton of history and culture, the boys breakdown some nuances of Greek cooking and philosophy, share stories about restaurant ownership, and take a walk down memory lane. There is so much the Saki is doing right from the way he treats employees and customers to his work ethic that is the driving force behind a Providence institution, this fun conversation has it all! If you're in the neighborhood you should swing by Hope St. Pizza to get a taste of the action and Saki's hospitality! Be sure to download all of the episodes of Hospitable and HwP wherever you listen to your casts.

Ever wonder what it's like to build out your own event facility? We've got you covered on Hospitable with Nick & Dean! In this episode Hugo Adames stops by the studio and explains the process he went through to launch the Event Factory - a totally unique event venue right here in our own backyard. Hugo has a fascinating background from club scene origins, to the performing arts, to now running one of the coolest event facilities around! As much as this is a walk down memory lane, this episode is really a masterclass in seeing opportunities and jumping on them! Big shout out to Hugo for telling his story and be sure to check out ALL the episodes of Hospitable and HwP wherever you download your podcasts!

Local legend and Bonafide hospitality guru Rick Simone stopped by the HwP Studios for a chat with Nick and Dean. From his early days as a JWU Hospitality Management Graduate to learning by doing out in the field, there isn't anything that Rick hasn't experienced during his career. A cornerstone of the community here in Providence, Rick shares his journey throughout the industry, the evolving landscape of hospitality and events, and then answers 20 wild questions from Dean! This is a really fun and informative episode from a true master of PVD Hospitality. Be sure to listen to this and all the other HwP episodes wherever you download your podcasts. 

Data Expert and Mobile Technology Guru Evan Saunders stopped by the HwP Studios to talk about his journey into the field of data, how it represents a massive new frontier in the tourism and hospitality field, and some insights into how students can prepare themselves for a career in data. This is a wide ranging conversation about Evan's career in the field of events, travel, luxury electric scooters, and ultimately data that is filled with take-aways and learning moments about how mobile location data can revolutionize decision making in our industry...Not to mention Evan gives us the true insiders guide to what makes a GREAT club sandwich! For more information on Evan, give him a Google, this guys is everywhere!! Or check him out on clubsandwichreviews.com. 

Professional Bartender and Bitters Guru Josh Warrener Zoomed into the HwP studios for this very fun episode. Josh is a cocktail maker and recipe designer in Los Angelos and can be found regularly behind the bar mixing his own concoctions along with the classics. Josh chats with Nick and Dean about the world of Bitters and how this drink ingredient is having a moment on the scene. Anything from classics to grapefruit, bitters are making mixed drinks special! Be sure to check out all of the HwP and Hospitable episodes wherever you download your podcasts!

Alex Highsmith, General Manager and co-owner of Spirited Away and Brand Representative for Pentire Zoomed into the HwP studios for an awesome conversation about the Sprit Free Movement. Alex shared with us her journey to becoming a managing partner of America's first spirit free bottle shop, her path toward repping premium NA options like Pentire, and her takes on spirit free's place in the current F&B landscape. This was a fun episode that covered a TON of ground...as well as a killer spirit free martini recipe! Check out more from Alex by following @SpiritedAway.co and @ahigh4life on Instagram! Be sure to check out other episodes of HwP and Hospitable wherever you download your podcasts. Huge shoutout to JWU's Center for Beverage Excellent and Innovation from bringing Alex on the Pod! To learn more about how JWU is an educational leader in beverages, check out @JWUCBEI

Chef Thom Webb stopped by the HwP studios with some incredible food for the team. Thom is an accomplished chef who recently launched a line of allergen free meals that taste great and avoid all of the major allergy ingredients. Thom walked us through his career as well as the very personal inspiration for launching his line of foods. While still in it's start up phase, if you have a food allergy or sensitivity, you NEED to seek out these meals. Give Thom as follow on is YouTube channel and be sure to download all the episodes of Hospitable wherever you get your podcasts.