Black Mentorship Program Inspires Hoteliers to Try to Make Sector Inclusive
Photo Caption: Telesa Via is vice president of sales at Kimpton Hotels and Resorts. Source: IHG.
Skift Take
Telesa Via's story at IHG's Kimpton brand of hotels spotlights a broader surge of industry interest in making the hotel sector more welcoming for Black leaders in all roles.
Twenty years ago, Telesa Via worked for a company that partnered with the National Urban League to build business relationships in the Black community and associations. Today, that has come full circle for the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants' vice president of sales, who was instrumental in the boutique brand forging a partnership with the civil rights and urban advocacy group.
In its first year, a donation was made to the League for each reservation using a special code that included a guest discount. But equally as important as the impact of the promotion’s external impression is the internal influence of Kimpton’s partnership with the National Urban League’s Young Professionals mentorship program, said Via.
The effort nurtures future leaders, hoping to draw Black interest to a field that’s critically lacking racial and gender diversity in upper-level roles according to the Castell Project, a non-profit dedicated to accelerating the careers of wome
