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Meet Your Hosts

Nathan and Jeneale

We are Nathan and Jeneale, founders of Thaniel Arts, an online contemporary gallery celebrating the innovative and unconventional craftsmanship of emerging Caribbean, Latin American, Asian & African artists and artists of the diaspora.

We help clients use artwork to curate intentional, personal, and meaningful spaces without compromising on brand values and goals, so that they can strengthen brand loyalty by developing a deep emotional connection between the guests and the brand.

As creative professionals who function in various capacities within the art, events and hospitality industries, we firmly believe that art is a bold expression of individuality, igniting a deep sense of inspiration while nurturing human connection.

In our travels and experience with expanding hotel developments across the Caribbean, we’ve seen a growing trend of similarity and in some cases ‘sameness’ between different hotel brands, a lack of emotional appeal, repurposing of strategies and approaches that worked well for one-region but does not translate in the same manner in a region with a different culture and people.

So we are on a mission to help you the hotelier and hospitality entrepreneur create intentional art-focused spaces that are culturally relevant, nurture emotional connection and build brand recognition, in turn growing revenue with an established and ever-expanding loyal customer base.

Meet Your Speakers

Megan

Megan Grant Pederson

The Hidden Power of Hotel Partnerships: Building Equality Through Local Impact

Meet Megan, the Founder & Chief Memory Creator for Cherish Tours. With a background in conference planning and a global canvas of world travel experiences, she has become deeply convinced that travel has the power to be transformational, especially for women striving to create a difference in the world.

 As a dedicated advocate for empowering women globally, Megan’s influence extends well beyond her travels to 45+ countries, including over 10 solo adventures. 

Her unique perspective and innovative approach have set her apart, making significant contributions to discussions on sustainable tourism, global women’s businesses, the post-pandemic travel surge, women’s travel experiences, and travel safety. Megan’s experience adds a layer of expertise and vision, making her a compelling voice in the realm of travel and women’s empowerment.

heather

Heather Turner

Marketing and Operations Mastery for Boutique Hospitality, Practical Strategies to Build Brand Loyalty and Drive Sustainable Growth

Heather Turner is the owner of Forfeng Designs, founded in 2003, a hospitality operations and marketing consulting business. She is a SCORE Certified Small Business Mentor and Associate District Director for the New Hampshire/Vermont District. Prior Heather spent over 20 years previously in the restaurant business in the back of the house, and is a Culinary Institute of America graduate.

She currently teaches marketing and operations seminars for small businesses and professional groups. She was prior a member of Toastmasters International (3 DTMs), and is currently a keynote and educational speaker at associations and conferences around the United States.

She was awarded the 2022 New Hampshire Small Business Champion of the Year from the New Hampshire SBA for her work with SCORE.

Dr. Shelli Hendricks

Building a Powerful Team

As a professional coach with a Ph.D. in Organizational Development & Change, Dr. Shelli Hendricks has been studying leadership and teams inside corporate organizations for over 20 years. She founded Blue Horizon Solutions to provide world-class professional and leadership development programs uniquely designed for the hospitality, travel and ecotourism industry.

Her mission is equipping business leaders to create waves of positive change for future generations, so they can learn new ways, lead with compassion and grace, and leave a legacy on purpose. For fun, Dr. Shelli enjoys helping people to connect with our Blue Planet by introducing new scuba divers, saving sea turtles, and researching practices for sustainable ecotourism.

Website

Team Foundations: Proven Tactics for Enhancing Team Dynamics | UPGRADE TO ACCESS

Kristi-Porter

Kristi Porter

Social Enterprise Marketing: Where Hospitality Meets Impact

Kristi Porter helps cause-focused organizations move from scattered efforts to strategic growth. As their Fractional Chief Impact Officer, she’s here to help them measure what matters, communicate results, and maximize their mission—all on their terms and budget. When you go from overwhelm to outcomes, you can do good even better.

Website

The Beginner’s Guide to Giving Back Through Your Business | UPGRADE TO ACCESS

Angela Mazzi

Designing Holistic Spaces

Angela’s research on salutogenesis, equity, and socio-cultural contexts illuminates how design impacts well-being and ways the design process impacts designers. It’s her mission as a firm principal at GBBN, industry leader to advocate for healthy innovation-focused practice models. She founded Architecting, an award-winning podcast. 

She is the author of two books, Career Crisis and Time Builder and is currently writing a third: The Design Ecosystem.

Angela is Past President of the American College of Healthcare Architects, Past President of AIA Cincinnati and Secretary of AIA Ohio. She is a peer reviewer for Health Environment Research and Design (HERD) Journal, 2022 recipient of the HCD10 Top Architect Award and 2024 recipient of the AIA Ohio Gold Medal.

Website

Get More From Your Daily 24 | FREE RESOURCE

Applying biophilia in your spaces | UPGRADE TO ACCESS

Wanjiku_Kimari_Headshot

Wanjiku Kimari

The 7 Principles of Experiential Hospitality Design

I’m an experiential interior designer focused on creating modern, culturally grounded, and sensorial residential and hospitality spaces for diaspora clients. 

My goal is to help Kenyans and those investing in Kenya build interiors that feel comfortable, authentic, and deeply connected to identity. Guided by the “less is more” philosophy, my work embodies simplicity, timeless elegance, and functional aesthetics, always prioritising quality over quantity. 

Whether it’s a boutique hotel or a short-stay rental, I aim to make each space feel personal, memorable, and emotionally resonant.

BE SURE TO CLICK THE LINKS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR POWERHOUSE SPEAKERS, GRAB THEIR FREEBIES AND CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

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