In honor of Black History Month, we at Women Leading Travel & Hospitality are highlighting eight Black women in the travel and hospitality industries you should know. These individuals are paving the way for the next generation of female leaders, redefining what it means to be a leader, and setting new standards for the workplace. They’re executives, entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders, champions and heroes who are elevating the conversation about what it means to positively impact the culture.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the amazing Black travel and hospitality leaders that are and have been advancing and shaping the conversation about equity and justice in the industry, nor is this list in any particular order. If there’s someone in the world of travel or hospitality you think should be included in this list, let me know at malbiges@napco.com.

We’ve included a link to each woman’s LinkedIn profile because we’ve found they’re actively using the platform to post interesting, thought-provoking insights as well as starting dialogues about issues that every retail leader should be thinking about.

  1. Amaka Amatokwu-Ndekwu, Senior Sales Manager, Hilton Grand Vacations
    Amaka is the co-founder of the African Association of Women in Tourism and Hospitality and leads a sales team at Hilton Grand Vacations in Virginia.
  2. Sonya Bradley, Chief of DEI, Visit Sacramento
    Sonya has been working to create change and ensure DEI is brought to the forefront of every program and practice at Visit Sacramento since 2021. She’s been a recipient of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce Community Leader of the Year award.
  3. Tracie Carwile, Vice President, Global Sales and Inclusion, GGT Worldwise
    In addition to her role driving revenue growth, Tracie also founded an inclusion consulting firm focused on helping business aviation leaders develop and implement inclusion policies to retain and advance talent inside and outside of the flight deck.
  4. Erica Cary, Vice President, Global HR Business Partner, Hilton
    Erica is the vice president and global HR business partner at Hilton, where she ensures the hotel chain’s talent is engaged with purpose and thriving in a diverse, inclusive culture.
  5. Stephanie Perry, Co-Founder, ExodUS Summit
    Stephanie co-founded ExodUS Summit, the premier virtual conference for Black women planning a sabbatical, expat move, or nomadic life abroad.
  6. Christina Rice, Founder, OMNoire
    Christina is the founder of a global wellness brand for Black women and women of color. She frequently discusses the rise of wellness tourism and the untapped potential in catering to travelers of color.
  7. Cheryl Richards, Senior Vice President, Chief DEI Officer, Visit Dallas
    Cheryl is responsible for developing, implementing, measuring and monitoring comprehensive, business-relevant strategies and tactics for leveraging diversity and inclusion to support the Dallas CVB’s mission, vision and business priorities.
  8. Claire Soares, Founder and CEO, Up in the Air Life
    Claire founded several tour companies under the umbrella of Up in the Air Life. She regularly posts about luxury travel, artificial intelligence, being an expat in Mexico, entrepreneurship, and more.