Evolution Of Hotels

[Vikki Nagindas]

Foundedin 2011, Evolution Hospitality delivers management, concepting, and marketing for hotels, restaurants, and hotel outlets. Our hotel management company attracts top talent, with a focus on personal and professional development, and the three disciplines of revenue, sales, and marketing. Our goal is to lead the industry in top line revenue performance, build better efficiencies, delight our guests, and have an intense focus on the middle of the page for owners.

Evolution Hospitality creates distinct lifestyle experiences and drives performance throughout our curated collection of independent, luxury, boutique, lifestyle, and soft brand hotels, as well as restaurants, bars, and lounges throughout North America.

An industry leading team of culinary experts with decades of experience in restaurant development, menu concepting, branding, design and decor, and operational management across our portfolio of lifestyle hotels and resorts. Our culinary team specializes in creating unique, innovative, and approachable dining spaces that eschew fleeting trends, resulting in restaurants that stand the test of time.

Talented, exceptional people who are passionate about what they do are the foundation of our culture. Individuals unafraid to test new ideas, shed their ego for the good of the enterprise, and always strive to make it better than it was before. Our expertise covers every area; each a forward-thinking leader in their field. Evo is where like minds come together and love every minute of it.

Decades of collective experience make up our team of passionate professionals, each with their own unique set of skills and expertise. With an unwavering commitment to sharing knowledge with our clients, together we continually learn, grow, and support one another, creating an environment of excellence and innovation.

Gary, born in Swaziland and raised on the Indian Ocean shores of Durban, South Africa, brings a global perspective to his role in the hospitality industry. With a career that began in the military, where he attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant, Gary transitioned seamlessly into hospitality management, a field that runs in his family. After earning his degree, he honed his skills in Cape Town and London, working in various lifestyle properties. His extensive experience includes leadership roles at esteemed brands like MakeReady Hotels, Ian Schrager's Morgans Hotel Group, and SBE Hotels, where he led significant re-branding and pre-opening initiatives.

Away from the hustle and bustle of hotel management, Gary enjoys a fulfilling family life with his wife Maria and their two children, Niomi and Max, along with their dog Cooper. Now based in Charleston, South Carolina, the family embraces the great outdoors, from beach outings to motorcycle rides. Gary's favorite Guiding Principle, "Do Everything with Gratitude and Humility," reflects his international experiences and the importance he places on being grateful and humble. With plans to eventually retire on a sailboat, Gary's journey in hospitality is as adventurous as his personal life.

Mike Vishny is a dynamic and growth-oriented senior HR executive with a diverse range of experiences across multiple industries and geographies. He thrives in environments that require hyper-growth, change, and turnarounds. Since 2022, Mike has brought his business acumen and passion for driving growth to Evolution Hospitality.

Committed to coaching and developing others, Mike prioritizes helping individuals achieve their personal and professional goals. Throughout his career, Mike has worked in various industries including financial services, technology, consumer packaged goods, marketing research, and industrial manufacturing. However, it is the unique nature of lifestyle hotels that captivates him, specifically the level of creativity and effort required to attract and cater to the diverse needs of different types of travelers and guests.

Mike values honesty, loyalty, and commitment in both personal and professional relationships. He is married to Natalie, whom he met in college, and they share three grown children. A lifelong fan of the Rolling Stones and the Chicago Cubs, Mike holds cherished memories of seeing the band 8 times in multiple cities and watching Ernie Banks play at Wrigley Field.

To call Ed a perfectionist doesn't quite capture his true personality - anal retentive, compulsive, maybe even a little neurotic, would be closer to the mark. Disorganization drives Ed crazy; like Excel, he thinks in columns, rows and numbers. For him Mr. 00010010 is far cooler than 007. He is currently hooked on Sudoku and is not satisfied until he completes his daily puzzle accurately, without corrections or side notes.

Ed's a family man and his single most important focus is being the best husband and father he can be. He is also passionate about providing his wife and two children with warm and wonderful memories of shared adventures and experiences; a tradition he hopes will live on through future generations. He likes to capture these moments in photographs and has a surprisingly creative eye for great shots.

Ed's favorite Guiding Principle is: "Test it... don't be afraid to fail." Because Evolution Hospitality allows employees to test new ideas, Ed feels this Guiding Principle has truly been the foundation of his success.

A south Orange County native who grew up surfing, Eric knew Evolution was a great cultural fit as soon he walked into the office and noticed longboards hanging on the walls and surf videos on repeat in the lobby. Eric and his wife Kristina are avid adventurers who love the beach and mountains alike. They are proud parents to two young boys with seemingly endless amounts of energy. They reside in San Clemente, not far from the Evo office, and on the weekends balance their time between surfing with the kids, juggling youth sports and long relaxing hikes.

Eric is an innovative digital marketing leader with experience driving growth and business transformation in hospitality, real estate, and financial service industries. He has a passion for creating data driven, customer centric strategies that generate growth through new customer acquisition, brand strategy and digital innovation. Eric enjoys building and growing high functioning teams that work cohesively to drive maximum value to stakeholders.

Alex Michael Johnson is a seasoned professional with a multifaceted background in the hospitality industry, including stints in casinos, skiing, and hotels. With a degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Louisville, Alex has a keen eye for operations analytics and revels in the details. Before joining Evolution Hospitality one and half years ago, he was pivotal in building the Graduate Hotels portfolio, growing it from 8 to 35 hotels in approximately three years. His approach to work is driven by his favorite Guiding Principle: "Make it better than it was before." His love for his job stems from the opportunity to meet new people and explore the diverse markets in which Evolution operates.

Away from the analytics and acquisitions, Alex is a man of simple yet refined tastes. He describes himself as driven, collaborative, and passionate. When it comes to unwinding, nothing beats a drive in the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver. A wine enthusiast, his favorite hotel is the Harvest Inn in Napa, known for its in-room fireplaces and vineyard-overlooking patios. Alex is happily married to Paige and is a proud pet parent to two rescue dogs, Balou and Milo. His favorite piece of advice encapsulates his work ethic perfectly: "If you enjoy what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Whether sipping on a Silver Oak Cabernet or re-watching the TV series "White Collar" for the fifth time, Alex knows how to balance a high-powered career with a fulfilling personal life.

With a wealth of expertise and knowledge from his years in the hospitality industry, Brian has played a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and ensuring the highest standards of service across multiple lifestyle hotels at Evolution Hospitality. He has held various leadership positions within the company including Director of Operations, Regional Director, and currently Vice President of Operations.

Melinda Capen is a dynamic force in the hospitality industry, embodying a rare blend of financial acumen and people skills. With a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from San Francisco State University, Melinda's journey began as an unpaid intern, eventually working her way up through operations. Her extensive experience spans renowned brands like Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt, as well as independent properties across the U.S. Melinda thrives on the multifaceted nature of her role, from diving into financials to morning sales huddles and revenue management. She relishes collaborating with owners, team members, and brand representatives, always with the Guiding Principle of making things better than they were before."

Away from the spreadsheets and sales targets, Melinda is a passionate, adventurous, and curious individual. Her most cherished travel experiences include life-changing global builds with Habitat for Humanity, offering her unique insights into various cultures. When it comes to leisure, she has a penchant for unique architecture and experiences, citing the Post Hotel in Leavenworth, WA, and the Ion in Iceland as her favorite hotels. Melinda is also a devoted wife to Ryan and a pet mom to Barley, a silver lab, and Porter, a black shelter cat. Her interests are as diverse as her career, from photography and hiking to enjoying an Oregon Pinot or an Old Fashioned.

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