Hello!  

Writing to you from the Mayflower Hotel (part of Marriott) in Washington, DC. I'm here for my nephew's wedding, which was postponed from last year due to COVID, very exciting to be able to celebrate this happy occasion with my family!  It has been super fun to be a tourist in DC––top tips: the National Museum of African American History & Culture and renting Lime scooters for touring the national monuments.

On to the news from this week...

• COVID-19 continues to make headlines. The Delta variant is tearing through the USA causing President Biden to re-introduce masks and offer new incentives encouraging more Americans to get vaccinated.  CNN has comprehensive ongoing coverage.
• The Olympics have been incredible to watch, one of the biggest stories has been inspirational gymnast Simone Biles' heartbreaking decision to withdraw from various events due to mental health, citing "the twisties."  An interesting opinion piece in the New York Times explains, "the twisties aren’t unique to sports. Anyone who has ever tried to do something great has also experienced doubt, uncertainty and the loss of faith. These are the struggles that make us human."
• For industry news, the ALIS (American Lodging Investment Summit) was held this week in LA for the first time since January 2020, with more than 1,800 people in attendance. Congratulations to Gilda Perez-Alvarado on winning the Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year Award, read our three-part interview with her. 

Here's what happened on hertelier:

• SCOOP for Round-Up readers!! We interviewed serial entrepreneur Kristina O'Neal, partner and cofounder of hospitality design firm AvroKO and its sister agency, Brand Bureau, on her new VC fund for women, Hospitable Bridge.  Read about this incredible new initiative, what inspired Kristina to start the fund, and what she hopes to achieve.
• If you've got Olympic fever, read our interview with former Olympic gymnast Carrie Zimmerman on how competitive sports helped her succeed in business.
• If you missed this week's series on "cold calling" by Alia Bostaji, associate broker at Colliers, you can read her tips on how to master this intimidating skill here.

Thank you for your support–reading, liking, and sharing our stories of women rocking the hotel industry!  If you have a friend or colleague that you think would enjoy hertelier please forward this email; anyone can sign up by clicking here or the button below.

Have a great week, 

Emily