Five Years of HerOwnership: Building What Comes Next

By Laura Lee Blake, ESQ., AAHOA President & CEO

Five years ago, AAHOA set out to create something more than a conference. HerOwnership was designed to give women in hospitality a place to learn from one another, build relationships, exchange ideas, and see what is possible when they take ownership of their careers, businesses, and futures.

Five years later, that vision continues to grow.

This year’s HerOwnership Conference in Nashville marked a meaningful milestone for AAHOA and the women who have helped shape this event. What began as an initiative to elevate women in our industry has become an important part of the AAHOA calendar, reflecting the growing presence and influence of women across hospitality.

The breadth of this year’s program reflected that evolution. Attendees explored everything from building a brand with purpose and evaluating practical applications for AI to leadership, hotel acquisitions, portfolio diversification, and protecting their businesses from legal risks. The conference also created space for conversations about financing and long-term value creation, as well as opportunities to hear directly from women leaders who have built careers and businesses of their own. That range matters because there is no single path to leadership in hospitality.

Some women are building their first business. Others are expanding an established portfolio, stepping into a family business, leading a team, developing their personal brand, or finding new ways to create value beyond the hotel itself. HerOwnership meets women at each of those stages and gives them the tools, connections, and perspectives to take their next step.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of HerOwnership is what happens between the sessions. It is the conversation over breakfast, the introduction between two attendees who had never met, the mentor who shares something she learned the hard way, and the relationships that continue long after the conference ends.

Five years is an important milestone, but it is also a reminder that this work is still moving forward. Every year brings new women into our industry, new challenges to navigate, and new opportunities to lead.

As we look toward the next five years of HerOwnership, I am excited to see what this community will build – and grateful to everyone who has helped make HerOwnership what it is today.