Creating Clearer Pathways for the Next Generation of Hospitality Leaders - June 2026
By Farouk Rajab, President/CEO, RI Hospitality
Hospitality has always been an industry of stories.
Behind every restaurant, hotel, event venue, and tourism business is a person who discovered that hospitality can be more than a job; it can be a career, a business, a calling, and a place to lead and grow.
That story matters now more than ever.
As Rhode Island’s hospitality industry continues to evolve, one of our most important responsibilities is creating clearer pathways for the next generation of leaders. Workforce development cannot be limited to filling open positions. It must also be about helping people understand where those positions can lead.
For too long, hospitality careers have been misunderstood as temporary or transitional. Many people still think of our industry as a first job, a summer job or a stop along the way to something else. But some of Rhode Island’s strongest operators, chefs, managers and executives began in entry-level roles. They stayed because someone invested in them. They advanced because someone showed them a path to growth and opportunity.
Through RI Hospitality’s “Talk Hospitality To Me” series on WPRI 12+, we have highlighted the personal and professional journeys of those who make this industry so dynamic. These conversations feature restaurant owners, hotel executives, educators, chefs, general managers and workforce advocates. Each story is different, but the message is consistent: hospitality careers are built through hard work, mentorship, adaptability and opportunity.
These stories help change perception. When students hear from someone who started in a kitchen and now runs a business, they can see a future. When educators, employers and industry partners speak about training and advancement, families and community leaders can see hospitality as a serious career path.
This is where the RI Hospitality Education Foundation becomes so important.
The Education Foundation helps turn visibility into action. Through ProStart®, Hospitality and Tourism Management, training initiatives, scholarships, career exposure opportunities and partnerships with schools and higher education institutions, the Foundation helps students and workers connect interest to opportunity. It introduces young people to the skills, expectations and standards of this industry before they enter the workforce full time.
That early exposure matters. Students are not simply learning technical skills. They are learning teamwork, communication, accountability, leadership and problem-solving. They are seeing an industry that rewards creativity, discipline and service with room for advancement.
But education alone is not enough. Employers also play a critical role.
A clear career pathway must be visible inside the workplace. That means helping employees understand what advancement looks like, what skills they need to build and how they can move from entry-level positions into supervisory, management or ownership opportunities. It also means creating cultures where people feel supported and encouraged to stay.
Retention begins with possibility.
When employees see that there is a future for them in this industry, they are more likely to invest in their own growth. When businesses provide training, mentorship and responsibility, they are not only building stronger teams, but they are also strengthening the entire industry.
At RI Hospitality this work is central to our mission. We are focused on building infrastructure that connects talent to opportunity through training, advocacy, education partnerships, recognition programs, career exposure and storytelling platforms.
The future of hospitality will be built by showing people what is possible and giving them the tools to get there.
When we create clearer pathways for growth, we do more than fill jobs. We build careers. We strengthen businesses. We shape leaders. And we ensure that Rhode Island’s hospitality industry remains vibrant, resilient and a place for the next generation to thrive.