Details
June 26, 2025
11:00AM - 2:00PM
Annual Women in Lodging Statewide Leadership Luncheon
Vitria on the Square
14 E 15th Ave 2nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43201
Additional Event Details
Join the OHLA & the Women in Lodging CONNECT community for an empowering luncheon designed to celebrate and elevate women in hospitality, themed Move Her Forward: The Key to Fearless Leadership.
Hear from dynamic industry leaders, engage in bold conversations, and uncover the tools to lead confidently and purposefully. This exclusive event is your opportunity to connect, grow, and move fearlessly into the future of hospitality leadership.
Agenda
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Recommended Arrival - 11:00 am
Program Begins Promptly - 11:30 am
Program Concludes - 2:00 pm
Registration
Member: $75 per person
Non-Member: $125 per person
Table of 8: $550
Table of 4: $275
Nearby Parking
Nearby parking can be found across the street from the venue in the Ohio Union South Garage on High Street.
Ohio Union South Garage
1759 N High St, Columbus, OH 43210
Food & Beverage
Lunch Provided
Recommended Attire
Business Casual: relating to or denoting a style of clothing that is less formal than traditional business wear, but is still intended to give a professional and businesslike impression.
Cancellation Policy
No refunds after June 19. No shows will be billed.
Content Overview
Meet Our Keynote
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter
If you’re looking for a straight path to success, Ukeme Awakessien Jeter isn’t your blueprint, she’s your breakthrough. A trailblazer, she has lived in eight cities across four countries and built a career defined by bold pivots and fearless leadership.
From manufacturing plants to boardrooms to city hall, Ukeme’s path has been anything but conventional. She started her career as an engineer, became a partner at a big national law firm, and made history as the first person of color elected to the city council in her city’s 103-year existence. Today, she leads as Mayor and Council president.
When she’s not shaping policy, she’s shaping minds. As Assistant Dean for Global Perspectives at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Ukeme prepares the next generation of legal leaders to thrive in a globalized world.
She’s the award-winning author of IMMIGRIT, a powerful book about identity, grit, and reimagining leadership through the lived experience of an immigrant. Her words have appeared in Fortune, Fast Company, and HR Brew, and her impact has earned her a spot on Columbus CEO Magazine’s Future 50 list, the title of “HerStory” Maker from the Urban League, and recognition as a 2025 Columbus Monthly Inspiring Woman.
Known for her warmth, wit, and tell-it-like-it-is wisdom, Ukeme speaks across the country on cultural intelligence, leadership, and reminds ambitious humans that success doesn’t have to follow a script. Her talks leave audiences laughing, inspired, and ready to take the next bold step even when the path ahead is uncertain.
A proud Nigerian immigrant, Ukeme now calls Upper Arlington, Ohio, home, where she’s raising her two children and a COVID-era dog who’s never known a world without constant company at home.
Click here to learn more about Ukeme.
Your Leadership Lineup
Leading with purpose, speaking with impact.
Join a dynamic panel of hospitality professionals and our expert moderator as they dive into honest conversations about leadership, growth, and moving the industry forward—together.
Moderator
Panelists
Thank you to our WIL CONNECT Presenting Sponsor!
Thank you to our WIL CONNECT Sponsor!
Interested in Sponsoring an event like this one? Contact OHLA at info@ohla.org.
