Sundip Patel is the founder and CEO of AVANA Companies, a financial services firm managing over $1 billion in assets. Born in Zambia and raised in the U.S., Sundip’s journey from CPA to impact-focused entrepreneur is rooted in resilience and purpose. Susan and Sundip talk about lessons in financing, failure, and forging a better future through hotel lending, job creation, and financial education for girls.

What You'll Hear About:

🏨 What exactly a "capital stack" is and why it matters.

💸 The difference between lenders and investors.

💔 What Sundip learned from his first startup flop.

🎓 How the Sunday Scaries pushed Sundip to pivot from public accounting to purpose.

🏗️ Why measuring social impact still feels like algebra.

💡 Sundip's next big idea? A gamified platform to teach girls how to invest in real estate (with real money!).

🔮 A bold vision for the future: tokenized hotel loans, AI-powered underwriting, and faster, fairer financing.

🧠 The “character check” lenders don’t talk about—but absolutely do.

🪄 What Sundip would change with a magic wand: every loan comes with a social impact score.

Our Top Three Takeaways:

1. Failure Isn’t Final. It’s Foundational.

Sundip Patel’s journey from bankruptcy to building a billion-dollar lending firm is a powerful reminder that setbacks are not dead ends. Learning from failure, especially early missteps in leadership, hiring, and funding, can pave the way for long-term success rooted in purpose.

2. Hotel Financing Is a Tool for Community Impact

A hotel isn’t just a building. It’s an engine for economic development. By prioritizing job creation and social equity in lending decisions, Sundip demonstrates how capital can serve communities, not just bottom lines.

3. The Future of Investment Is Inclusive and Fractional

From tokenized hotel loans to teaching teen girls about real estate, Sundip sees a future where access to investment is democratized. As technology evolves, so will the tools to make ownership and impact more widely available.

Shanté Micah is a seasoned storyteller and strategic PR pro who launched her career covering the Olympics before earning her master's from Syracuse and pivoting into brand strategy. With global experience and clients like Disney and ESPN under her belt, she’s now the founder of Good News, a consultancy redefining media outreach. Susan and Shanté talk about personalized pitching, press release pitfalls, and purposeful PR for hospitality brands.

📰 From Olympic glory to Israeli boardrooms—Shanté’s wild ride through global communications

📰 What hospitality PR is getting terribly wrong

📰 The million-dollar Fashion Week flop that proves impressions ≠ impact

📰 Behind the scenes of how Shanté’s team pitches podcasts like pros—and gets booked

📰 Thought leadership vs. thought wallpaper—how to actually stand out in B2B PR

📰 Why your press release isn't a strategy and coverage isn't a trophy

Our Top Three Takeaways:

1. PR Is a System, Not a Spotlight

Instead of treating press coverage like a trophy, successful brands build systems that turn media wins into ongoing visibility and business value. Amplifying, repurposing, and integrating that coverage into everything from sales decks to social content is where the real impact happens.

2. Relevance > Reach

Whether you’re pitching a story or crafting a message, start with what the audience needs, not what you want to say. Personalized, timely, and audience-centered communication cuts through noise and builds lasting credibility.

3. Volume Doesn’t Equal Value

Big numbers—followers, impressions, splashy campaigns—don’t guarantee results. Focus on aligned messaging, strategic intent, and meaningful connections to make a lasting impact in business or life.

Liz Dahlager is the Chief Operating Officer and a partner at Mereté Hotel Management, a hotel management company based in Oregon. With roots in boutique hospitality at Kimpton Hotels, Liz has climbed the career ladder from area director of sales to Chief Operating Officer. Susan and Liz talk about culture, career pivots, and crafting local guest experiences.

Episode Highlights

🎯 Why a solid vision can disarm even the most skeptical peers

🕵️‍♀️ The gamble that (literally) involved chasing cash to a casino

🧠 The surprising prediction about AI and the vanishing sales role

🛏️ The growing divide between experiential and utilitarian hotel stays

🤹‍♀️ How hotel companies can actually support women without just talking about it

🧞‍♀️ What she’d wish for every entry-level hire if given a magic wand

Kim DiMarco is a veteran textile executive and the founder of Somato Textiles, a brand reimagining hospitality fabrics through creativity, sustainability, and heart. With over 30 years of global industry experience, Kim brings a rare mix of business acumen and design passion to every swatch she touches. Susan and Kim talk about pattern psychology, people-first operations, and planet-friendly practices.

What You'll Learn About:

How Kim hustled her way into the textile industry by volunteering in a basement

Why wild hotel carpet patterns were never just about hiding stains

What makes hospitality textiles tougher (and smarter) than your couch fabric

Kim’s fresh take on fabric pricing—with a menu full of vintage restaurant references

How she’s turning old textiles into air-freshening, tire-strengthening biochar

The real reason white bedspreads aren’t going anywhere

Why building a company around people, not profit, can still be wildly successful

A hilarious, heartfelt cold pitch to Danny Meyer—complete with branded sweatshirts

Her top advice for entrepreneurs: go slow, stay scrappy, and follow the spark

It’s the 200th episode, and who better to celebrate with than the show’s most frequent flyer—literally—Cat Meek! Restaurateur, sommelier, real estate investor, travel advisor, and Susan’s sister, Cat shares the hilariously chaotic and wanderlust-filled story of her “adult gap year.” From a surprise St. Croix slideshow pitch to mimosa-fueled airport lounge reviews, it’s a memory-loaded milestone you don’t want to miss.

What You’ll Learn About:

✈️ How a missed seasonal business contract turned into a 25-trip travel spree
🎶 Boom boom trips, concert pilgrimages, and impromptu flights to Vegas and Greece
🧳 Top travel hacks: wear-out shoes, always carry a fold-up bag, and negotiate everything
🌍 Ranking the best (Greece) and worst (sorry, St. Croix) stops on the gap-year globe trot
🔮 Travel predictions: more cruises, a marathon in California, and a Delta One lounge tour of dreams

Chuck Kelley is a seasoned hotelier who’s done it all—from F&B to executive leadership across the globe. Now a partner at Cayuga Hospitality Consultants, he helps independent hotels tackle their trickiest challenges. Susan and Chuck talk about career pivots, consulting pitfalls, and crispy critters.

🦂 From busboy to big boss—how Chuck climbed the hospitality ladder.

🦂 The sideways move that changed his whole career (and wasn’t supposed to happen).

🦂 Why independent hotels need more help than they think and where to find it.

🦂 The hardest part of solving problems? Admitting there is one.

🦂 What owners get wrong about consultants, and how to get your money’s worth.

🦂 The scariest thing Chuck ever ate on the job. Spoiler: it had a stinger.

Other Episodes You May Like:

19: Welcome to Last Call with Stephanie Smith
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/19

102: Elmer on Ice with Mandy Murry
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/102

174: Apron on a Fence with Mitch Prensky
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/174

In this second batch of HITEC interviews, Susan invites a new group of hotel tech leaders into the Top Floor recording booth to deliver their best Elevator Pitches—and a few unforgettable stories. From AI-powered concierges to spa booking solutions and a piano-playing manager who couldn’t play piano, this episode blends industry insight with plenty of personality. Plus, you’ll find out exactly how a monkey became part of a hotel’s guest communication demo.

Featured guests:

James Hansen, Vice President of Business Development, REECO

Eric Lutz, Co-Founder & CEO, OLIVE

Shawn Tarter, President, RealTime Reservation

Mark Cederloff, CEO, VSR Network Technologies

Mike Medsker, Founder, SIV

Jen Barnwell, President, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection

Tess McGoldrick, Senior Vice President, Travel & Hospitality, Revenue Analytics

Tanya Pratt, Global Vice President, Oracle Hospitality

Stephen Chen, CEO, Phunware

In this special HITEC edition of Top Floor, we’re riding the elevator with hospitality tech leaders who know how to make a pitch. From PMS platforms to AI concierges, we cover real-world tools and real-life chaos, including fainting coworkers, bat encounters, and nightclub drama. Whether you're here for the insights or the insanity, this episode delivers both!

Featured in Part One:

David Fox with Quore

Mark Lewis-Brown with Zucchetti North America

Estella Hale with Zucchetti North America

Christian Arias with Hapi

Doug Ralston with True Omni

Ethan Wiseman with Sabre

Sandrine Zechbauer with RMS