McLEAN, Va. — Officials of She Has a Deal (SHaD), a real estate investment platform that creates new pathways to hotel ownership and development for women, announced the winners of events held Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29.
Over the last year, participants in two competition tracks completed more than 40 hours of intensive hotel investment education to learn how to source, evaluate, and raise capital for a real hotel deal. The “Early Career” track was comprised of women either pursuing college and graduate degrees or recent graduates. The “Today’s Woman” track included women who are established in their careers.
Held at Hilton’s Innovation Gallery at the Hilton McLean, Virginia, the event was also broadcast on the She Has a Deal website. The competition was followed by an awards and networking luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner that included a panel discussion with the CEOs of SHaD’s hotel company partners: Geoff Ballotti of Wyndham, Mark Hoplamazian of Hyatt, Elie Maalouf of IHG, Chris Nassetta of Hilton, and Patrick Pacious of Choice.
Of the six “Early Career” teams that were selected at a virtual preliminary round to move forward to the finals, three prizes were awarded. The Viewers’ Choice award, voted on by the livestream audience, was given to the Quarters & Halves team made up of Yvana Petros, graduate of George Washington Elliott School of International Affairs, and Shannah Reagan, graduate of University of Pennsylvania. Second place, a cash award of $5,000, was awarded to L&B Hospitality Consulting, comprised of Lauren Graff and Brylynn Smith from San Diego State University.
The grand prize winner was ASM Consolidated, LLC, the company name used by individual pitcher Morgan Mason. Mason was awarded $50,000 in deal equity through SHaD Prosperity Fund I, a vehicle for investing in women-led hotel projects.
A resident of Chicago, Mason pitched a Residence Inn acquisition in Lakeland, Fla. She plans to pursue a role in real estate development, with a focus on hotels.
“Participating in She Has a Deal is the best decision I could have made. The experience I have gained is invaluable and I am so happy to have made lifelong connections with other outstanding women along the way,” said Mason.
The “Today’s Woman” competition yielded two prizes, both of which were received by GLoW Investing. This pitching team was made up of Jessie Glassmire, Shanttel Liberato, and Nichole Wiggins, and the team pitched two Hampton Inn properties, located in the Houston metro area and Baton Rouge. GLoW Investing also won the Viewers’ Choice award for their competition track.
“We are so grateful for this experience. SHaD has provided a roadmap and resources that we likely wouldn’t have known where to look for. Thank you to Tracy Prigmore for being such an amazing teacher, mentor, and partner,” said Nichole Wiggins of GLoW Investing.
“I’m so proud of Morgan, Jessie, Shanttel, and Nichole. All of the pitches were excellent, and they really put in the work required to deliver a thorough pitch and stand out. The world is yearning to experience the brilliance of these women in hospitality,” said Tracy Prigmore, founder of She Has a Deal. “This year’s event was extra special for the women of She Has a Deal. We hosted our first Power in Numbers Panel with the CEOs from five of our hotel brand company partners. It is imperative that the entire industry join forces with She Has a Deal to raze the roadblocks women face when entering the hotel investment side of the business. When more women are owning and developing hotels, the industry will explode with innovative growth.”
Applications for the 2023 pitch competition will be accepted starting in June 2022.
