Known as the Hospitality Sharp Shooter, Ashli Johnson brings nearly 20 years of leadership, consulting, and academic experience with top hospitality brands to her current role. A fierce champion for equity and inclusion in the hospitality industry, she founded of Hospitality Leaders Today – HLT100 as a leadership development program for Black collegiate students in 2016; Hospitality Hued as an accelerator for Black hospitality professionals in 2019; and additionally has served on several industry boards and led committees for organizations such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD), and the Latino Hotel Association (LHA).

Ashli has worked for, partnered with, and consulted on projects with leading brands, including Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, the Walt Disney Company, and Audi of America to name a few; in addition to hundreds of independent hospitality-focused entrepreneurs.

In academia, Ashli has taught and served in leadership roles for recognized hospitality programs, including Virginia State University, Georgetown University, and University of Central Florida; and served as the assistant dean of the University of Houston’s Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management prior to leading educational programming for AAHOA.

In 2022, Ashli was appointed as Inaugural executive director of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University, where she continues the work of creating a more equitable and inclusive hospitality industry for Black professionals. In this first of its kind role, Ashli is tasked with building a pipeline of Black executive level talent and entrepreneurs to lead the hospitality industry.

Ashli is a proud hospitality graduate of the University of West Florida and holds a Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida International University.