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Marriott International – Arne Sorenson Hospitality Fund

April is Diversity Month, a month-long initiative to recognize and celebrate all cultures and populations. Learn more here.

The Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund honors the legacy of the late President and CEO of Marriott International by helping Howard University build the next generation of hospitality industry leaders.

The fund, established by Marriott International, will support the programmatic and career development elements of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership, which will be housed within the Howard University School of Business. The Center is being created by a generous gift from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. Marriott has pledged the first donation of one million dollars to the fund and is inviting other companies, organizations, and individuals – from all industries – to support this effort.

TRADITIONAL AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and Howard University are working together to form a hospitality industry advisory council to design a world-class hospitality curriculum. The center’s advisory council members will serve as guest lecturers and mentors and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students. The council will include hospitality executives, industry practitioners, association leaders and academics who together will develop a hospitality program to meet industry needs well into the future. To learn more about how to get involved contact Jennifer Lawrence, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, jen.lawrence@marriott.com

A VISION THAT TRANSFORMED THE BUSINESS OF TRAVEL

Arne Sorenson – who was known to all simply by his first name – built his tenure on the bedrock of Marriott International’s core values: putting people first, pursuing excellence, acting with integrity, embracing change, and serving our world. An outspoken corporate leader, Arne advocated for human rights, environmental sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Under his leadership, Marriott grew its long-standing and recognized commitment to welcoming all and ensuring inclusive opportunity. Arne believed in the importance of education and opportunity and how the intersection of the two is what will power more diverse hospitality leadership in the future for the industry he loved.

To learn more about how you can support the Arne Sorenson Hospitality Fund, please visit Howard University’s website