SPANX founder Sara Blakely and New York Times Best Selling Author and Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler Headline the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at 33rd Hunter Hotel Investment Conference

The self-made billionaire power couple to talk entrepreneurship, family, and the power of being underestimated

ATLANTA (February 9, 2022) – The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, Georgia State University, and Noble Investment Group are pleased to announce power couple Sara Blakely, founder and executive chairwoman of SPANX, and Jesse Itzler, New York Times Best Selling author, entrepreneur, will join Mit Shah, CEO of Noble, for the 2022 Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series. 

Sara Blakely revolutionized the undergarment industry with just $5,000 and a “lucky” red backpack. As Founder and Executive Chairwoman of SPANX, Blakely has grown her company to a global brand known for inventing smarter, more comfortable solutions. In support of her mission to empower women, Blakely created the SPANX by Sara Blakely Foundation and has promised to donate half of her wealth to charity as a signatory to The Giving Pledge. Time Magazine selected Blakely as one of its 100 Most Influential People, and Forbes Magazine featured her on its cover as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. 

“Sara’s and Jesse’s journeys of vision and grit only happen in America. Strengthened by their love and commitment to each other, their family, and their community, and emboldened by their boundless generosity,” said Mit Shah. “Their story serves as an inspiration to us all, but particularly to our industry’s next generation of hospitality entrepreneurs and professionals who will find themselves on their own personal journey of juggling their professional ambitions, commitment to their life partner, and being the best parent, we all aspire to be.”

Jesse Itzler has one of the world’s most remarkable life resumes. Itzler has lived in a monastery, run several 100-mile races, and trained with Wim Hof in the art of cold therapy and breathwork. He is the author of New York Times Bestsellers, “Living with a SEAL: 31 Days of Training with the Toughest Man” and “Living with the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus.” A former rapper, Itzler wrote and performed the NBA’s Emmy Award-winning “I Love This Game” music campaign and the popular New York Knicks anthem “Go NY Go.” His entrepreneurial resume is equally impressive. Itzler is the co-founder of Marquis Jet, Zico Coconut Water, and 29029.   

The Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series was established and endowed in honor of Dr. Bharat Shah at Georgia State’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality, J. Mack Robinson College of Business. An immigrant to the United States, Dr. Shah is a highly respected leader and philanthropist. His vision for this series is to share the intimate and diverse personal journeys of icons whose stories of struggle, perseverance, commitment, and faith have led to the realization of the American Dream. 

“As a conference, our goal is to provide education and insight not found anywhere else. We achieve this through the participation of our exceptional panelists and speakers,” said Lee Hunter, Conference Chair. “We remain honored to host this incredibly significant speaker series and thank Mit and the Noble team for their leadership. We also thank Georgia State’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality for their continued dedication to recruiting, educating, and inspiring the next generation of hospitality leaders. I encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity and strongly believe the next Sara Blakely, Jesse Itzler, or Mit Shah will be in the audience of this 8th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series.”

Over the years, Bharat’s son, Mit, has brought us into the living room for candid conversations with his father; the late Mark Elliott, President of Hodges Ward Elliott; Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Tom Baltimore, President, Chairman, and CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts; the late Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International; Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton; and Vince Carter and Grant Hill, world-renowned NBA and NCAA basketball legends, business leaders, and philanthropists.

Sara Blakely, Jesse Itzler, and Mit Shah will take the main stage of the HUNTER Conference on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 12:30 pm at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The session is open to registered attendees, special guests, and Georgia State University students.

About Noble Investment Group

Founded in 1993, Noble is a leading real estate investment manager with a diverse team specializing in the upscale U.S. lodging sector. Through its institutional real estate funds, Noble has invested nearly $5 billion in communities throughout the country, adding value across cycles and creating thousands of jobs. As a signatory to the UNPRI. the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, and a fiduciary to foremost pensions plans, endowments, and foundations, Noble’s endeavors help to preserve and grow its limited partners’ capital, which assists in providing retirement benefits for our country’s teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, other pensioners, and financial resources for students to attend college.

About Hunter Hotel Investment Conference

Hunter Hotel Investment Conference is an education- and networking-focused event for hotel investors. Long recognized as one of the top national hotel conferences, its goal is to provide accurate industry performance and trend information alongside networking and educational opportunities. The conference is presented by Hunter Hotel Advisors, the nation’s leading investment advisory firm focused exclusively on the hotel industry.

 About Georgia State University

The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration within the J. Mack Robinson College of Business are co-founders of the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. Georgia State University provides its world-class faculty and more than 52,000 students from over 130 nations and territories with unsurpassed connections to opportunities in one of the 21st century’s great global cities. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, including more than 3,000 international students, more African American students graduate each year from Georgia State than any other public or nonprofit higher education institution in the United States. Georgia State is the #1 public or nonprofit university in Georgia to confer undergraduate and graduate degrees to African Americans, Asians, and Latinos. It is ranked the #2 most innovative university and #1 public university for its strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.