A 20-year veteran of the hospitality scene, Cecilia Cuff has established herself as a pacemaker in the hospitality design industry focusing on art and efficiency inspired design, inclusivity, community development and sustainability.
Cecilia has managed hospitality openings and brand launches for companies like Grand Lux and Gin Bucks In Chicago, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts all over North & South America, Ski Resort and Adventure Resort Renovations for companies like Taos Ski Valley and M Vacation Resorts & Properties and The Global Tailored Stay Experience as well as the recent emergence of her own elusive high end event venue, The Stakeout, located above the Rio Grande in the mountains of Taos, New Mexico.
Cecilia’s involvement and enthusiasm for corporate brand development is always guided using community development, food sustainability and minority inclusion as a moral compass. She considers her greatest successes those students she has mentored and share their enthusiasm as they advance through their careers around the globe. Regenerative farming practices, local ingredient sourcing and at risk youth professional development are common threads that link her work and programing that remain strong long after she has developed a project.
As a part of a career dedicated to flawless and carefully executed hospitality service, Cecilia’s career client list brags seamlessly handling celebrities from Sheryl Crow, Lil Wayne, Emeril Lagasse, Snoop Dog, Rihanna, Kanye West, Seal, Brad Pitt & Angela Jolie. Elevated hospitality experiences in event production has remained her differentiator creating and curating large scale wine festivals all over the United States, aiding in the production of multi day music festivals and experiences such as Tales of the Cocktail, Music on The Mesa, Essence Festival and Emeril Lagasse Boudin & Beer. One of Cecilia’s strong suits lies in volume, running 300+ person teams for Frito Lay, NCAA, New Orleans Saints, Pepsi and other corporate clientele with multimillion-dollar annual budgets, but she truly enjoys hosting intimate VIP groups and producing high end galas for larger guest lists.
Cecilia now operates her own firm, The Nascent Group, acting as a ally to urban planners and community developers to create more inclusive economic design as well as aiding businesses with hotel and restaurant openings, operation brand launches and design and communities with sustainability, inclusivity and urban planning. She also operates Parse SECO, a multidisciplinary art space offering art residencies and space for underrepresented communities and mentorship for at risk youth with sister branches in New Orleans, San Francisco, New York and Mexico.
Cecilia is a member of The British American Project and has received accolades and awards from Wine Spectator, Forbes, Who’s Who in Black Chicago, Conde Naste and Boys & Girls Club of America for her work. When it comes time to escape the daily grind, Cecilia elects to indulge in the exploration of the diverse world of food, beverage and art and surfing or snowboarding in locations with minimal cell service and no WIFI.
For more information on her breadth of work, please visit https://thenascentgroup.com/
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