Hersha CEO to Share Entrepreneurial Vision With Cornell Students
Jay H. Shah
ITHACA, NY, February 21, 2008. Jay H. Shah, chief executive officer of Hersha Hospitality Trust, will speak on Monday, February 25th in the "Conversations with Entrepreneurs" series presented by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Shah will present from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in 291 Statler Hall, Beck Center. Guests are welcome.
At Hersha, Shah oversees a Maryland real estate investment trust that invests in upscale and midscale hotels in select markets in the Northeastern and Western U.S. markets. Previously, Shah served as Hersha's president and chief operating officer. Earlier he was managing director of the Hersha Group, a private affiliate of Hersha Hospitality Trust that provides hotel management, development and construction management services to hotel owners. Before joining Hersha, Shah was principal in the law firm of Shah & Byler, LLP, a real estate and construction specialty practice, which he founded. Additionally, he consulted for Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, and served as a legislative assistant to the late Senator John Heinz.
A graduate of the School of Hotel Administration, Shah also has a law degree from the Temple University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. Shah was named to Philadelphia Business Journal's "40 Under 40" awards program, recognizing individuals under the age of 40 who are proven performers in their fields. In 2007, he received the Hospitality Innovator Award from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
"Shah epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit that runs through our alumni and students. We are delighted he is returning to share his entrepreneurial journey and insights with our students and faculty," said Tom Ward, managing director of the institute.
The Conversations with Entrepreneurs series is sponsored by: Cornell Hospitality Advisors, eClips, Hotelie Entrepreneurs, and the National Society for Minorities in Hospitality.
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