Get Konnected!, in partnership with the R.I.S.E Women’s Leadership Conference, is launching Boston’s inaugural “50 Most Influential People of Color in Hospitality & Tourism” list and celebration in 2026.

The initiative recognizes the People of Color and allies whose leadership, creativity, and resilience power Boston’s hospitality, travel, tourism, and meeting planning industries—an industry that employs tens of thousands of workers and is a major driver of the city’s economy.

The event will elevate honorees and their organizations through visibility, media attention, and meaningful connections across civic, business, political, and community leaders, while reinforcing Boston’s identity as a global culinary, cultural, and tourism destination.  

As we commemorate 250 years of American history, we are inviting you to honor these generations of workers and entrepreneurs whose skill, resilience, and commitment to excellence helped make Boston more welcoming, more vibrant, and more inclusive. In Boston, immigrants and people of color have long been the backbone of our hotels, restaurants, convention centers, and cultural institutions—helping transform this historic city into a global destination.