Who We Are
The people behind the collective
Good Leader Collective was founded by two hospitality operators who believe good leadership is the foundation of strong teams, healthy cultures, and better businesses because we’ve spent our careers building all three.
Co-Founder
JENNIFER RIVERA
Building strong operations and developing the people behind them has been at the center of my 15+ years in hospitality. I have a natural eye for organization and detail, and I love digging into systems, understanding what’s working, identifying what isn’t and making the adjustments needed to create consistency across an operation. My experience spans opening new restaurant markets, food safety, California compliance and large-scale project management. I’m passionate about coaching leaders, strengthening teams and helping businesses grow through strong operational foundations. At Good Leader Collective, I bring that same operator mindset to every partnership, helping hospitality brands build the leadership and structure they need to thrive.
Jen
Co-Founder
KRISTEN KNOWLES
I’ve spent more than 20 years in hospitality, growing from the restaurant floor into Director of Operations and multi-unit leadership, and the people have always been my favorite part of the business. I’m passionate about finding great talent, developing leaders, building strong teams and creating environments where people feel supported and excited to grow. Throughout my career, I’ve opened restaurants, built new markets, developed leadership pipelines and helped people step into opportunities they may not have seen for themselves. I’m a strong believer that good culture is intentional, and I’ve seen firsthand how inclusive, people-focused leadership can strengthen engagement, build trust and ultimately improve retention. That belief, and a genuine love for developing people, is at the heart of what I bring to Good Leader Collective.
Kristen
Let's start the conversation.
Whether you're seeking your next chapter or the right leader for your team, we'd love to hear from you.