Davonne Reaves

Davonne Reaves, a hospitality industry innovator, is the driving force behind The Vonne Group. With a career that began over 15 years ago as a front desk agent, she has since become an award-winning hotel consultant, asset manager, and owner of three hotels. She’s also the creative genius behind Vesterr, the first Black-owned crowdfunding platform for hotel investments, and Stay Black Experience, one of the largest directories of Black-owned hotels. Additionally, she shares her expertise as a co-host of the NextGen in Lodging Podcast, powered by Hotel News Now.

Her journey in the hospitality industry has seen her manage portfolios worth over $1 billion in hotel assets. Today, she uses this wealth of experience to educate the Black community on how to become successful hotel investors and owners.

Reaves has made hotel ownership a reality for many by providing education and resources on the hotel acquisition process. She has enlightened over 4,000 individuals and paved the way for many to become hotel owners across the U.S.

Her work has earned her features in prestigious publications like Forbes, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, Black Enterprise, MarketWatch, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NextAdvisor (Time), and Franchise Times. She has also been recognized by organizations such as The International Society of Hospitality Consultants, Hotel Management Magazine, and The International Hospitality Institute.

A Philadelphia native with deep roots in the Atlanta community, Reaves serves on the Board of her Alma mater, Georgia State University Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her son, Jamir.

Among her accolades are her induction into Georgia State University’s top 40 under 40, receiving the Trailblazer of the Year Award from The Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and being recognized as one of the top 100 most influential African Americans under 40 by The Root.