"We are representing a shift in the hospitality industry towards a more equitable and sustainable business model which is a worker-owned cooperative."
- Lauren Ruiz
Lauren cut her teeth in the Miami cocktail scene, behind the bar and in the kitchen! Eventually, the industriousness and creativity of New York City’s food scene enticed her to make the move north, and she found a home at Donna. With an eye for industry trends and a background in art, marketing, and the legal profession, Lauren can swiftly pivot to meet the needs of the cooperative. Lauren fully champions Donna's vision to reimagine what a thriving business can look like when the workers are also the owners. Alongside her colleagues, she is ushering equity into an industry known to resist worker-friendly change. Lauren describes the relaunch of Donna as one of the first cooperatively owned bars in the U.S. as the most transformative experience of her time in hospitality.
Ulises is Donna’s kitchen manager, and has dedicated over 4 years of his career to the business. He has always liked the environment at Donna, and the many hours that he has already worked alongside his cooperative business partners has made them feel like a second family. Ulises has been involved in the creation of the worker-cooperative at every step of the way and sees the business as a unique opportunity to fight the inequality in our current economy. Uli is known for his punctuality, efficiency, and responsibility. He is excited to bring his 9 years of experience in food service, as well as his knowledge of computer programs, to Donna’s new incarnation and to this new stage of his work life. Ulises is a proud graduate of the University of El Salvador.
Ana Shaba is the founder of Cocktails x Couture and Amantes Amentes, and the beverage director of Donna Cocktail Club , New York. As an androgynous lesbian, Ana has tackled biases towards her gender and continues to persevere in a male dominated industry and has become an award winning mixologist. She was recently recognized for her talents in the Most Imaginative Bartender competition by making it on the Top 24 of North America.Ana is originally from Greece but has lived in NYC for over a decade. Her passion and love for the hospitality industry, her continued efforts for visibility and representation of the LGBTQIA+ and the BIPOC community in the industry are a few of the characteristics that define her.
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"We are representing a shift in the hospitality industry towards a more equitable and sustainable business model which is a worker-owned cooperative."
- Lauren Ruiz