mum meets: lorraine copes, ceo of be inclusive hospitality.

mum is involved and invested in our industry. In this series, we hear from the people behind our charity and not-for-profit partners, who share our mission to make hospitality and recruitment better places to be.

Next up: we talk to Lorraine Copes, CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality – a not-for-profit building a thriving community to accelerate race equity within hospitality, food, and drink. Read on to find out why the organisation exists, discover what hospitality means to Lorraine, and hear about Be Inclusive Hospitality’s inspiring vision for the future.

why does be inclusive hospitality exist?

Be Inclusive Hospitality CIC is a not-for-profit building a thriving community to accelerate race equity within hospitality, food, and drink. The social enterprise drives action through research, empowers its community with funded initiatives, and partners with organisations that commit to fostering inclusion. It was incorporated in 2020 due to the lack of representation of Black and ethnic minorities in leadership roles, positions of influence and the supply chain.

what made you want to found be inclusive hospitality? was there a catalyst?

Having worked in the industry for over two decades, I felt compelled to found the business because all equity, diversity and inclusion conversations centred around gender and sexuality, neglecting the crucial aspect of race. The hospitality industry is diverse, with 17% of its workforce coming from racialised backgrounds. The stark contrast between the demographics in the boardroom and those in the back of the house is symptomatic of the problem we seek to confront and address.

what does your role involve and how did you get where you are today?

As CEO, I’m responsible for the design and delivery of the business strategy; this includes managing a team to deliver the strategy operationally. I have a variety of stakeholders, from my internal team to partners, funders, contractors, and education-providers.

Outside of BIH, I’m also a business coach, a consultant specialising in brand partnerships, a speaker, and a food and drink writer.

what are be inclusive hospitality’s proudest achievements?

Continuously, we take pride in the community we’ve built over the past 3 and a half years, comprising more than 600 community members, 120 ambassadors, 100 mentors, and well over 60 partners. Our community consists of individuals and businesses, all united by our shared values and the common goal of fostering a more inclusive and equitable hospitality industry.

what is be inclusive hospitality’s vision for the future?

Our vision is a future where we needn’t exist. In the medium term, though, within the next two years we aim to support 10,000 employees and 2,000 business owners towards upward social mobility. We’re currently one fifth of the way there, so there’s loads of work to do!

how can our community support be inclusive hospitality?

If you’re an employer, partner with BIH to build a more inclusive hospitality industry and access our workshops, membership, and consultancy services. Our professional development programmes are funded or sponsored, so financial support is crucial for us to continue our work. 

If you’re an individual, join the community as a member, ambassador, or mentor here. You can also fundraise on our behalf to help fund programmes for underrepresented groups.

what does hospitality mean to you?

For me, hospitality means ‘to care’ – and there’s no shortage of this attribute throughout our sector.

what do you think are the greatest opportunities and challenges for our industry?

Our industry has all the essential ingredients to stand as the beacon of inclusivity and opportunity due to its demographic makeup. Challenges include potentially failing to acknowledge and address the bad things about the industry, so we can realise our true potential!

what motivational message would you like to share with fellow hospitalitarians?

I'll share an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together.”

Find out more about Be Inclusive Hospitality, discover how you can partner with them or help them develop people of colour in the hospitality industry, and fundraise or donate to help keep their amazing work going.

You can also discover the other ways we give back at mum.