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Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder, Upward Projects
Known for: Upward Projects is a Phoenix-based hospitality group with strong ties to the communities its restaurants are located in. Each unit has been built in an historically and architecturally significant building with the intent of preserving the building’s purpose in the neighborhood. Lauren Bailey, along with three others, founded the company 17 years ago.
Power move: Bailey has overseen the design, conceptualization and operations for seven wine cafes and, in continuing with her company’s mission, has served on the board for several Arizona-based restaurant associations with the aim of fostering local businesses and increasing Arizona’s culinary distinction among American cities, creating a food mecca in the desert.
What’s next: According to the Phoenix Business Journal, Upward Projects plans to increase its unit count to 50 over the next few years after receiving funding from Brentwood Associates in 2017 to take Postino WineCafe national and grow into Texas and Colorado.
