HOTEL GEEK | MARKETING MAPMAKER | IDEAS MAN | WELLNESS COMPASS

Kurt has traveled the World pursuing his love of luxury hospitality. This journey has taken him from the legendary hotels of Africa and Europe to spectacular villa estates in Thailand. From luxury wellness resorts in Asia to exclusive private islands in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean and, to his most recent challenge of guiding a hospitality group in the USA through the Covid-19 pandemic.

His deep love for hotels and hospitality, combined with intense creative ability means his ideas are never 'by the book' nor 'borrowed' from competitors. His style is, well, his own.

Having led projects on several continents, Kurt brings a unique, cross-cultural sensitivity and worldly perspective to his work. Kurt’s creative and dynamic mindset allows him to strategically define a project's vision and mission while also tactically executing within typical hospitality parameters of time, budget and quality.

With HighGround, Kurt brings into service his decades of international luxury experience and genuinely reflects who he is as a hospitality guru (and hotel geek!).

When not dreaming of luxury hotels and projects that help improve peoples’ lives, Kurt relaxes with his wife, Shannon, an American helicopter pilot he met while living in the Seychelles, and their young son, Cooper Wilde who thankfully loves adventure as much as his parents do.

Email: kurt@highgroundhospitality.com

RESTAURANT & BAR GURU | ART CHAMPION | ENTREPRENEURIAL CREATIVE

Scott is an established executive and innovator with 25+ years of experience delivering acclaimed hospitality, sustained revenue generation and profit growth in major and regional markets. The Arkansan spent the first half of his career in Atlanta and Boston, holding key positions in some of the most respected establishments in both cities; from neighborhood stalwarts to fine dining institutions, innovative cocktail lounges to multi-unit, high-volume entertainment and dining destinations.

Scott returned to Northwest Arkansas in 2005 to open his flagship restaurant, Theo’s. Over the next 15 years, Bowman Restaurant Group (BRG) would open over a dozen restaurants, bars, and hotel F&B concepts, becoming the region’s premier hospitality company. In early 2020, fresh off a deeply influential year-long journey with his family exploring Europe, Australia, and the World, he sold BRG to focus on new initiatives aimed at disrupting the broken norms of the hospitality industry by utilizing culture-first principles and operational agility to challenge the status quo and achieve new levels of fulfillment and success.

Drawing on his lifelong passion for art and all things creative, Scott enjoys helping companies, institutions, and individuals drive positive cultural change in their communities through art, food and innovation. Scott lives with his wife, Patty, and two sons in Fayetteville, AR where he is perpetually planning his family’s next opportunity to explore the world.

Email: scott@highgroundhospitality.com

REAL ESTATE SAGE | PRIVATE INVESTMENT PIONEER | COMMUNITY CULTIVATOR

Ramsay works to create sustainable projects and ventures that provide healthy places to work, live and improve quality of life. As a partner at HighGround Hospitality, he is focused on forming and driving successful hospitality projects.

Ramsay is also a partner in numerous ventures including Savant Development and Cignus Real Estate (Principal Broker) commercial real estate development and brokerage companies in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Ramsay spent 14 years founding the Colliers International office in Bentonville, Arkansas where he served as Principal and Executive Broker focusing on commercial and investment real estate, distressed properties, land, office buildings, shopping centers, industrial buildings, apartments, senior living, consulting, development, and project management. Prior to Colliers, he spent 20+ years in the commercial real estate business in Little Rock, AR.

Ramsay received his Bachelors of Science in Marketing from the University of Arkansas and his Masters in Business Administration specializing in Finance from Louisiana Tech University. He is a native of Arkansas and has deep connections throughout the Arkansas business, and non-profit ecosystems developed over his career. 

Email: info@highgroundhospitality.com

NUMBERS NERD | FINANCIAL NAVIGATOR | BUSINESS BRAINIAC

Luke is a solutions-focused entrepreneur with more than 15 years of success across numerous industries. His broad areas of expertise include financial analysis, operations, systems and controls, corporate valuation, strategic planning and growth, accounting, tax, and compliance.

Luke graduated magna cum laude with a BSBA in Finance in 2006 from the Sam M Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, where he focused on financial management and investments. Upon graduation, he started his career in real estate development; structuring projects utilizing debt and equity while performing project management and oversight. In addition, he managed finance and accounting for a $40MM manufacturing operation utilizing patents in the textile industry. Subsequently, he worked in the primary investor’s tax law firm accounting for entities of various size and industry performing a multitude of accounting functions. He joined What’s Ahead, a Bentonville-based retail marketing solutions firm, where he served as Director of Finance, then CEO.

Luke maintains a real estate license as Executive Broker at Cignus Real Estate and leads business administration for Savant Development. Concurrent with his professional career, he obtained a Masters of Science in Accounting from Walden University. He is a licensed CPA in Arkansas.

Email: info@highgroundhospitality.com