Michael Leblanc Email and Phone Number

Brought in for hands-on role transforming organizational direction. Set clear objectives, action plans, and milestones that drove visitor growth and commitment to new mission and vision. Oversaw day-to-day operations and fundraising / development. Interfaced with Mayor's Office, City Council, agencies, business improvement districts, etc.• Headed successful repositioning of Oakland as must-experience destination with assertive outbound Marketing to tourism agencies (leisure tourism) and business (meetings and conventions)• Grew Hotel RevPar to 30% above Bay Area• Reestablished workplace culture that is supportive, innovative, inclusive, and rewarding

Led and structured acquisition and turnaround of troubled restaurant business. Successfully secured municipal funding and financing. Re-conceptualized restaurant and developed Cosmopolitan Casual entity that leveraged (previous) Picán brand. Developed menu, staff, marketing strategy, and oversaw compliance and regulatory requirements.• Grew sales 350% from 1st year to 2nd, on track for additional 30% revenue growth in final year• Secured media coverage – e.g., featured on award-winning restaurant review series “Check, Please!” and described as “elite restaurant”• Emerged as Castro Valley’s unofficial favorite restaurant and drew in visitors from nearby Oakland

Led gradual mindset shift and presented business case that won buy-in from Board and C suite on transformation above. Developed and led marketing, sales and key donor engagement. Provided strategic leadership and oversight.• Spearheaded migration from visitor’s bureau to outbound destination marketing organization • Led fundraising initiative that nearly doubled budget ($2.5M to $4+M)• Oakland named National Geographic 20 Best Places in the World to Visit • Partnered with business and organizational leaders to strategize on branding, theme, and messaging• Employed advertising and social media to increase awareness• Built Bay Area media relations that successfully reversed previous predominantly negative Oakland coverage• Launched traveler activities – e.g., Oakland Wine Trail – to increase time-in-market, extending average business traveler stay by extra day

Combined my entrepreneurial experience rebuilding startups and building out divisions with Polaroid, with desire to launch an upscale Black-owned restaurant. Identified untapped market segment, conceived / developed concept. Led fundraising (private, institutional, equity). Partnered with architect. Leveraged guest info capture, digital marketing.• Created buzz prior to opening with images that generated phenomenal pre-booking sales• Emerged as area business resource – TV and radio appearances, newspaper and magazine feature stories• Worked with professional, political, social, and civic groups to become meeting destination-of-choice• Won several awards – 2 Michelin Bib Gourmand Awards, Oakland Magazine Best Restaurant Award, and numerous hospitality and food service awards• Recognized for trailblazing effort that changed paradigms of what Black-owned restaurants looked like

See 2016-2018 Chairman of the Board