Ruben is Co-Founder of Spark Hudson, a hotel operator, advisor and developer focused on delivering above market returns by leveraging global operational experience, and industry best practices for branded and non-branded hotels. Ruben leads two focus areas: 1) advisory for hotel development and capital raise, 2) acquisitions focused on distressed hotel value-add opportunities. We partner across stakeholders including private family offices, legal firms, investors, developers, brokers, and operators. Our core capabilities flex across operations, feasibility and development, active revenue management strategy and distribution. Learn more at sparkhudson.comRuben's journey began at Cornell University where he served in a management role at The Statler Hotel, a AAA Four Diamond, 153 room property. During this time, he developed a deep understanding of hotel operations and received hands-on training across several hotel functions including front desk, reservations, housekeeping, and food and beverage. Ruben graduated from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration with a Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality administration and a Minor in real estate. He received the Joseph Drown Special Prize, the hotel school’s highest honor. Upon graduation, Ruben joined Goldman Sachs, as part of a team that invested $6.7B AUM for endowments, foundations, and ultra-high net worth clients. Ruben was responsible for implementing investment strategies across asset classes, including equities, fixed income, and real estate. After Goldman, Ruben pursued his MBA at the Harvard Business School, during which time he joined Hersha as a Summer Associate on the Real Estate Acquisitions team. After Harvard, Ruben joined the leadership team at Kasa Living, Inc., a San Francisco-based hospitality proptech startup, as Director and Head of Real Estate. As employee #10, Ruben launched and led the Real Estate team helping to grow the business from Pre-Seed to Series B with more than $50M of capital raised and 150+ employees. His team rapidly expanded Kasa’s footprint to more than 30 cities nationwide and established key partnerships with institutional Class-A multifamily owners and management companies.He serves on the Dean’s Council of Young Alumni Members for the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration and previously served as an elected member on the Cornell University Council Administrative Board.