S2 E2: Susan Reilly Salgado, Ph.D., Founder & Principal of Grason Consulting

In this episode of The Founders’ Journey podcast, host Ryan Heckman interviews Susan Salgado who spent 15 years working with restaurateur Danny Meyer to scale Union Square Hospitality Group's magical culture. Salgado reflects on her journey from academic researcher to cultural architect, sharing how she led Meyer's hospitality-driven philosophies into systematic practices and legendary success as the company’s Director of Culture and Learning. Through stories about her early days studying Gramercy Tavern as part of her Ph.D. dissertation to catalyzing Shake Shack's explosive growth, Salgado demonstrates how hospitality-infused cultures can transform any organization into new levels of growth and enduring significance. If you loved Danny’s book, “Setting The Table”, you will cherish this opportunity to dig a little deeper into cultural best practices and powerful value creation strategies.

Recent Podcasts

S2 E8: Vance Brown, Executive Elder at Thrivers Leadership Institute

June 3, 2025
READ MORE Arrow right

S2 E7: Tariff Talks: A Special 3-Part Series — Part 3: Your Street with Brian Kight, Author of DailyDiscipline.com

May 1, 2025
READ MORE Arrow right

S2 E6: Tariff Talks: A Special 3-Part Series — Part 2: Main Street with Tim Van Mieghem, Co-Founder & Partner, The ProAction Group

May 1, 2025
READ MORE Arrow right