Stephanie Gray

Background

About Stephanie Gray

When I think about what I love about my career, it always comes back to creating fulfilling relationships and engaging experiences – for our guests, the teams I lead, and with my peers. I grew up in the food business – I believe some of the most important lessons about people and work can be learned by even a short stint in the hospitality industry. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to expand my career across other segments of business within the cultural attraction and tourism industry, but still credit some of my greatest strengths to a foundation in food service management. I enjoy strengthening different skill sets and areas of knowledge. Cultural attractions provide the perfect space to do that. They are dynamic, complex businesses that force you to understand things on a granular level without losing sight of how those ideas fit in to the big picture. When I’m not managing the day to day business operations, I spend my time planting and sowing seeds across the departments, projects, and relationships I am involved in to understand what people of different disciplines need to succeed. Dabbling in different fields keeps me energized and on my toes. In any given day, I may be engaged in managing food, retail, events and catering, procurement, sustainability, construction and project management, and company-wide cultural initiatives. The challenge of figuring out how all of those things function together brings me great satisfaction. Building and fostering relationships is everything to me. I believe I am who I am and can maintain a fulfilling life by the people I choose to have in it, and the value I can provide within those connections. I try to approach life and work with a balance of intensity and care, but know the importance of having a sense of humor and positive approach to the world around me. I’m a hometown tourist and love finding the next activity or outdoor adventure nearby. After a few years in Milwaukee, I’ve grown increasingly excited by what this city has to offer and how it is evolving. I’ve also always loved being outside and Wisconsin offers me tons of quality hiking, kayaking, and access to the outdoors. My list of adventures, both near and far, and things I want to see are endless. When I’m at home, I enjoy pretending I can cook like the chefs I work with, listening to Podcasts about how our wild brains work, and connecting with the people I care about. I am a student of life. I never want to stop learning and growing and will continue to engage in the career and personal opportunities that scratch that itch.