HOSPITALITY | FOOD | BEVERAGE.

Strategist.
Marketer.
Producer. Host.

Bio

Collector of interesting people.
Purveyor of memorable experiences.

I’m a strategist and producer who consults with entrepreneurs, marketers, creators, and brands across hospitality, food and beverage, entertainment, and lifestyle categories. An entrepreneur myself, I’ve spent my career developing and producing compelling branded experiences through content, media, and partnerships. 

My global work experience and unique point of view has positioned me to successfully drive growth, through new business and marketing campaigns for clients that include Faena Group, Sbe, Mercedes-Benz, Perfect Day, Citi, Perrier-Jouët Champagne, Moët Hennessy and Valrhona to name a few. 

I’m the host, creator and producer of On The Pass, a Top 100 podcast on the Food charts, serving up inspiring conversations with leaders in the food, beverage, hospitality and travel space.

I graduated from USC’s Marshall School of Business and Universidad International in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Gabriel Ornelas smiling while sitting on a couch looking off into distance

Get in touch with Gabriel by emailing info(at)gabrielornelas.com

Podcast

On The Pass serves up inspiring conversations with dynamic figures in the food + beverage, hospitality and travel space.

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Testimonials

  • "Gabriel has been an exceptional partner to Citi for the past two years. He has brought sought-after, premium properties to our business and crafted high-quality experiential programs for our consumers. Gabriel has helped dramatically expand Citi's culinary and nightlife access for cardmembers in Los Angeles and Miami and continues to find new opportunities for different parts of our business. In all of his projects, Gabriel has shown a strong commitment to success and has been a true professional in every sense of the word. We look forward to our continued partnership with Gabriel."

    DAVID KOVACH,
    Senior Vice President, Citi

  • "Gabriel is the consummate partnership professional. He has a great positive attitude and a magnetic energy to forge relationships in the events, marketing, partnership & sponsorship space. Gabriel has a robust network of senior level relationships that drive innovative partnerships across the hospitality & lifestyle brand sector. He has been a great asset to the sbe partnership team!"

    SCOTT MINKER,
    Former Senior Vice President of Partnerships, SBE

  • "A consummate host, it was a real treat to be interviewed by Gabriel and an honor to be on his show. Too often, good work goes unacknowledged, which is why it’s so important to have people like Gabriel who seek to celebrate and shine a light on the hospitality industry’s most prominent thought leaders. We stand so much to learn from each other—On The Pass has helped facilitate that exchange."

    CHRISTIAN LACHEL,
    Chief Creative Officer, BRC Imagination Arts

  • "Gabriel was a pleasure to work with and brought tremendous value to the relationship. He understood our needs and brand values and only presented us with opportunities with the right prospective partners that ultimately met our objectives. We did several deals together, notiably a significant multi-year deal with Mercedes-Benz and I’m sure we will do several more in the future."

    PABLO DERITIS,
    President, Faena Rose, Faena Group

  • "I had the pleasure of meeting Gabriel when I joined him as part of his Art of Plating Rising Talent Committee in 2019/20. I have gotten to know him a lot more over the last few years, including as a guest on his podcast On The Pass (which I listen to religiously), and I find he is a one-of-a-kind talent. Gabriel is brilliant, with an amazing personality and a knack for bringing people together and creating awesome content. I know I can count on Gabriel for advice when it comes to anything in the world of food & beverage - from marketing to brands to chefs to experiences. His vision and foresight into the business of F&B and its intersection with culture + content is unsurpassed. I’m excited to follow along on his journey and see what’s next!"

    BRIAN DE LOWE,
    Co-Founder and President, Proper Hospitality

  • "A diverse thinker with broad reach; Gabriel Ornelas recognizes opportunity and adroitly crafts thoughtful partnership opportunities. Gabriel has a distinct eye for BIG picture and behind the scenes the ability to carefully stitch together the details. Working with Gabriel you will quickly see a passionate individual with a good sense of realism. His open door policy and collaborative spirit are authentic; the secret ingredients to the success he brings to each endeavor."

    ERIC HILDEBRAND,
    Former Supervisor of Brand Experience and Entertainment, MBUSA

  • "Gabriel is the definition of a good time! Always a smile, reliable and collaborative, his favorite thing is to connect, especially with great people, food and drink. Gabriel is one of a kind and excels at supporting entrepreneurs and building businesses. He’s a connector at his core and a natural marketer."

    LOREN BRILL,
    CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren’s

  • "Spending time with Gabriel is always like a gourmet feast; there is no one more knowledgeable and interesting on all topics culinary. I enjoyed being a guest on Gabriel’s podcast almost as much as I enjoy listening to it! It’s so much fun to listen in on these great conversations with Gabriel and his guests, an amazing community of bon vivants and experts who share my enjoyment of and fascination with the very best in food, wine and hospitality."

    SEBASTIEN SILVESTRI,
    CEO, Dinex Group, the Restaurant Group of Chef Daniel Boulud

  • "Over the years, I have worked with a lot of professionals who consider themselves excellent marketers, strategists and brand experts. But working with Gabriel has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with a world-class business development/brand marketing/social media/strategic partnerships expert who is efficient, driven to succeed, easy to work with, creative and one of the best networked people I know across categories. Gabriel's ability to open doors, surprise and delight with innovative ideas and teams and manage complex high-end deals/partnerships effectively is not only impressive, but rare. It doesn't hurt that he's a joy to work with—no ego, all energy."

    SUE CALLAWAY,
    Founder, Glovebox Media
    Former Senior Editor, Time Inc.

  • “In 2022, Gabe and I were able to come together on a project that helped propel Perfect Day into food service. Gabe helped morph the idea into a beautiful content series that captured 5 different chefs across the country and featured their stories of sustainability through our products. Not surprisingly, Gabe was the ultimate partner, adjusting to our needs, working to make sure we were happy with the final product, and overall, a great business partner throughout the entire project. I look at 2022 as just the start of many projects together. Gabe is someone that I innately trust and can count on for honesty, collaboration, and quality thinking in any interaction. I cannot wait to work with him again.”

    ARI RATNER,

    Senior Director of Brand Marketing, Perfect Day

  • "I had the pleasure of working closely with Gabriel as we curated and managed our destinations inaugural Antigua and Barbuda Restaurant Week initiative, and we couldn't have asked for a more dedicated and skilled professional. He demonstrated exceptional levels of patience and organizational abilities, ensuring that every aspect of the 14 day event ran smoothly. His attention to detail, creativity, and passion for the culture, and for showcasing culinary and hospitality talent positively impacted our bespoke featured chef, and dine-around activities. His advice and guidance with our chef and food industry stakeholder interactive panels truly elevated our Food Forum. Gabriel not only recommended and coordinated a diverse range of chefs, panelists, and food vendors but also assisted our team with creating an unforgettable experience for the attendees. His ability to handle challenges with grace and make quick decisions in high-pressure situations all with a huge smile was truly commendable."

    DONYELLE BIRD-BROWNE,

    Sr. Business Development Manager, The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority

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Case Studies

Clients and Brand Partners

60 Hotels Logo
American Express logo
Four Seasons logo
Cayman Cookout Logo
Citi Logo
Faena logo
Gaggenau logo
Mercedes-Benz
Perfect Day
Perrier Jouet
The Ritz-Carlton
SBE logo
Tequila Ocho logo
Valrhona logo
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Bacardi.png
BMW.png
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MasterCard.png
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Time.png
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Articles

Hello friends,

It’s been an incredible season of travel and learning. As many of you know, I’ve spent my career bringing people together around food and culture, and have been fortunate to stay, play, and dine at some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of spending time and learning from many of the proprietors of these global establishments. Incredible, inspiring things have emerged from these experiences and interactions. Things I’ve never discussed publicly, but absolutely want to share.

I’m thrilled to kick-off a new series of stories, highlighting some of these extraordinary people, places, and unforgettable culinary experiences. My hope in sharing is to reflect on what lessons can be learned, what insight can be gleaned, and offer a unique point of view as you pursue your own passions.

Instagram

So fun catching up with chef @andioliver earlier this week at the Restaurant Week Food Forum at the Antigua & Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute. Go check out her new book “The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table”.
I’ve been on island🇦🇬for almost two weeks and I’m just now starting to slow down my city life pace. Remember to check in with yourself regularly and ask, why am I running and for what purpose? Does this derive joy and fulfillment? You
As @mstanyaholland said, what makes the place is its people. And the Antiguan hospitality has been second to none. Special shout-out to the entire @thefoxhouseantigua team. Thank you for taking such good care of us during A&B Restaurant Week. Ca
Pure joy @antiguaandbarbuda
Tasting as many as I can 🍎❤️ *See quote for context