Jamilyn Salonga Bailey is General Manager and co-owner of Kaya, a Michelin-recognized Filipino restaurant in Orlando’s Mills 50 district.

She hasn’t always been in the restaurant industry but has always been in the business of hospitality by creating space for folks to feel seen, loved and cared for. As a facilitator and culture architect for over 20 years, Jami finds great joy and great responsibility in bringing people together to connect - whether by sharing stories over a meal, grappling with complex challenges, or anything in between.

Whether that was starting random clubs in elementary school, recruiting folks for the Filipino Student Association at the University of Florida (how she met her business partner, Chef Lordfer Lalicon, two decades ago), or cooking for dozens of people at her apartment in Chicago, building community by sharing Filipino culture, passing it down, and celebrating it has always been a central part of her life.

After thirteen years as a leader in national youth development organizations, she started a consulting practice in 2016 work with social change leaders, teams and organizations re-imagine the ways they work so that they are in closer alignment with their values and visions. She’s worked with organizations including The Posse Foundation, The KIPP Foundation, Color of Change, The Pahara Institute, and The Education for Liberation Network. She continues to train non-profit leaders across the country build and develop effective teams through The Management Center and serves on the Board of Directors for The Edible Education Experience.