Author

Calvin Stovall JR.

Calvin Stovall became interested in Black History early on when his mother gave him a large book featuring historically influential African Americans. While in elementary school, he was selected, along with two of his classmates, to participate in a Black History competition held at the DuSable Black History Museum on Chicago’s southside. From here his passion only grew.

Calvin Stovall’s career in hospitality informally began as a front desk clerk at downtown Chicago’s Holiday Inn Chicago City Centre. After earning a business administration degree from Chicago State University, he would graduate with a master of professional studies from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Since then Calvin has enjoyed a nearly thirty-year career in the hospitality industry, during which he served as vice president of brand marketing with Hilton Worldwide. He has also worked in the nonprofit sector as a brand marketing strategist with ALSAC, the brand awareness and fundraising arm for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, a nonprofit based in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to currently running his own business called ICONIC Presentations, LLC, which delivers high-energy keynotes and workshops for organizations nationwide, he also serves as the Director of Executive Programs for The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

During his tenure at Cornell University, Calvin was asked by the chair and cofounder of the first chapter of the National Society of Minority Hoteliers (NSMH) to conduct research on the historical contributions of African American hoteliers for one of their first conferences—and this is where his journey with Hidden Hospitality began.

Calvin currently resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, with his teenage sons Caden and Carson.