GAIN Momentum

In this episode, we interview Max Lüders, co-founder of MARA Solutions.

Lüders co-founded MARA Solutions in April 2020 alongside Tobias Roelen-Blasberg and Ingo Lange, pivoting from a product review market research business into hospitality after discovering that replying to guest reviews was one of the most painful and under-solved problems in hotel operations. A graduate of industrial engineering and a serial entrepreneur, Lüders built MARA before ChatGPT existed, grounded in a PhD finding that guest reviews contain the same depth and quality of insight as traditional survey-based market research — and that hotels were almost entirely failing to act on them. MARA is now an AI-first reputation management and guest intelligence platform serving over 1,500 hotels, with new products in development including an AI search visibility tracker that monitors and improves how hotels appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other generative AI search tools.

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The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Dr. Michael Toedt, founder and CEO of dailypoint.

A hospitality data pioneer based in Munich, Germany, Dr. Toedt began his career in his family’s hotel business and the Michelin-star gastronomy sector before pivoting to CRM and data management. In 2005 he founded Toedt, Dr. Selk & Coll. GmbH — today known as dailypoint — to apply software innovation and data expertise to the unique needs of the hospitality industry. Now in its third decade, dailypoint is the leading Customer Data Platform built for CRM and loyalty in hospitality, trusted by individual luxury properties and large hotel groups alike, including partners of Leading Hotels of the World. Dr. Toedt is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich on CRM in Tourism and at Hotellerie Suisse, the author of multiple books and articles on CRM, big data, and digitalization, and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Applied Sciences Munich. He wrote his doctorate on the influence of communication on sales figures in the luxury hotel industry.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Mark Loyd, Group President of Hospitality at Fullsteam.

Loyd leads Fullsteam’s hospitality vertical, overseeing approximately 30 business units that collectively serve hotels, golf resorts, ski resorts, wineries, breweries, and activity-based destination properties. Fullsteam is a payments-first holding company backed by Aquiline Capital Partners that acquires vertical market software businesses, embeds its payments platform, and invests in product development to build world-class solutions from the ground up. The hospitality portfolio includes property management systems Maestro and WebResPro, F&B platform Silverware, activities and rentals software Flybook, golf management system Club Profit, multi-day tour platform Peak Fifteen, and catering and event planning solutions, among others. Lloyd has spent his career at the intersection of vertical software, payments infrastructure, and enterprise technology, and brings a product-first, partnership-driven philosophy to building and integrating hospitality technology at scale.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Jenna Villalobos, Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of Outrigger Resorts & Hotels.

With over 25 years of experience in total revenue management and reservation sales, Villalobos joined Outrigger in 2017 as VP of Revenue Management and has since risen to SVP and CRO, overseeing a global commercial strategy that spans revenue, distribution, website technology, contact center operations, CRM, and business intelligence across Outrigger’s portfolio in Hawaii, Fiji, Mauritius, Thailand, and the Maldives. Prior to Outrigger, she held senior revenue and reservations leadership roles at KSL Resorts, La Quinta Resort & Club, and Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Certificate of Revenue Management from Cornell University, Villalobos was named HSMAI’s 2021 Corporate Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Selin Yigitkus, co-founder and CMO of BookLogic.

Based in Istanbul and part of the founding team that built BookLogic from the ground up, Yigitkus has spent over 15 years helping shape one of the hospitality industry’s most comprehensive commercial operating systems. BookLogic today connects thousands of hotels to more than 700,000 travel agencies and over 1,000 online distribution channels worldwide, and integrates with more than 40 PMS providers globally. As CMO, she leads the brand and commercial strategy for a platform that spans reservation management, channel distribution, direct booking, payments, revenue maximization, and AI-driven commerce — all within a single connected ecosystem, purpose-built to help hotels maximize profitability rather than just occupancy.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Maxence Dussart, co-founder and CEO of Familiar.

A hospitality marketing practitioner turned founder, Dussart spent years working on the hotel side — experiencing firsthand the gap between the data hotels hold and their ability to act on it — before co-founding Familiar to close it. Educated at Sciences Po and Imperial College Business School, and formerly co-founder of marketing and communications at Steller Hotels, he launched Familiar as an AI-native platform built specifically for hotel groups: one that connects to every system in a hotel's stack, identifies guests worth winning back, drafts and runs personalized campaigns autonomously, and proves the revenue it generates. Familiar is based in Europe and actively expanding into the US market.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Bridget Baumgartner, co-founder and CEO of ReefsStarter.

A molecular biologist with a PhD from Baylor College of Medicine and a BS from Stony Brook University, Baumgartner has spent over a decade developing high-impact biotechnologies for non-medical applications, including a role as Director of R&D at Revive & Restore — the leading wildlife conservation organization advancing biotechnology for the genetic rescue of endangered and extinct species. She co-founded ReefStarter with a team of scientists and marine academics, including a Professor and Dean from the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, to build a commercially viable, ecologically sound solution to the global beach erosion crisis facing coastal resorts and property owners.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Katie Tardif, Corporate Head of Marketing and Communications for Equinox Hotels.

Tardif joined Equinox Hotels in 2016 as the first hire within the hospitality division, helping to build the brand from the ground up before the flagship New York property opened its doors. She developed the brand's visual identity, built a suite of proprietary on-property digital experiences, and has overseen marketing and communications strategy as the brand has grown toward a global portfolio. A brand strategist and founder of creative agency Elan Creative, Tardif is currently completing a Master's in Sports and Performance Psychology at the University of Western States and is developing a performance psychology program for Equinox Hotels in collaboration with a former lead cognitive psychologist for the US Navy SEALs.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Scott Buelter, CEO and president of Ascent360.

Buelter founded Ascent360 in 2013 with a mission to bring enterprise-level customer data platform capabilities to mid-size businesses, and has spent the past decade building it into a leading CDP for hotels and resorts. He draws on data analysis and digital marketing experience spanning Nike, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Loews Hotels, American Express and Samsung, as well as earlier roles at Experian and Merkle, where he drove digital campaign technology for major brands. Buelter holds an MBA from UC Irvine and a BS in economics from the University of San Diego, and has studied at the London School of Economics and the Institute of Education Sciences in Berlin and Vienna.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4

In this episode, we interview Carlo Del Mistro, founder of Norby and a recently appointed GAIN Advisor.

A commercial and technology strategist with over two decades of experience at the intersection of customer proposition and digital performance, Del Mistro began his career at McKinsey before moving to London to build his hospitality expertise at One Fine Stay, Premier Inn, and Ennismore — where he spent six years reporting directly to the founder and helping shape the technology, e-commerce, and loyalty architecture across The Hoxton, Gleneagles, and nearly 200 properties across 20-plus countries. Since leaving Ennismore in early 2026, Del Mistro has focused his advisory practice on the space where AI and digital execution can drive direct revenue growth, loyalty, and commercial performance for hotel operators of all sizes.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES ************* 

The GAIN Momentum Podcast: focusing on timeless lessons to scale a business in hospitality, travel, and technology-centered around four key questions posed to all guests and hosted by Adam Mogelonsky. 

For more information about GAIN, head to: https://gainadvisors.com/ 

Adam Mogelonsky is a GAIN Advisor and partner at Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., focusing on strategy advisory for hotel owners, hotel technology analysis, process innovation, marketing support and finding ways for hotels to profit from the wellness economy. 

Listen to the GAIN Momentum Podcast: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gain-momentum/id1690033572?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jfIWt1D92EzgB32yX2fP4