About the Team

Qamara Edwards:

While studying at Northwestern University, Qamara fell in love with the hospitality industry.  Restaurants and hospitality combine all her passions into one: making new friends, hosting friends to her “home” with amazing food and drinks, event planning, and the challenges of running a business – tapping into her strong entrepreneurial spirit. 

Qamara began honing her customer service and sales skills at Roger Brown’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Portsmouth, VA, where she rose from server to dining room manager in eight short months.

She joined her family owned real estate business in 2003, which brought her to the Philadelphia area.  In her four years there, she oversaw the sales and marketing of two different single-family home developments and continued building her customer service skills.   Qamara met with clients at open houses and answered all sales inquiries and stayed with clients throughout their entire home building journey – including helping to select their customized selections and maintaining communications on their construction timeline. 

When that company closed, she joined Jefferson as the Ryan White grant coordinator.  Having no background in science, health care, or hospitals, she created the entire grant program from the ground up.  The grant enabled Jefferson to start an HIV testing program throughout the company’s entire emergency departments (at the time 3 different hospitals) and enrolled new patients in start of care.

Through the winding road of life, and longing to be back in restaurants (her true passion), she joined the Guest Counts Hospitality team to open Square Peg in Washington Square West, followed by transitioning the Loews Philadelphia Hotel from their restaurant, SoleFood, to their pop-up restaurant, Level 33 (as an interim for Bank and Bourbon).  With those experiences of opening two new restaurants, Qamara met fellow Northwestern alumna, Jill Weber and welcomed the opportunity to join the Sojourn Philly team in 2014, to help open the group’s third restaurant, Café Ynez.

Qamara took on more responsibilities as the Director of Business and Events in 2016.  Over the years, she has introduced the group’s restaurant and catering portfolio to guests through on-site private events and off-site community events, helping to increase revenues to over $6+ million annually.  In addition, she looked for new areas of business opportunities, whether that may be partnering with BYO restaurants for off-site pop-up events, community philanthropic events, or any chance to share how great the restaurants are with Philadelphia residents and visitors.  She remained instrumental in streamlining business practices through vendor relationships and staying abreast of new technological advances.

In 2023, the opportunity arose to join the team at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia.  While there for a year, Qamara oversaw a team of 3 direct reports and 45 hourly team members.  Responsibilities included P&L maintenance (including lowering expenses), hiring and training new team members, efficient labor management, and overseeing the banquet and events team.

A true consummate hospitality professional, Qamara also jumps at every chance to share her love of the entire Philadelphia hospitality community as President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association.  This role became even more challenging and vital during the pandemic, as she served on many advisory committees with the city to help guide guidelines and restrictions for businesses in Philadelphia. 

Qamara understands that there is nothing greater than strong networks and partnerships and continues to be an ambassador for the entire hospitality industry in this position.  In addition, hospitality remains at the core of even her volunteer work with Bloktoberfest, MANNA, and the Ronald McDonald House.

With over 20 years working throughout various levels of hospitality, Qamara looks to bring her expertise to helping you grow your business by streamlining practices and organizing through company policies to guide your ship to success!

For more information about Qamara, find her on LinkedIn.

Neina Langford

Combining her background in large-scale events and hospitality branding while currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in a CACREP accredited clinical mental health counseling program, Neina offers a unique blend of expertise. As an innovative leader, she forges partnerships with vendors and clients, effectively manages budgets, and coordinates project scope to deliver exceptional results. Negotiating with vendors to ensure clients' style and budget are achieved is where Neina excels.

Neina Langford is a seasoned professional in the hospitality industry, with over a decade of experience in operations, marketing, and event planning. Her journey began in 2009 when she took on the role of events manager with East Coast Saloon’s former venue, Tavern on Broad, and quickly worked her way up the ranks within the growing company, demonstrating her passion for the industry and innate leadership abilities. Philadelphia area locals may recognize East Coast Saloon’s popular brand McFadden's, formerly located in the Citizens Bank Ball Park and at 461 N. 3rd Street. Her extensive experience spans across a variety of locations, including Philadelphia, NJ, CA, and KY, further solidifying her expertise in navigating the hospitality landscape.

During the challenging times of the COVID-19 crisis, Neina took a temporary hiatus from her traveling position to work with the Philadelphia-based hospitality group, FCM Hospitality. From April 2020 to April 2023, Neina played a pivotal role in helping FCM's reopening marketing plans and efforts, including creating the group's first company-wide charity initiative, Cocktails for a Cause. Her efforts were instrumental in the successful reopening of several popular locations, such as:

  • Liberty Point (2022)

  • Juno Philly (2020)

  • Parks on Tap (Summer 2020, 2021, 2022)

  • The Garden at Cherry Street Pier (Summer 2020, 2021, 2022)

  • Lola’s Garden Ardmore (2021)

  • Unleashed Bark and Beer (2021)

  • Harper's Garden (2021 extended event space)

  • NoChe (2022)

Neina's dedication to ensuring compliance with local health regulations while successfully opening or reopening and marketing these locations not only helped revitalize FCM Hospitality's brand but also contributed to the vibrant hospitality scene in Philadelphia.

Upon returning to work with East Coast Saloons in April 2023, Neina continued to showcase her leadership skills by spearheading the marketing and sales efforts for the brand expansion of the brand Wicked Wolf to Atlanta in May 2023 and Glendale in March 2024. Her ability to drive marketing efforts for over 18 hospitality locations demonstrates her exceptional talent for managing multiple projects simultaneously and delivering outstanding results in a fast-paced and dynamic industry.

Neina Langford's impressive professional journey and remarkable achievements make her a distinguished leader in the hospitality industry, with a proven track record of success in opening, marketing, and managing diverse hospitality venues. Neina very proudly was able to return to school in 2017 and became a Community College of Philadelphia alumni in 2019. She continued her education to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Kutztown University in 2021, and now attends Rosemont College’s Clinical Mental Health Graduate School Program to become a LPC.

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for driving tangible results, Neina can coordinate at strategic and tactical levels with cross-functional teams. She hopes to help build workplace cultures that prioritize mental health, inclusivity, and employee satisfaction, while also elevating brand messaging to consumers and growing the overall bottom line.

For more information about Neina, find her on LinkedIn.