Draft:Cara Federici

Cara Federici (born March 4, 1979) is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur and former hotelier. She is the CEO & founder and Head of Design of The Madison Melle Agency, a creative design studio, lifestyle branding and marketing firm based in Los Angeles that primarily serves the hotel industry.

Federici is also the founder of Tech Theory Group, a technology advisory firm that designs and delivers managed IT infrastructure and technology solutions to the hospitality industry.

Education
Federici attended Parsons School of Design in New York City and graduated cum laude from Tulane University in New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a double minor in Business and Studio Art. She also holds a Certificate of Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University.

Early career
After attending college, Federici moved to Los Angeles and joined the hotel industry, beginning her career at Standard Hotels in 2002 and JRK Hotel Group in 2005. From 2008 to 2015, she was Vice President of Room Sales & Marketing and Vice President of Hotel Operations at Palisociety (formerly Paligroup Management LLC).

In 2015, Federici joined Proper Hospitality Group to help them launch their inaugural Proper Hotels in Hollywood. In 2017, she became Vice President of Americas Operations at Cachet Hotel Group.

The Madison Melle Agency
Federici founded The Madison Melle Agency in 2018. It provides creative design and consultancy services to leading luxury lifestyle companies including Brookfield Properties, Relais & Chateaux’s Calabash Granada, Casetta Group, Bridgeton Hospitality, Two Bunch Palms, Marram Montauk, Walker Hotels, Petit Ermitage, Saira Hospitality, Wylder Hotels, Cachet Hotel Group, Solay App and Skypod.

In 2020, Federici was announced as a committee member for the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA).

Federici has stated that boutique hoteliers set the trends for the hotel industry because they are able to offer a more genuine and authentic experience for their clientele that creates a closer connection with the hotel’s employees and community.

In 2024, The Madison Melle Agency was awarded membership in Surface magazine’s The List, a directory curated by their editors that showcases “designers and brands committed to quality, craft and innovation”.

Tech Theory Group
In 2020, Federici launched technology advisory firm, Tech Theory Group, to design and implement information technology solutions and infrastructure services for the hospitality, real estate, healthcare and retail industries.

Thought leadership
Federici has advised the hotel industry on how to leverage artificial intelligence to support day-to-day operations, hotel digital marketing,  digital-first customer communication strategies, and current and future industry trends.