Collins College Receives $3M Gift for Planned Shupnick Innovation Center
The planned renovation at The Collins College of Hospitality Management received a big boost recently thanks to a $3 million gift from Larry and Jo Shupnick’s Family Foundation.
The couple, longtime supporters of the college, will fund the newly named Shupnick Innovation Center, which will include an interdisciplinary incubation hub, flexible learning and collaboration spaces and a state-of-the-art test kitchen.
Larry Shupnick, who has served on the college’s advisory board since 1997, recalled talking with the late Dean Lea Dopson a few years ago about the need to upgrade and refresh some of the buildings that were constructed in the 1990s. Those discussions sparked efforts to develop a strategic master plan for the College, which is aligned with the evolution of hospitality education and industry trends. The Collins College has embarked on an ambitious capital campaign to raise funds for the donor-supported project, which is planned in two phases.
“Both the original Collins Center, Building 79 and Building 79A (home to the wine auditorium and library) are showing their age and are ready for an update,” he said. “There’s tremendous potential to reimagine these spaces and make them truly dynamic learning environments.”
Shupnick accompanied Dean Margie Jones and a delegation of stakeholders to visit the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management at Auburn University in Alabama in October. Auburn’s hospitality school offers one of the country’s premiere programs that includes a state-of-the-art test kitchen, cutting-edge laboratories, a restaurant, a coffee shop and a boutique hotel.
“The trip offered insight and inspiration,” Shupnick said, adding that it allowed faculty and administrators to network with academic professionals, and benchmark best practices for students to explore entrepreneurial endeavors while being prepared for evolving guest expectations.
“A significant growth area in the industry is sports and entertainment districts, which are expanding their hospitality offerings through innovative restaurants and hospitality experiences.”
Sports hospitality is projected to grow to a $25 billion industry by 2029.
“The hospitality industry offers endless career opportunities to develop innovative concepts at golf courses, private membership clubs, hotels, and restaurants,” Shupnick said. “We need to proactively enhance the academic and co-curricular offerings to capitalize on this growth, and the updated facilities will state the stage for the next chapter of the Collins College of Hospitality.”
Shupnick is an accomplished veteran of the hospitality industry. His career spans five decades with positions at renowned hotel companies including Sheraton, Hilton, Schine Hotels and Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where he served as senior vice president of development and acquisitions. The Brooklyn native got his journey working his way through college at his sister’s hotel in the Catskill Mountains. In the 1970s, he founded Laral Hotels, a company he grew through the management of multiple hotel properties across the country. Laral merged with CapStar Hotel Company in 1990, and subsequent mergers led to the formation of the world’s largest independent hotel management company, MeriStar Real Estate and Investment Trust, which was later sold.
Larry has also been active in the restaurant business. He co-owned Central in Washington, D.C., winner of the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2008. Other ventures he has invested in include Still Water Vineyards and Eberle Winery in Paso Robles, SnackBox in Times Square and The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, California. He collaborated with renowned chef Michel Richard and had notable culinary successes including Citrus and Citronelle Bistros.
Jo Shupnick, an entrepreneur and interior designer, founded Interiors by Jo Frank in 1991. She has collaborated on residential and commercial development projects, designing hundreds of homes, winery tasting rooms, medical offices and retail stores in California, Idaho and Mexico.
The couple founded The Larry and Jo Shupnick Foundation, which is engaged in numerous local and national charities. Their foundation’s mission is rooted in their passion for education.
Larry’s connections with Cal Poly Pomona run deep, including a relationship with the college’s namesake, Jim Collins; collaborating with former board member Bruce Baltin; and a serendipitous encounter with late President Bob Suzuki on a flight to Washington, D.C. that ultimately prompted Larry to join the board.
Larry, the longest serving Collins’ board member, continues to demonstrate the impact of leadership and mentorship. Shupnick arranged for chef and television personality Julia Child to visit in 2000, which lead to her honorary doctorate and a historic appearance at the college’s Harvest Auction fundraiser. In 2018, Larry was honored at Hospitality Uncorked, the college’s signature fundraising gala for his contributions to the industry and his philanthropic endeavors.
“Larry's dedication to The Collins College has been pivotal in helping our programs grow and flourish. We are so appreciative of his time and expertise,” Jones said. “This investment will continue to help us meet the changing demands of the vast and dynamic hospitality industry. It is so valuable to provide facilities and programs that help shape our students into tomorrow's industry leaders.”
Chancellor Mildred Garcia and the 25-member CSU Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to the Shupnicks for their generous gift during their July 22 board meeting. President Emeritus Soraya M. Coley lauded the couple for their transformational gift.
“Their belief in our mission is personal and powerful. And their gift is more than a donation. It’s a legacy,” she said. “At Cal Poly Pomona, we hold firmly to the belief that talent is distributed evenly, but opportunity is not. And it is through the generosity of individuals like Larry and Jo that we are able to create the kind of opportunities that change lives and lift communities.”
