From the beginning

  • April 2020

    Service Founded



    The inaugural Service! initiative was a free boxed meal program designed to feed unemployed workers in the service industry and their families. Delivering 200 meals per day.

  • May 2020

    First Grants Distributed


    Service! distributed grants to hospitality workers to address shortterm hardships for those who experienced a lack of resources to pay for essential expenses

  • Summer 2021

    Started Cafe Overlook Partnership

    A joint project from Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Cafe Overlook is an innovative collaboration between the public and private sectors with a mission to eliminate financial insecurity among those working in the service industry.

  • March 2022

    Cafe Overlook Grand Opening


    Cafe Overlook offers breakfast and lunch service on weekdays, doubling as an education and training program where staff gain invaluable mentorship from industry professionals while mastering back-of-house and front-of-house skills.

  • May 2024

    First Annual Gala



    More than just a celebration; it's a powerful gathering dedicated to empowering hospitality workers and breaking the cycle of financial insecurity.

  • July 2025

    Construction Begins



    The Service Innovation Kitchen is transforming an empty downtown space into a state-of-the-art culinary center—home to The Line, our training ground for hospitality workers—designed to train the next generation, strengthen local businesses, and fuel economic mobility.

we BELIEVE! EVERY HOSPITALITY WORKER DESERVES A LIVING WAGE, RESPECT, AND EQUITY IN THE WORKPLACE. WE BELIEVE THAT TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE AN INDUSTRY WHERE BUSINESSES CAN OPERATE BOTH ETHICALLY AND PROFITABILITY, OFFERING A LIVING WAGE, BUILDING A MORE EQUITABLE WORKFORCE, AND FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE SO THAT BUSINESSES AND WORKERS CAN THRIVE TOGETHER.

We Stand For:

  • EMPLOYMENT BASED ON A FOUNDATION OF EQUITY, RESPECT, AND MOVING TOWARD LIVING WAGES

  • EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AS A NOBLE, LONG-TERM CAREER OPPORTUNITY

  • THE NEED FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS - WORKERS, OWNERS, CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, COMMUNITY - TO WORK TOGETHER TO ADVANCE CHANGE IN OUR INDUSTRY

  • FAIR FOOD PRICING THAT IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY AND SERVES AS A FOUNDATION FOR THE SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES AND THEIR WORKERS

  • HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AND SUPPORT FOR WORKERS EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE-USE DISORDERS

  • AN INDUSTRY THAT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY ITS SERVES, IN EVERY FACET AND AT EVERY LEVEL

  • PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AS A NECESSARY ENGINE OF TRANSFORMATION

Our Team

We celebrate full board giving, leadership starts here.

Sangeeta Lakhani

Executive Director / Co-Founder

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Sangeeta Lakhani grew up in Mumbai, India where she was surrounded by a vibrant array of spices and diverse foods. Being raised in a family of avid travelers instilled in Sangeeta the importance of experiencing many different cuisines across the globe. After moving to the U.S. at the age of 17, Sangeeta studied at The Columbus College of Art and Design, followed by The Columbus State Culinary School.

She has been in the restaurant business for over 25 years. Sangeeta was instrumental in the expansion of a popular campus restaurant, Hounddog’s Pizza and the bar adjacent to it, Ravari Room, before co-founding Bodega in 2005. Bodega won several awards over the years from publications such as The Alive, The Other Paper, 614 Magazine, Columbus Monthly, etc. before Sangeeta successfully sold the brand in early 2015. In 2014 she co-founded and created the menu for The Table, a prominent farm to table restaurant in the Short North District of Columbus, Ohio.

In March of 2020, Sangeeta leveraged her network to pivot her existing restaurant into Service! A relief effort for hospitality workers. She has since then, put out over 11,000 free meals and writes weekly grants for service industry workers financially effected by the ongoing pandemic. In her role as Executive Director, Sangeeta plans to keep growing Service! to provide resources and training opportunities for service industry workers. Sangeeta plans to keep working within the industry by sharing her knowledge and concept ideas.

Matthew Heaggans

Advisory Board Member / Co-Founder

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In addition to co-founding Service!, Matt also co-owns Preston’s: A Burger Joint. Trained in DC, his Columbus resume includes Ambrose & Eve, The Rossi and the late, great Swoop! Food Truck. His involvement with Service! stems from a lifelong call to serve.

Letha Pugh

Advisory Board Member / Co-Founder

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Letha co-founded Bake Me Happy, a wholesale/retail, gluten free bakery located on the southside of Columbus, with a second location in Dublin with her wife, Wendy, of 17 years. Letha is also the co-founder of Preston’s Burger, located in Clintonville, Ohio. She is active in the community with two non-profits: Service! A relief effort for hospitality workers displaced during the COVID 19 pandemic and Black, Out and Proud, an organization that advocates, inspires, and educates the Columbus Black LGBTQ+ community.

Letha is also a Commissioner for the City of Columbus Department of Parks and Recreation, Secretary of Board for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, and an Ambassador for the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Voices Advocacy Group. Over the last year, Letha has been involved with the development of Café Overlook, a workforce and economic development project, with financial support from the Franklin County Commissioners Office. Café Overlook trains, supports and hires restored citizens and individuals transitioning from public assistance by removing barriers to housing, childcare, transportation, mental health services and uniform support.

Café Overlooks’ mission is to assist in developing workforce skills in a population that may need additional support. A recent graduate of the Affordable Housing Trusts’ Emerging Developers Accelerators Program (EDAP), Letha is eager to make her mark in the real estate development world, a passion of hers for years.

Amy Flowers

Chair

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Amy Flowers is an attorney in Ice Miller’s Workplace Solutions Group. Employers rely on Amy to provide advice that helps them avoid workers compensation and employment challenges and defend them in related litigation matters.

Prior to joining Ice Miller, Amy served as a bailiff to Judge Kimberly Cocroft of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas for 11 years. After receiving her law degree, Amy drafted decisions and entries for the Judge to review on pending criminal motions, suppression issues, judicial release, post-conviction, jail time credit and other criminal matters before the court in addition to maintaining docket statistics for monthly Supreme Court Reports. Amy also served as a liaison for the Judge and other agencies, court departments, the clerk’s office, litigants, lawyers and other professionals to coordinate court business.

Amy formerly sat on the Athens City Council. She chaired the Transportation Committee and served as a member of both the Arts & Recreation Committee and Communications Committee. As an At-Large member, Amy navigated the legislative process to turn proposals into ordinances and collaborated with various government agencies and groups to present ordinances to committees.

Amy earned her juris doctor from Capital University, as well as a Master of Public Administration and bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio University.

When not assisting clients, Amy enjoys cycling and competing in Ironman races. Amy welcomes a challenge and knows that to enjoy the bike and run, you have to muscle through the swim.

Wendy Sherman Heckler

Strategic Planning

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Wendy Sherman Heckler serves as Provost and Senior Vice President at Otterbein University and is responsible for leading the Academic Affairs division and collaborating with other members of the President's Cabinet to integrate academic and institutional operations with the University's strategic plan. She also focuses on outreach to community partners and the coordination of internal efforts to promote students' academic success. Wendy teaches a first-year seminar course on women's leadership and has served on Otterbein's Women's Leadership NET, founded by Otterbein President Emerita Kathy Krendl.

Additionally, Wendy is the Vice President for Undergraduate Education for the Coalition for the Common Good (CCG), a national education system founded by Otterbein and Antioch University to address many of the issues facing higher education by allowing small universities to focus on undergraduate teaching excellence while partnering on a national scale for graduate and adult education that expands impact, increases student access, and addresses workforce needs in their communities.

Wendy currently serves on the Columbus Women’s Commission, and was a member of the Board of Communities In Schools of Ohio from 2014-2022 (serving as Chair from 2020-2022). She received the Martin Luther King Peace and Justice Award from Otterbein in 2017, the Community Support Award from the Columbus City Schools Board of Education in 2018 and was a 2022 Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) Calendar Honoree.

Leigh Ann Simms

Resource & Fundraising

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Leigh Ann Simms is a Healthcare Consultant by day and booze evangelist by night. Born and raised in the Louisville area (Southern Indiana to be exact), Leigh Ann moved to Columbus in 1997 after briefly residing in Cincinnati and founded her Healthcare Consultancy in 2000. Leigh Ann has volunteered for many years including 15 years with the Business Advisory Council at Goodwill Columbus’ Job Development Center creating and teaching a curriculum for front and back office medical staff. In 2017 Leigh Ann worked with The Hardy Center to rehabilitate their afterschool and Summer programs facility in North Linden. In 2020, Leigh Ann was sworn in as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. In 2014, Leigh Ann founded the first non-profit bourbon club, The Bourbon Club of Central Ohio and shortly thereafter created the first bourbon trivia board game, The Bourbon Run. In 2016, Leigh Ann founded Last Call Productions, Inc which includes The Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour, The Columbus Cocktail Classic, various cocktail competitions, fundraisers and cocktail books. Leigh Ann is the host of two podcasts, “If This Bar Could Talk” and "Women and Whiskey, Stop Mansplaining Me". Leigh Ann is also a children’s book author, Certified Bourbon Steward, wife, mother and grandmother.

Malik Malone

Community Engagement

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As a highly motivated and accomplished business leader, Malik has a proven track record of executing key objectives that drive success from the CSuite to the entire enterprise. His ability to establish and maintain strategic partnerships that produce short and long-term benefits for all parties involved is highly regarded. Malik's skillset includes strong networking and relationship building, which he has effectively leveraged at every level of the organization throughout his career. As a former student athlete at Bucknell University, teamwork and collaboration are deeply ingrained in his DNA and constantly being utilized.

Malik's involvement in the local community is equally impressive. From serving on Bucknell's Alumni Board Association to volunteering for several different local causes and even being a licensed high school basketball referee, he is committed to making a positive impact.

At the core of everything Malik does, both professionally and personally, is his dedication to developing strong relationships. It's this foundation that has enabled him to gain executive consensus and alignment between internal and external stakeholders, and to achieve success at every turn.

Nicholas Dekker

Secretary

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You can call Nicholas Dekker “Dr. Breakfast.” After all, he really loves breakfast and has a Ph.D.

Nick is a food and travel writer based in central Ohio, writing his award-winning blog Breakfast With Nick since 2007, where he and his family document their journeys exploring restaurants, coffee, donuts, beer, the arts, family travel, and much more. Nick has written for Columbus Monthly, Ohio Magazine, TourismOhio, The Kitchn, Great Lakes Publishing, Experience Worthington, Cubby at Home, Worthington Spotlight, 42+ Magazine. Nick and his work have been featured in the New York Post, Toronto Star, Taste of Home, Good Day Columbus, Columbus Dispatch, and other media.

For his day job, Nick serves as the administrator for the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Marketing, Communications, & Events team, assisting with social media, blogging, press releases, media relations, and maintaining a statewide events database.

Originally hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nick studied English and Communications at Calvin College. He and his wife Beth were drawn to central Ohio in 2002, where they both completed master’s degrees in Theatre History and Dramatic Literature at The Ohio State University. Nick continued on to earn a Ph.D. in the same subject, and went on to lecture for the Department of Theatre until 2014.

During that same time, Nick and Beth established the community arts non-profit Wild Goose Creative with four college friends. The award-winning multidisciplinary arts gallery and event space plays host to everything from concerts to workshops, beer tastings to storytelling nights. Nick and Beth remained as active board members through the spring of 2012. Nowadays Nick serves on the board of directors for the McConnell Arts Center and Service! Relief Kitchen.

Cara Laviola

Board Member

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With a professional journey that began in storytelling as a creative strategist, Cara brings a unique blend of empathy and executive strategy to the Service! board. She currently leads Customer Marketing Growth Strategy as a Director at Toast, following roles in commercial and product strategy at Cardinal Health and a transformative period at Nationwide, where she helped the company earn its first "Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For" recognition.

A proud Ohio State MBA graduate, she has long balanced her professional rigor with a heart for community, dedicating her time to volunteer work at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. Cara is passionate about applying her background in sustainability and growth to help Service! empower the hospitality industry. Outside of the boardroom, you can usually find her enjoying a classic Negroni—a favorite she’s kept since her first one at The Rossi back in 2014.

Raqi Greco

Board Member

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Raqi Greco is a seasoned financial services professional and community-minded leader who brings both expertise and heart to her work. She currently serves as a Business Risk Officer at Huntington National Bank, partnering with Regional Banking teams to support strong risk practices and thoughtful, well-informed decision-making across the organization.

With more than 16 years in the financial services industry, Raqi has built a career rooted in risk management, compliance, and strategic collaboration. Her professional journey reflects a deep commitment to integrity, accountability, and continuous learning.

Raqi earned her Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 2024 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. This blend of legal training and a focus on social equity shapes her perspective and guides her approach to leadership and advocacy.

Outside of work, Raqi enjoys traveling, cheering on Buckeye football, and spending quality time with family, friends, and her two dogs. She is passionate about creating meaningful, lasting impact—both in her career and within the communities she serve .

Juli Godwin

Board Member

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Juli Godwin is a strategic executive people leader with deep expertise in organizational transformation, culture design, and talent strategy across healthcare, manufacturing, and high growth environments. As Founder & Chief Strategist of Godwin People Strategy, she partners with executive teams to drive performance, navigate complex change, and build inclusive, future ready organizations.

Known for her ability to align people, process, and strategy, Juli regularly serves as an interim Chief People Officer in transitioning organizations—rapidly strengthening HR capabilities, elevating leadership effectiveness, and guiding transformative change with humanity and clarity. Her work reflects a deep commitment to creating cultures where people and organizations thrive together in service of their broader mission.

Amy Mesh

Board Member

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Amy Mesh’s passion for hospitality working in restaurants, taking care of guests, and learning that some of life’s best moments happen when people gather around food and drink. While her career has taken her from the front of house to the spirits industry, the heart of her work is still connected to bringing people together and creating memorable experiences.

Today, Amy serves as Head of Commercial Operations at Middle West Spirits, where she helps turn big ideas into products enjoyed by people across the country. She believes hospitality is a mindset, and one that can be found everywhere from a neighborhood restaurant to a distillery floor. Amy is honored to serve on the Service! Board and support an organization dedicated to helping hospitality professionals grow their careers and build meaningful connections.

When she’s not talking new spirit product ideas or solving operational puzzles, you’ll find her trying a new cocktail, gathering friends around a table, or cheering on the people who make hospitality such a vibrant and welcoming community.

Emeritus Board Members

Reed Woodgerd

Emeritus Board Member

Lisa Gutierrez

Emeritus Board Member

Shelley Mann

Emeritus Board Member

Shoshanna Gross

Emeritus Board Member

Michelle Allen

Emeritus Board Member

Rasheedah Crawley

Emeritus Board Member

OUR SUPPORTERS

Federal Grant (Joyce Beatty):
$475,000

Franklin County Board of Commissioners:
$250,000

Franklin County Community Partnership:
$1.5M

City of Columbus (Elevate):
$300,000

CDDC:
$100,000

The Columbus Foundation:
$100,000

Workforce Partners:

Franklin County Job & Family Services - One
Door Peggy's Soulfood
Famous Supply
Prestons
Family Pizzera
Red Robin
Bake Me Happy
Friendly Candles
PFM
Koltermans Bakery
Lighthouse Minsteries
Care Giver -
Home Health Aide

Taco Bell
Military
Reene Bar
Marlow's Cheesesteaks
Together and Company
Convention Center
Connecting Housing Blocks - Construction
Intern Solutions
Trinity Home health
Kellose
Generation Home health

Green Scope Business Owner
Maryhaven
Reset
Southeast
Kindred Behavioral Health
Columbus State
Columbus City Schools- High School Diploma
Focus Learning
Academy- High School
Godman Guild- GED program

Awards & Recognitions

  • Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour presented Service! with its Humanitarian Award, for dedicating time and talent to support hospitality workers during the pandemic and beyond, at the Columbus Cocktail Classic on Sept. 5, 2021.

  • Short North Alliance named Service! as a Community Partner Honoree at the Short North Gala on Aug. 18, 2021.

  • Columbus Urban League presented Service! with the Empowerment Day Award to recognize Service! for standing up for hospitality workers devastated by layoffs during the height of COVID 19 on November 19, 2020.

  • The Metropreneur’s Emerging Social Enterprise of the Year Award recognizes businesses that choose more than just profit, aligning themselves with missions that provide supportive employment, donate products or profits, and find other ways to give back and make an impact on the local community. Service! was presented with this award at Aspire 2022.

Our Partners