Optimizing Human
Potential
OPTIMIZING
HUMAN POTENTIAL

Who Is Alex?
Alex Atwood is a multifaceted, purpose-driven leader with more than 20 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur who helmed four startups in the hospitality and staffing space. He’s also a coach in the emerging psychedelics field whose focus is on optimizing human potential. Other roles include podcaster, public speaker, angel investor in firms that help build a better world, and philanthropist with a soft spot for owners and operators of family businesses.
Opportunities for Collaboration
My Startups
GravyWork
GravyWork connects hospitality businesses to an experienced on-demand workforce.Our streamlined staffing technology serves DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Central FloridaWe partner with our talent, clients and the community to create opportunities for growth and mutual success.


Sanistaff
Sanistaff was my response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This service connected businesses with disinfection technicians and supplies which allowed them to keep serving customers safely. Sanistaff also provided disinfection training and employment to displaced hospitality workers.
Hospitality Training Institute
I founded this school to provide skills & experience to new hospitality professionals. Students received training from professionals with extensive experience in the hospitality industry.
HTI was involved in the Virginia Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and The National Restaurant Association (NRA)


Penguin Services Group
Penguin supplied trained professionals to private events, hotels, caterers, and managed food service providers. Our services encompass staffing, training, and executive search services for the hospitality industry.
Penguin Service’s talent base served as the foundation for my other staffing startup, GravyWork.
Testimonials



Testimonials



In the Media
The Alchemist Lounge

043: The Quest To Elevate The Business World Holistically – Marcus Druen
The current corporate nature produces members trapped in a rat race without a chance for fulfillment and transformation. But luckily, there are available solutions to

042: How to Unlock the Abundance in Your Life with Brandon Beachum
If you feel stuck or you feel like nothing seems to be going your way, stop looking for reasons outside – and start looking within

041: Mastering Microdosing with Paul Austin
The use of psychedelics allows for healing and transformation. However, a lot of people shy away from it primarily because of the stigma associated with

040: Transforming Healthcare Through Digital Therapeutics with Lyle Maxson
Imagine a world of virtual reality where people are healed of their illnesses and any kind of pain is gone. We’re no longer far from
Articles

How ketchup evolved from Chinese medicine to tasty condiment
It was fascinating for me to recently learn that ketchup was once sold as medicine. Long before this ubiquitous condiment was used in fast-food meals

Avoiding business jargon makes leaders more relatable
One pet peeve of mine is when leaders speak in business jargon. You see this a lot at conferences and networking events where everyone repeats

Handling layoffs must be done with clarity and compassion
In what has become an increasingly common ritual during economic uncertainty, thousands of working Americans. Particularly those in the high-tech sector – are receiving pink

Why Adderall addiction is a wakeup call for Corporate America
Will Manidis, who co-founded a company that’s using data to make healthcare more transparent, connected and equitable, recently tweeted about the insanity of society being