ABOUT NIA GRACE
Award-Winning Restaurateur | Experience Architect | Speaker
Nia Grace is an award-winning entrepreneur, recently named by The Boston Globe as “Restaurateur of the
Year.” With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Nia has built a legacy of
creating spaces where friends, food, and music come together. As the owner of Grace By Nia and Darryl’s
Corner Bar and Kitchen, she has redefined experiential dining in Boston, combining Southern and Caribbean
flavors with live entertainment to cultivate a sense of community and belonging.
Beyond her contributions to the hospitality industry, Nia is deeply committed to empowering others and
creating opportunities for connection. Her decade-long career in the nonprofit sector honed her skills in
fundraising and marketing, with impactful collaborations that include MTV, HBO Def Poetry, The Major
League Baseball Players Trust, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These experiences laid the
foundation for her current work as an entrepreneur and speaker, where she inspires others to break barriers
and thrive.
Nia is passionate about fostering inclusivity in hospitality, using her platform to champion diversity, equity,
and community empowerment. She delivers impactful talks on topics such as “From Passion to Profit:
Lessons in Entrepreneurship for Women in Hospitality”, sharing insights on navigating the challenges of
leadership and growth. In her workshop “Philanthropy in Business: Using Your Brand to Empower
Communities,” she highlights how businesses can create meaningful change by integrating social good into
their models.
As an advocate for authentic growth, Nia speaks on “Scaling Success: Growing Your Hospitality Brand
Without Losing Its Essence”, offering strategies for entrepreneurs to expand their ventures while preserving
quality and authenticity. Her signature talk, “Hosting With Purpose: Curating Events That Inspire and
Entertain,” teaches audiences how to design impactful experiences that resonate with customers and elevate
their brand.
Active in her community, Nia is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and has served on
boards for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts and the Boston Cultural Council. Her current board
commitments include the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Boston Center for Youth and Families, the
Roxbury YMCA, and Meet Boston – The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Recognized as a leader and changemaker, Nia was named a 2024 “Power 50 Movement Maker” by the Boston
Business Journal and was a member of its “40 Under 40” class of 2020. She is a recipient of the Pinnacle
Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce for her excellence as an Emerging Executive Leader.
Boston Magazine named her one of “The 100 Most Influential Bostonians” for 2021 and 2022, and the Boston
Business Journal honored her as one of five “Women Who Mean Business” in 2023.
Under her leadership, Grace By Nia and Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen have been celebrated as top dining
and entertainment destinations by Boston Magazine, EATER Boston, and Time Out Boston. Whether through
her restaurants, philanthropy, or speaking engagements, Nia Grace continues to inspire others by blending
creativity, hospitality, and purpose.
