Matthew Merril

Nolan School of Hotel Administration, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

“Exploring the intersection of hospitality and media as a universal language for human connection.”

Fun fact about yourself: I opened a fine-dining pop-up restaurant in my dorm as a freshman!

Hometown: Great Falls, Virginia

High School: St. Albans School

Major: Hotel Administration

Minor: Information Science, UX/UI concentration

Favorite Business Course: HADM 4360: Beverage Management was a formative class that spanned the entirety of the beverage industry and its economic effects. From creating a full wine program for a real-world stakeholder to tasting wines from the 1960s, this course taught core business principles through hands-on application.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College: (

Leadership

Student Assistant to Dean Kate Walsh, Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Design Director, the 100th Hotel Ezra Cornell (Annual Student-Run Conference)
President, Last Call A Capella, Cornell University
Founding Board Member, Collegetown Neighborhood Collective, Ithaca, NY
Board Member, Dean’s Student Advisory Board
President, Restorative Rhythms, Cornell University

Activities

@MatthewintheKitchen Content Creation (2.7 million+ followers)
Staff Writer, Crème de Cornell, Cornell University
Ambassador, Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Cuvée Blind Wine Tasting Society
Mentor, Hotel School Mentorship Program, Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Radio Host, “Idle Talk,” WVBR F.M., Ithaca, NY

Honors:

Quill and Dagger Senior Honor Society, Cornell University (Executive Board)
Ye Hosts Honorary Society, Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Kanders Fellow, Culinary Institute of America Immersion Program
Dean’s List, Nolan School of Hotel Administration

Where have you interned during your college career?

Summer 2025: Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
Summer 2023-2024: Self-employment under management from Viral Nation Talent Agency, building a platform on social media combining my passion for gastronomy and entrepreneurship to grow a platform of over 2.7 million followers. Through these endeavors, I’ve partnered with companies like Amazon, Meta, JBL, Walmart, and Disney to develop marketing campaigns aligned with both the corporate marketing campaigns and my personal platform.

Where will you be working after graduation?I will be working at the two-Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns as a Front-of-House Apprentice.

Who is your favorite business professor? Professor Cheryl Stanley represents the academic excellence of the Nolan School. As a Hotelie herself, she upholds core traditions, such as the famed Wines course, revered by alumni across Cornell. Her Beverage Management class integrates accounting, economics, and human capital with cultural and historical context, allowing students to explore service excellence while becoming stronger business leaders.

Beyond the classroom, Professor Stanley’s commitment to student growth is unmistakable. I am a member of her competition wine tasting team, the Cuvée Blind Wine Tasting Society, where she trains students to discern wines with precision while fostering an appreciation for their agricultural and cultural significance. She also hosts master seminars with influential figures across the global wine industry, offering unparalleled exposure to professional excellence. I have recommended her course to peers interested in investment banking and quantitative analysis, many of whom described it as “life-changing.”

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Studying business through the lens of hospitality has offered a people-first approach to this field of study. I often discuss “the necessity of a hospitality-driven education” in a time where an increased reliance on technology drives more demand than ever for interpersonal skills. The Nolan School’s main hypothesis is called “the Service Profit Chain,” emphasizing the idea that in any organization, when employee satisfaction is high, they perform better services that in turn maximize customer satisfaction and thus revenue. This idea inspires students like me to lead with the best interest of others in mind not as a moral mandate, but rather a fundamental business strategy.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Understanding business comes from a breadth of knowledge. Technical fluency in accounting and finance is necessary, but it is not sufficient on its own. The leaders I have learned the most from are not defined by mastery of one skill, but by their ability to integrate different ways of thinking while applying them to real human problems.

My Information Science minor exposed me to inequities in computing systems and gave me a stronger grasp of consumer behavior and business psychology. Performing arts played an equally important role. As president of my a cappella group and through acting courses, I honed public speaking skills that made it easier to lead lectures for 300+ students and develop my own style as a public speaker. Any passion or unique interest can build expertise that makes you a stronger business leader.

Experiential learning proved just as valuable as academics. With Hotel Ezra Cornell, I started as a Culinary Manager, moved up to Assistant Director of Food & Beverage as a sophomore, then became Design Director as a junior. In that role, I managed a $25,000 budget and led a team of 15. Together, we designed the guest experience and creative vision for one of the nation’s foremost hospitality conferences. Hands-on learning leads to leadership development that no classroom can replicate.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Forging my own path at the intersection of business, hospitality, consumer behavior, and technology was the most rewarding way I could have spent my undergraduate career. Because of my unique field of study, I wish I could conduct an honors thesis. I’m grateful I prioritized experiential learning, but over the past four years, I discovered how interconnected all my academic interests are. Researching and producing a new piece of academic work that never existed before is something I still strive to complete in my academic career.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Many people argue that AI and hospitality are at odds, but the Nolan School disagrees. An advantage to studying hospitality is that certain human interactions cannot be replaced. A genuine interaction with a guest is imperative to fulfilling the human needs that hospitality provides. The AI opportunity is about improving the back-of-house systems that guests don’t see. The Nolan School has been an early adopter. Our program teaches fundamentals in information technology, human capital management, real estate, and finance, all applied operationally. There are clear examples of training needs and expertise gaps that make hospitality challenging, but agentic AI offers low-cost solutions.

As Student Assistant to the Dean, I’m the lead TA for a class of 300 and manage the visits for distinguished guests of the school. AI has streamlined how I manage these stakeholders’ itineraries, but the human touch of a hand-written thank-you note can never be replaced. However, AI offers process improvement for tasks such as organizational management to run a mandatory course for all first years in the major. Additionally, for Hotel Ezra Cornell, I used AI to create interfaces that properly allocated our $25,000 budget. Using accounting principles, I maximized our dollar value and reorganized my department’s inventory to make the centennial conference memorable and ensure the next 100 years of the organization will be empowered to lead with strength.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? In the summer of 2024, I worked with Amazon to create an international marketing campaign called “Dormz.” Amazon was searching for a student content creator to feature in one of its biggest campaigns of the year, highlighting students’ reliance on Amazon for back-to-school shopping. They profiled my life on campus for weeks and built a storyboard that captured my engagements, from a cappella president to Design Director to hosting pop-up dinners. The crew built a set in Los Angeles mirroring my actual dorm room, wrote a script portraying my life as a content creator and student, and we shot the commercial over a weekend.

Being able to represent my school and passion on this scale was humbling. Versions of the commercial aired during the 2024 Paris Olympics, on Hulu, cable television, across all social media platforms, and even in cabs in New York City. What made this particularly meaningful was that it validated a decision I made early on: I refused to let my online presence hinder my academic involvement. Many peers and media leaders advised me to focus on building my platform at the cost of disengaging from school, but I never saw the value in that approach. This campaign proved that prioritizing my undergraduate experience, leadership opportunities and mentorship was the right choice.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire my classmate Max Weinhouse (Nolan ’25). We worked closely together in the food and beverage operations of the Nolan School. I remember having him as a server at the Regent Lounge when I was a freshman and telling my friend that I wanted to be as good at hospitality as him. Throughout my time at Cornell, his work ethic was unparalleled. He eventually became the Food and Beverage Director of the Statler Hotel and competed in wine competitions in Switzerland. Max is a true “Hotelie.”

I felt so lucky when I was paired with him to create a wine list for a class. I have fond memories of studying different regions in Bordeaux with him before our Beverage Management exam. What I admire most about Max, though, is how he modeled his hospitality excellence through his friendship. Hospitality, at its core, is responding to the needs of others, and Max does this effortlessly and innately. Always willing to lend a hand or be the first to offer support, Max is a case study in the power of hospitality to change the world one authentic connection at a time. Naturally, his first job out of school is as an opening manager for the highly anticipated reopening of New York’s famed Waldorf Astoria, showing his true dedication to the craft.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’d have to thank my mom. Often calling her my “mom-ager” in jest, she has supported me in both my education and media career in ways that go far beyond what most parents would do. From traveling with me for three months when I was 10 years old to film “Kids Baking Championship,” to staying up with me all night in high school to turn our kitchen table into a giant display of nachos for Hidden Valley Ranch, these moments reflect her willingness to sacrifice for my success.

But what inspires me most is that she walked a similar path herself. Growing up with immigrant parents from Baghdad, she went to medical school and started her own business, becoming a trailblazer in her own right. Watching her balance both taught me that you don’t have to choose between passion and excellence. She made sure I never had to pick between my platform and my education. That insistence on doing both well shaped how I approached Cornell. Her belief that I could manage a social media presence, excel academically, and lead on campus gave me the confidence to prove everyone wrong who said I had to choose one. Every achievement I’ve had traces back to her example and her willingness to bet on me when the path wasn’t clear.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My primary dream is to open a restaurant group that restructures the restaurant industry. There’s real opportunity in the fast-casual and fine-dining sectors, especially with consumers increasingly gravitating towards strongly established brands that feel authentic. With my experience in brand management and food and beverage operations, I want to sharpen the cutting edge of dining and consumer-packaged goods, redefining where the brand fits into the equation.

I also want to build platforms for food education and security. Around 47 million Americans experience food insecurity, and this issue is more pressing than ever. With technological improvements in AI and distribution systems, I hope to work towards solving this problem. Technology has the power to reach underserved communities in ways we’ve never seen before, and I want to be a part of that solution.

What made Matthew such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“If you were asked whom you would want on your capstone analytics team, to help you prepare a persuasive communications presentation, to cook your birthday dinner, and even to sing “Happy Birthday,” you might normally think of four different people. For many students at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, the answer would be Matthew Merril.

Matthew may be well known beyond campus as an Internet celebrity, but within Statler Hall he is valued for something far more important: his consistently positive presence and genuine engagement with others. I have known Matthew as a student in my managerial accounting class, as Dean’s Assistant, and as a deeply committed member of our community. Across all these roles, he has demonstrated the same qualities: energy, curiosity, generosity, and a sincere interest in the success of others.

In the classroom, Matthew brought a steady flow of ideas and perspectives to discussion, while always recognizing and encouraging the contributions of his classmates. Within the community, he was often the first to volunteer to support fellow students or mentor children in the local school system. At major School events, his voice as a member of the a cappella group added warmth and spirit to the occasion. As Dean’s Assistant, alongside Claire Vroom, he welcomed distinguished speakers whose visits were consistently enhanced by their hospitality and professionalism.

Matthew’s résumé is long and impressive, but what truly sets him apart is not simply the range of his activities, it is the consistency of his character. He approaches everything he does with commitment, enthusiasm, and care for others. The Nolan Class of 2026 would not have been the same without Matthew Merril. He was a bright presence in the life of the school, and his contributions made our community stronger, more connected, and more joyful. My faculty colleagues and I, along with the entire Hotelie community, are grateful that our paths crossed with his.”

Francisco de Asis Martinez Jerez
Professor, Senior Director of Program
Nolan School of Hotel Administration

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