About Vijayakumar

Vijayakumar “Vijay” Raj was born and raised in Bangalore, India. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in 1991, he moved to the U.S. to study at Johnson & Wales University where he obtained a Master of Science in Hospitality Administration. Vijay has worked in the hospitality industry with companies including Swissotel and Starwood.  He has served in different leadership role in the private clubs industry for the past 18 years in Washington, DC and Singapore.Vijay is a Certified Club Manager (CCM) from Club Managers Association of America and a Certified Rooms Division Executive (CRDE) from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Additionally, he has advanced certifications from Cornell University in revenue management, and marketing and food service management. With his extensive background in private clubs and hotels, Vijay brings a thorough understanding of the life cycle and value of members and guests, as well as a passion for new challenges and helping teams achieve long-ter...

About Antonio

Antonio joined the Invited in 2018 with 19 years of food and beverage leadership experience at Universal Orlando Resort. He’s spent two years at Citrus Club in Orlando as their Director of Food and Beverage and most recently served as the General Manager at Capital Club in Montgomery, Alabama. He brings extensive experience in fine dining, expertise in food & beverage and hospitality operations, business to business relations, internal culture and team building, and has a heart for building Member relationships and enriching lives. Antonio is an all-around sports enthusiast who loves to grill and make a good cocktail. He enjoys traveling, attending live sporting events, and is a huge New York Football Giants fan. When Antonio isn’t in the Club, he loves to spend time with his family. He’s a proud father of two sons.

About Gina

Gina was born in Chicago and grew up in Wilmette with her younger sister, Bianca.  She attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.  Gina spent 11 years as a Realtor in residential real estate specializing in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. After enjoying the life in the sun, she moved back to Chicago in the summer of 2015.  Gina started at The Mid-America Club shortly after as part of the dynamic Membership Team who exceed goals year after year.  She made the transition in March of 2020 to The Metropolitan and looks forward to continued success. Gina lives downtown and enjoys all that the Chicago lifestyle has to offer.  She enjoys spending time with friends and family, checking out new restaurants, a great glass of wine and traveling.  She is always looking to travel to new destinations and her favorite country to visit is Italy.  Gina looks forward to welcoming you, connecting you with other Members and ensuring you enjoy your time at The Metropolitan!

About Peter

Peter was born in Chicago and grew up on the southwest side in Oak Lawn, IL, with his two brothers Lou and George. He attended DePaul University in Chicago, IL, with an Economics and Finance degree. Peter comes from the worlds of finance, fitness, and music. Early in his career, Peter worked on the CBOE, traded on the Mid-America Commodity exchange, and worked for Chemical Bank, Nat West Bank, and others in NYC. Peter started working in the Fitness industry in 2006 as a Membership Advisor and quickly advanced his career to Regional Membership Director for Lakeshore Sport & Fitness. Peter has won countless awards for his sales achievements, breaking club records on national levels. His other true passion in sales is developing and nurturing young professionals. As a World-class DJ, Peter has traveled the world, worked with many world-renowned artists, and created the #1 Indoor Cycling class in Chicago called "Cycle To The Beat."

About Austin

Austin was born and raised in Warner Robins, GA and he started his hospitality career during his time in Valdosta, GA. He later moved to Nashville when he transferred to Belmont University for Music Education. While he was in school, he continued his already blossoming hospitality career. He received the opportunity to work at Nashville’s premiere historic hotel, The Hermitage Hotel. He then later went on to join the opening team of Bobby Hotel and spearheaded the creation of their concierge department, as well as the Bobby VIP experience. He has worked for numerous major hotel brands and was initially brought on as the Experience Specialist at The Metropolitan. Austin didn’t always plan on ending up in the hospitality industry. Growing up, he always planned on being a television brain surgeon. After realizing that he wasn’t a huge fan of life-and-death decisions, he shifted his career plans to focus on entertainment management and hospitality.

About Rachyl

Rachyl Wright was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia where she concentrated in Sociology and Women's studies. After college, she got her start in hospitality on the opening team of Topgolf Atlanta, as a membership manager in the company's first metro location. She continued her work opening new developments, as a leasing manager at what was then, the tallest high-rise community in midtown Atlanta. Building community in business remains a core value for Rachyl and it is ultimately what brought her here to Chicago. Upon arriving in Chicago, Rachyl shifted back into hospitality operations as the concierge of The Blackstone, Autograph Collection. Working closely with their sales and marketing department, Rachyl's client engagement background paired well with the Hotel's frequent business and social clientele.In her free time Rachyl enjoys trying out new restaurants, perusing antique stores, and traveling.

About Dominique

Chef Dominique grew up in the picturesque Hudson Valley area of NY. Her passion for food has been a part of her whole life, with her family having a French restaurant for seven years and then growing up around the Culinary Institute of America where later she would receive her Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts. After graduating from the CIA, Dominique spent a year at Coach Farm learning how to make goat cheese, selling to some of the top restaurants in NYC and going to weekend farmer's markets. She moved to the midwest to attend Purdue University, where she received her Master's of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Prior to joining the Invited family, Chef Dominique worked for White Lodging at the Marriott in Indianapolis and Omni Hotels & Resorts in Indianapolis and Chicago. Her food philosophy is centered around honoring the ingredients, making fun, approachable food, that will excite the palate and awaken the senses. She believes it's important to have strong relat...

About Adam

Chef Adam Wendt started cooking at the age of 14 at an Italian bistro in Rockford, IL. Realizing his passion for cooking was real, he continued to cook his way through many restaurants, landing at a French steakhouse until leaving town for college. In 2016 Wendt was recruited by Chef Jared Wentworth to be the Executive Sous Chef of Michelin Starred Duseks. Working along the Michelin Starred Chef, Wendt retained the coveted status for two more years. In 2019 Chef Jared Wentworth hired Wendt again to help open the new restaurant at Moody Tongue Brewing Co. A fine dining twelve course chef’s tasting menu that went on to receive 2 Michelin Stars. Upon hearing of the Metropolitan Club’s revamp of its fine dining room and the open position in the kitchen, Wendt departed Moody Tongue to become your new Executive Sous Chef.