Jessenia was born and raised in sunny, yet rainy, Palm Beach County, Florida.  She started her hospitality career hosting during high school and moved her way up into bartending by the time she was in college.  She attended Florida International University in Miami where she ultimately studied business and marketing after switching her major about four times.  She continued to bartend during college and on the side as she dabbled in careers outside of the service industry.

The hustle of restaurants and the excitement of the bar always kept her interest.  She was working in real estate, and one day she decided to pursue a better life balance and moved to a small town in the Rocky Mountains. She chose Vail for its year-round appeal and proximity to an airport.  And the rest, as they say, is history!  

She began at Mountain Standard as a server and bartender, was promoted to dining room manager then took over both bar programs at Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard. In 2019, Jessenia was promoted to General Manager at Sweet Basil.  In April 2023, she became only the third partner in the Sweet Basil, Inc company of restaurants, which includes Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard restaurants. Her attention to detail and natural leadership qualities made her a perfect fit to be the next partner.  

Living in Vail gives Jessenia the opportunity to explore the unknown and play right in her own backyard with her husband Travis and their two boys Bjorn and Orion.