Ariel Palitz is New York City’s first and former “Nightlife Mayor,” Appointed as the Founding Director of the Mayor's Office of Nightlife serving under both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor Eric Adams from 2018 to 2023. In that time, Ariel used her 10 years of experience as a former East Village nightclub owner and community board member to create a new government office dedicated to supporting the NYC Nightlife industry by identifying systemic challenges and developed non-enforcement solutions while navigating the industry through the Covid 19 pandemic.

Today Ariel is a global government and hospitality consultant, advocate and public speaker, retained as the Managing Director of Hospitality and Intergovernmental Affairs at Oaktree Solutions and serving as the Nightlife Advisor for both the NYC Hospitality Alliance and International Nightlife Association.

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