From Oracle to Oasis: Reena Miglani’s Journey into Hospitality

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to walk away from a 20-year career at Oracle and reinvent yourself as the heartbeat of a hospitality brand? In this week’s RESET conversation, Tonya sits down with her longtime friend Reena Miglani, who traded corporate cadence for community, creating Amara Restaurants as a sanctuary in the middle of Silicon Valley.Reena’s story begins with a forced pause: a health crisis in 2018 that introduced her to the realities of burnout. That reset — compounded by becoming an empty nester during COVID — sparked a bold question: What if I built a place that felt like paradise, not just for vacations, but for every day?Today, Amara is that vision realized: a 7,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space designed to let your shoulders drop the moment you walk in. With custom scents, curated textures, and garden views, Reena has fused design, hospitality, and wellness into something rare: a dining experience that feels like a reset for your nervous system.In this episode, we explore:Resets in Action – how Reena pivoted from corporate tech to creating a restaurant that doubles as a community hub.Leadership with Heart – how being a mother and a tech leader shaped her approach to building teams who feel like family.Experimentation as a Superpower – how Silicon Valley’s “fail fast” mentality shows up in menu design, event planning, and guest experiences.Community Over Convenience – why Reena urges us to “stop ordering DoorDash” and remember that restaurants don’t just serve food, they serve connection.Along the way, you’ll hear candid stories — from guests who requested Amara’s food as their last meal, to local jazz bands being invited to play brunch sets, to the membership club that gives regulars a sense of home and belonging.As Reena puts it, hospitality today isn’t about Instagram perfection, it’s about authentic storytelling and human connection. Her journey is a reminder that resets aren’t endings, they’re remixes that blend old strengths with new purpose.CONNECT WITH REENA and AMARA 🚊LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reenamiglani/Instagram: @amararestaurantsWebsite: https://www.amararestaurants.com/CONNECT WITH RESET 🎙️Podcast: https://www.reset-podcast.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tonyajlong-RESET LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/reset-with-tonyaInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/resetwithTonyaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570923056203CONNECT WITH TONYA 🚊LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyajlong/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyajlongFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/tonya.j.long/Check out my bestselling book, "AI and the New Oz: Leadership’s Journey to the Future of Work" available on Amazon [https://a.co/d/aTBJmEr]. Go to the "AI and the New Oz" website at https://www.ai-and-the-new-oz.com/ to learn more! #thejourneyisthejob