HOSPITALITY
• Chef Dan Krohmer, acclaimed for his work at Other Mama, introduces Durango Social Club — an elevated and intimate culinary experience located at 3655 S. Durango DRIVE, Suite 29 in southwest Las Vegas. Blending the energy of a wine-forward tasting studio with the warmth of a neighborhood escape, Durango Social Club redefines local dining with a sexy, one-of-a-kind seasonal tasting menu and vibrant event programming. Reservations are required for this five-course experience, offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings only.
Durango Social Club is not a walk-in bar — it’s a carefully orchestrated culinary journey centered around connection, creativity, and curated indulgence. Each evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with pre-dinner wine and cocktail offerings, followed by a tasting menu served promptly at 6:30 p.m.
The wine and bottle list, hand-selected by beverage director Renato Lebron, features rare, low-intervention wines and thoughtful pairings designed to elevate the evolving menu. In addition to Chef Krohmer’s own creations, Durango Social Club will host international guest chefs, pop-up events and local culinary collaborators, creating a fresh narrative each season. Menus will change frequently, reflecting the team’s dedication to spontaneity, seasonality and storytelling through food and drink.
Reservations required. Bookings are released on the first of each month, two months in advance. For example, September reservations open on July 1. The menu is seasonal and subject to change frequently.
Reserve your seat at tables.toasttab.com or call 702-463-8382. For more information and updates, visit durangosocial.com.
NONPROFIT
• Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada has announced two appointments to its board of directors.
— Matt Cook is the executive vice president and shareholder at Cragin & Pike. A longtime advocate for community engagement, Cook brings over two decades of experience in insurance, risk management and agency leadership to the financial literacy nonprofit’s mission of preparing young people for economic success.
Cook joined Cragin & Pike in 2004 and oversees agency management, operational direction, client relations, new business and the firm’s claims and risk management department. A licensed agent in both property and casualty insurance, and health and benefits, his core expertise also includes agency operations — areas that all strongly align with Junior Achievement’s mission of financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. He has a Bachelor of Arts in communication and journalism from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.
Cook previously served on the board of the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation for 11 years, where he was Governance Committee chair, vice-chair and chairman during the nonprofit organization’s 40th anniversary. Now, with his children grown and more time to give, he is eager to bring his insight and drive to Junior Achievement.
“Matt’s leadership experience, strategic mindset and passion for community building make him a fantastic addition to our board,” said Michelle Jackson, JASN president and CEO. “His deep understanding of risk and operations, combined with a heart for service, will strengthen our ability to equip students with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
Cook moved to Las Vegas in 2004. He was introduced to JASN through business partner and past JASN board member, Dulcinea Rongavilla, and sees this new role as an opportunity to continue making a meaningful impact in the Southern Nevada community.
— John J. Starkey is the associate director of the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A longtime champion of student success and civic engagement, Starkey brings a wealth of experience in higher education leadership, academic program development and industry collaboration to support the nonprofit financial literacy organization’s mission of preparing young people for economic success.
In his current role, Starkey leads the strategic direction of the Kerestesi Center, including academic program creation, industry engagement, financial oversight, and student scholarship support. He was instrumental in designing UNLV’s Bachelor of Science in business administration major in insurance and risk management, and he continues to guide student recruitment and curriculum development. His leadership also extends to planning industry events, managing donor relations and mentoring student leaders.
Starkey’s journey with UNLV began in 2005 as a student employee, eventually earning his Bachelor of Science in business administration and a Master of Education in educational leadership. Since 2012, he has served in multiple professional roles at UNLV, focused on advising, student support and academic advancement.
“John’s dedication to student empowerment and his deep roots in the education and insurance sectors make him a tremendous asset to our board,” Jackson said. “His leadership has already made a measurable impact through our partnership with UNLV, and we are thrilled to welcome him in this new capacity.”
Starkey’s relationship with JASN began in 2018, sparking a collaborative effort that brought Junior Achievement programming into UNLV classrooms, launched scholarships, and connected K-12 students with college mentors. That work earned him recognition with the UNLV’s Faculty/Staff Community Outreach Award and helped strengthen JASN’s connection to the local community.
Born and raised in West Virginia, Starkey has called Las Vegas home for over two decades. Outside of his professional life, he is a passionate advocate for mentoring, civic engagement, and student leadership. He embodies strength and perseverance, values that mirror Junior Achievement’s mission to empower young people to thrive.
Founded locally in 1996, Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Inc. is dedicated to providing financial education to K-12 students and young adults with a curriculum including wants vs. needs, budget management to economic principals, workforce skills, credit and entrepreneurship. The completion of the new 40,000-square-foot Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Inspiration Center will allow the nonprofit organization to impact more than 60,000 local youth. It is now the permanent site for capstone programs, Betty’s JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada’s financial literacy mission is accomplished with the support of 285 businesses and 6,800 business role models, who help youth learn about the “business of life,” by helping bridge the gap between what youth learn in school and the real world. For more information visit jasnv.org, and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
REAL ESTATE
• The Nevada State Contractors Board elected Kent Lay to serve as chair for the 2025-2026 fiscal year at its July 17 meeting. Lay was first appointed to the board on Nov. 5 by former Gov. Brian Sandoval and previously served as chair from August of 2019 to August of 2022. Lay replaces the current chair Boyd Martin, who held the position for the last three fiscal years.
“The board’s election of Mr. Lay to serve as chair is representative of his expansive knowledge of the industry and the strategic and leadership qualities that have guided the board in the past. He is a member that has demonstrated great integrity and fairness over the years, and we welcome him back in this role,” shared Executive Officer David Behar. “The progress made under Boyd Martin’s tenure as chair was significant and his guidance led to tremendous progress in our operations with respect to legislative changes, licensing improvements and continued workforce development initiatives. On behalf of our board, we extend a heartfelt appreciation for his service and leadership to our staff and the public.”
Lay is division president at Taylor Morrison of Nevada. With more than 25 years’ experience in residential and commercial general contracting, he has overseen the construction of more than 10,000 homes and various commercial projects throughout the Southwest. He has served on the boards of the Southern Nevada and Arizona Home Builders Association and has been active with Home Aid of Southern Nevada.
The Nevada State Contractors Board is committed to ensuring the integrity and professionalism of the construction industry in Nevada. The NSCB has the responsibility to promote quality construction by Nevada licensed contractors through a regulatory licensing system designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. For more information, visit nscb.nv.gov.
TECHNOLOGY
• Koin, a leading cashless solutions provider, has named Hemash Bhatti as head of artificial intelligence and data strategy, a newly formed role central to the company’s data-driven growth ambitions. Bhatti brings 15 years of experience in building and scaling high-impact data and analytics practices across Fortune 500 brands, driving transformation through technology and scaling data-driven solutions that delivered real business results.
Before joining Koin, Bhatti led data strategy and analytics at Apply Digital where he was responsible for expanding the company’s data practice for many leading consumer marketing companies including NBA, Kraft, Coca-Cola and Disney. In this role, he was responsible for managing a team of analytics and data engineers, developing discipline strategy across data collection, transformation, storage, management and activation, and spearheaded multi-disciplinary data initiatives for clients in sectors including automotive, food and beverage, fintech, consumer electronics and ecommerce.
Among his achievements, Bhatti designed and launched Apply Digital’s first-ever digital personalization program for a leading global food and beverage company, scaling the solution across five brands in its inaugural year and driving significant growth in engagement and first-party data collection. More recently, he led the design and deployment of an advanced AI-powered customer segmentation tool, boosting contextual customer trait collection by 140 percent with over 90 percent accuracy, a testament to his blend of strategic vision and technical execution.
“Hemash’s track record in data strategy and the ethical application of AI aligns perfectly with our vision for Koin’s next phase of growth,” Koin President Gary Larkin said. “His ability to leverage data for real transformation and client impact will be instrumental as we continue to scale Koin’s data management and analytics capabilities for the benefit of both our customers and partners alike.”
Koin is an advanced entertainment and lifestyle payment solution specifically designed to meet the demands of the highly regulated retail and online gaming markets. Founded in 2021 by Gary Ellis and Larkin, Koin is guided by a talented leadership team with extensive experience in global gaming and payments. As a long-term partner of Euronet Worldwide, Inc., Koin leverages the resources of one of the world’s leading providers of advanced payment technologies. Koin offers clients a complete, fully integrated payment ecosystem that delivers unprecedented cost efficiencies while providing end users with seamless, fully portable digital solutions to pay, play or buy anywhere, anytime. Koin is transforming the way the gaming, hospitality and entertainment industries approach cashless payments. For more information, visit koinpayments.com.