Keynote Speakers

Will Guidara

Restaurateur, Eleven Madison Park, the #1 Restaurant in the World; New York Times Bestselling Author, Unreasonable Hospitality; Co-Producer of Emmy Award-winning series The Bear

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which was named the Best Restaurant in the World under his leadership. In addition, he is a co-producer of the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear, host of The Welcome Conference held annually in NYC at Lincoln Center, and a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award. His new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, comes out in April 2026.

Across all of Will’s roles, his overriding philosophy is one of “people first” and “teams first.” He talks of shifting away from assuming the worst in people and instead bringing out the best, and also focuses on exceptional service and client satisfaction. During his keynote address, he’ll expand on his point-of-view, which aligns seamlessly with the core Lean tenet Respect for People and the Lean Conditions of Satisfaction concept.