Michael Lomonaco Speaking Fee: $10,000 to $20,000
Travels From:
NYC - New York City
Primary Topic Category:
Inspiration / Motivation / Overcoming Obstacles
Secondary Topic Category:
Chefs / Culinary / Food & WIne
Michael Lomonaco Speaker Profile: At A Glance
Michael Lomonaco is the Chef & Partner of the highly respected and successful restaurant Porter House Bar and Grill along with his piano-cocktail lounge Center Bar. He is an original star of Food Network, a food and travel host on Discovery and Travel channels, and was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at CUNY. An esteemed veteran of American cooking and the New York restaurant scene, Michael has helmed some of NYC’s most iconic kitchens including ‘21’, Windows on the World, Wild Blue, Noche and Guastavino’s. His philanthropic work has made him a leader in the restaurant community and his hometown NYC.
Widely regarded as a Chef’s Chef, Michael is one of America’s Most Recognizable Culinary Leaders. Having spent his career in some of New York’s most respected restaurants, he promotes an welcoming atmosphere of warm hospitality alongside his modern American cooking. Michael is known for dishes that feature pristine ingredients prepared with joy and gusto.
Michael Lomonaco is the Culinary Director of the highly respected and successful restaurant Porter House Bar and Grill, and Center Bar, a mixologist’s dream. He is an original star of Food Network, spent 8 years as a noted food and travel host on Discovery and Travel Channels, and has taught cooking classes throughout the US. In 2002 Michael was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at New York’s CUNY. Equally at home in front of a University lecture hall, on a frenetic TV studio set, or up close and personal in your virtual kitchen, Michael inspires us with lively and warm personality, quips and tips on cooking, wine, music. Ask him where to find the best of anything, anywhere!
Throughout his long culinary career Michael has always been involved and engaged in community service. He has served on the advisory boards of many food and hunger related non-profits including Share Our Strength, City Harvest, C-CAP. Following the tragic aftermath of 9/11, he co-founded Windows of Hope, a 501-C3 charity which raised millions of dollars for the benefit of families of the food service workers who perished at the World Trade Center. Service to others is a hallmark of his culinary ethos, the gift of hospitality through which Michael uses food to do more than feed those around him.
Within his leadership keynotes and interactive cooking classes, Chef Lomonaco provides a unique perspective on adapting, adjusting, creating and delivering the gift of hospitality to customers and employees alike in any fast-paced environment, regardless of the circumstance or industry. His approach to hospitality, the gift we give others, is what all businesses need most in customer relations, staff and team-building, and how we can best represent ourselves to the world around us.
Michael has faced challenges and adversity in life which had left him feeling alone and grief stricken. His methods of coping during difficult times have allowed him to move forward with life and thrive under pressure. He is in the process of writing a memoir which details these challenges and shares his ideology and beliefs. Sharing truthful stories about his life experiences, resilience, and renewal has given him the opportunity to help others through personal crisis. As he recounts the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the aftermath and rebuilding of his life and helping others rebuild their own lives we are shown a lifetime of insight into how to live a life of hope and acceptance.Related Speakers
Jack Hanna
Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
As a child, Jack spent his days cleaning animal cages for his local veterinarian and exploring the creek behind his house. Today, Jack Hanna explores the corners of the globe as one of the most visible and respected animal ambassadors in the world.
Mick Ebeling
Founder & CEO, Not Impossible Labs and Author
Mick Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation. As a career producer and filmmaker and now founder and CEO of Not Impossible, Ebeling harvests the power of technology and story to change the world. Recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders, a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award and listed as one of the world’s most influential creative people by The Creativity 50’s, Mick Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation.
John O'Leary
Inspirational Speaker | Bestselling Author | Host of the Live Inspired Podcast | Expert on Overcoming Adversity & Igniting a Radically Inspired Life
In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given 1% chance to live.This epic story of survival was first showcased in his parents’ book, Overwhelming Odds. John is consistently given industry-defying gold stars across the board for his emotional storytelling, genuine humor and ability to empower his audiences to take back their lives and change their world. John intimately illustrates how the greatest challenges can be transformed into outstanding growth. His presentations are described as “captivating, amazing and life-changing.
Ben Nemtin
1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Top 30 Motivational Speaker & Co-Founder The Buried Life
Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want To Do Before You Die, the star of the MTV show The Buried Life, and an internationally renowned keynote speaker. As the co-founder of The Buried Life movement, Ben’s message of radical possibility has been featured in major media including The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC News, and more. Oprah Winfrey called Ben’s life work “truly inspiring.”
Walter Bond
Motivational Speaker, NBA Athlete, Business Coach, Author
Walter Bond is one of the top corporate keynote speakers and executive coaches in the nation. His reputation is built on a powerful speaking style, memorable ideas, and his hard-earned mastery of peak performance principles. A bench player during his four-year college career at the University of Minnesota, Walter Bond decided to dedicate himself to understanding peak performance. He willed himself to a full-scale optimization of every aspect of his game—and a six-year professional career, including stints with the Dallas Mavericks, the Utah Jazz, and the Detroit Pistons.
Allison Massari
Inspirational TEDx Speaker, Storyteller, Entrepreneur, Executive Coach, Celebrated Artist
Voted one of the Top Ten best motivational speakers in North America by Meetings and Conventions Magazine, Allison Massari’s quintessential story of courage and perseverance resonates with participants long after an event has finished. Hailed as “life-changing” “riveting” “extraordinary” “bold” and “deeply moving”, Allison instills the essential tools to quickly access grace and resilience in the face of challenges.
Archie Manning
Former American Football Quarterback
When people think of Archie Manning, they think football. But Archie’s appeal transcends his athletic achievements. People far and wide have been inspired by his warm personality, his drive and sense of humor.
Erin Gruwell
Educator & Founder of The Freedom Writers Foundation
Erin Gruwell has earned an award-winning reputation for her steadfast commitment to the future of education. Her impact as a change agent attracted Hollywood’s attention, and in 2007, Paramount Pictures released Freedom Writers, starring two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank as Erin.
