In 2019, the Ezequiel Vazquez-Ger’s restaurant, Seven Reasons, was named the best restaurant in the Americas by Esquire. Hear the story of how he entered the restaurant business. He grew his business and even opened a second restaurant during the pandemic. Leaders in every industry can learn from his story of creativity, passion, and adaptation.

What is the purpose of entrepreneurship in the midst of these turbulent times? Using timely examples from her career, Yvonne English will offer key lessons on how to effectively innovate.

These key leaders will discuss universal and timeless leadership principles for challenging times. When you view people as the ultimate resource, new opportunities will open up for you and your business. These leaders will address principles such as bottom-up solution, empowering overlooked people, and working together.

Can success be paired with intentional and ethical leadership? John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods, shares how to develop yourself as a become a better leader. He and Acton President Fr. Robert Sirico will discuss the principles of conscious leadership, how to create a thriving culture within your business, and advice for businesspeople in 2021.

Milton Friedman famously argued that the sole social responsibility of business was to create value for shareholders. This view was the predominant view for decades. In 2019, the Business Roundtable made headlines, by adopting a stakeholder capitalism model, which calls on businesses to look beyond profit maximization, and to consider other business constituents, such as employees, suppliers, the community and even broader social concerns, such as environment or racial justice. Our three speakers will engage in a fruitful conversation on this topic, illustrating the different answers one might give to the question “What is the purpose of business?”