Elizabeth Blau

Elizabeth Blau Speaker Biography

James Beard nominated restaurateur Elizabeth Blau is one of the most established and respected experts on restaurant development and operations in the country. Blau co-founded Elizabeth Blau + Associates in 2002 with her husband, chef Kim Canteenwalla and is an investor on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup alongside Tim Love and Joe Bastianich. With an impressive food service career spanning nearly three decades, Blau is widely credited as being a key player in transforming Las Vegas into a world-class culinary destination. Blau attended the prestigious Cornell School of Hotel Administration’s master's program and has long served as an arbiter of taste in today’s dining scene.

As a food and beverage executive at Mirage, MGM Resorts, and Wynn Resorts, and as Steve Wynn’s chosen culinary advisor, she has personally overseen the development of groundbreaking food and beverage programs, including the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and both the Wynn and Encore resorts. She continues to lead the industry with her innovative and fresh approach to hospitality. Deftly distinguishing fad from trend, irrelevant from significant, Blau’s skilled touch defines her work in Las Vegas and around the world.

Actively involved in her community and profession, Blau serves as a Trustee at the Culinary Institute of America, on the Dean’s Advisory board at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and sits on the board of Communities in Schools, in Las Vegas.