Chef Aitor Zabala Courtesy of Somni Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment On Oct. 13, 2021, Chef Aitor Zabala stood at a breaking point. His acclaimed restaurant Somni had closed during the pandemic. The new space he planned to reopen in had fallen through. His sous chef had quit. After four years cooking alone in a test kitchen with no guests, the white jacket felt heavier than it ever had. Quitting seemed not just possible, but rational. Instead, Zabala made himself a smaller promise: He would wait one more day. That decision, repeated when confidence had disappeared, quietly set the stage for one of the most striking comebacks in modern fine dining. When Zabala reopened Somni in West Hollywood in November 2024, expectations were cautious. Seven months later, the Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant three stars, a distinction that often takes years, sometimes decades, to achieve. Related Stories Business AMC Theatres Secures Bondholders' Relief For New Debt Refinancing Lifestyle The Return of Giorgio's: L.A.'s Most Glam New Year's Ball Is Back As Zabala told The Hollywood Reporter shortly after receiving the honor, "It takes years and years of hard work and passion and doing better every single day to receive such an achievement. Now Zabala is taking that hard-earned lesson beyond the kitchen. He has been confirmed as a featured speaker at TEDxBeverlyGrove 2026, where he will present what he calls the "One More Day Principle." The event takes place March 14, 2026, under the theme "Reimagining the Possible." Rather than leaning on the familiar language of inspiration, Zabala's talk focuses on endurance. He argues that motivation is unreliable in moments of collapse, while persistence is a discipline that can be practiced even when belief is gone. For Zabala, the message is blunt and unglamorous. Reimagining the possible does not begin with belief. It begins with the decision to show up again tomorrow. The Barcelona-born Zabala appears alongside a deliberately cross-disciplinary lineup. Real estate developer and civic figure, currently mulling a second Los Angeles mayoral run, Rick J. Caruso will argue that homelessness, affordability, and urban decline are failures of ownership and accountability. Entrepreneur and investor Aaron Michael Krinsky examines how complexity inside well-meaning systems erodes care. Transformational coach Eron Zehavi focuses on how interpretation shapes paralysis and movement. Paralympic medalist Isaac Jean-Paul reframes disability as an environmental design problem, while systems architect Ken Cardwell warns of the risks of delegating identity to artificial intelligence. Creative operations leader Ryan Garney rounds out the program with lessons on crisis containment drawn from disaster history. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up shopping At the Height of Awards Season, DIRECTV Offering Limited-Time Deal on Live TV Packages sundance 2026 What's the Secret Sauce for a Great Sundance Party? Brilliant Consulting's Danielle Pelland Looks Back on 21 Years of Curating Main Street's Hottest Hangs Willow Smith Anya Taylor-Joy and Willow Smith Step Out at Dior Addict Pop-Up in Los Angeles Sean Connery Finneas Joins The Macallan for 'Diamonds Are Forever' 55th Anniversary Release Party Sheryl Lee Ralph Don Lemon to Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award at Truth Awards Health 'Full House' Star Dave Coulier Says His Tongue Cancer Is in Remission: "What a Journey This Has Been" shopping At the Height of Awards Season, DIRECTV Offering Limited-Time Deal on Live TV Packages sundance 2026 What's the Secret Sauce for a Great Sundance Party? Brilliant Consulting's Danielle Pelland Looks Back on 21 Years of Curating Main Street's Hottest Hangs Willow Smith Anya Taylor-Joy and Willow Smith Step Out at Dior Addict Pop-Up in Los Angeles Sean Connery Finneas Joins The Macallan for 'Diamonds Are Forever' 55th Anniversary Release Party Sheryl Lee Ralph Don Lemon to Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award at Truth Awards Health 'Full House' Star Dave Coulier Says His Tongue Cancer Is in Remission: "What a Journey This Has Been"