Lauren Beebe is the founder and CEO of Like A Local Tours, an award-winning New York City food and neighborhood tour company, and the founder of Like A Local Guide, a growing collection of city travel guides and local tips. Under her leadership, Like A Local Tours’ Chelsea Market & High Line food tour was ranked the #11 Food & Drink Experience in the entire United States in the 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards.
Originally from Wisconsin and raised across Minnesota, Texas, and Pennsylvania, Lauren earned a B.S. in Marketing and International Business from Penn State before moving to New York City. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in tourism and hospitality, including serving as Head of Marketing at Algodon Partners, a private equity firm with hospitality holdings in South America.
Lauren started Like A Local Tours organically, out of a deep love for the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood. Where others overlooked Brooklyn, she saw a community full of fascinating people, inspiring entrepreneurs, and hidden gems waiting to be discovered. That spirit still defines the company today, which has grown to offer food and culture tours across Brooklyn and Manhattan while keeping its core mission: connecting people to places through storytelling, and giving back to the communities it visits.
A certified Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Like A Local Tours is intentional about supporting other women- and minority-owned businesses on every tour. Lauren is a member of NYC Tourism and Tourism Cares, a graduate of NYC Tourism’s “Tourism Ready” program (where she now mentors other founders), and has completed executive programs at the University of Pennsylvania, George Washington University, and Harvard Business School. She previously served on the advisory board of Reach the World, a nonprofit connecting classrooms to global experiences.
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn, or explore her companies at likealocaltours.com and likealocalguide.com.