2021 SPEAKERS
Carrie Rau
Vinequity
Carrie Rau is a proud Cree/food and wine professional living and working in Toronto, Ontario. She is a certified CAPS Sommelier and a WSET instructor for Levels 1 and 2 at IWEG Drinks Academy. Carrie graduated WSET Diploma in 2020, completed Level 2 from International Sommelier Guild and is a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is currently working as certified red seal chef in recipe research and development at a large Test Kitchen that specializes in product development. A co-founder of Vinequity, a not-for-profit focusing on uplifting and amplifying the voices of BIPOC wine professionals, she is very passionate about career development, mentorship and wine education and she has her eye on future food and beverage trends in the hospitality industry.
Chevonne Ball
Dirty Radish
Recently named a Wine Enthusiasts Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers of 2020, and a Rising Star by SevenFiftyDaily, Chevonne Ball is the Owner and Founder of Dirty Radish. Her travel company connects travelers to her favorite places, Oregon and France, for world-class hospitality and wine education. She honed her wine skills after moving to France in 2009 and became a Certified Sommelier and French Wine Scholar. Since establishing Dirty Radish in 2017, Chevonne has expanded her services to include wine and travel itineraries, hospitality consulting services, educational seminars, and her own line of Dirty Radish merchandise (coming Spring 2021!).
Cheramie Law
Cheramie Wine
Former United States Marine, Black woman vintner and co-founder of Salt and Pepper Wine, Cheramie Law is a woman on a mission to share the beauty of Texas wine with the world. What began as a first date to Fredericksburg with now-fiancé Todd Aho for wine tasting in 2013, has forged into a partnership in wine and life. This partnership is celebrated with the launch of the Cheramie Wine brand. Cheramie’s vision is simple: “My hope is to inspire those who don’t see themselves represented in the wine industry and to show them there’s a seat at the table for them.” So pull up a chair and raise your glass,because wine doesn’t have to be so serious. We’re here to have some fun!
Cristie Norman
Online Wine Course | United Sommeliers Foundation | Spago
Cristie Norman is a Wine Educator and Sommelier, creator of the Online Wine Course, recently named Wine Enthusiast's "Wine Educator of the Year" and "40 Under 40 Tastemakers" of 2020. She joined the wine team at Spago Beverly Hills at 21 years old and wants to make wine education affordable, accessible and fun for everyone. She is also the Co-Founder and President of the United Sommeliers Foundation, providing financial assistance for Wine Professionals in crisis due to circumstances beyond their control.
Darwin Acosta
Burgess Cellars
Darwin Acosta, who identifies as nonbinary with pronouns they, them, theirs, was born and raised in Queens, NYC to parents who owned several businesses including a bodega, a restaurant and a food truck — Darwin’s entry point into the food and beverage industry. They attended Food and Finance High School, New York’s only culinary high school, and later attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York, graduating with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Science and Applied Food Studies. With the help of the Roots Fund and the Hue Society, Darwin worked their first harvest at Dalla Valle Vineyards in 2020, and now is Winemaker, Vineyard and Hospitality Assistant for Burgess Cellars with Megan Zoeback as the winemaker.
Elaine Chukan Brown
Wakawaka Wine Reviews
Elaine Chukan Brown serves as a writer, speaker, educator, and illustrator of wine. In 2021, she gave the keynote address for Femmes du Vin, an international program sponsored by the U.S. State Department through the Paris Embassy. She won the prestigious Wine Communicator of the Year award from IWSC and VinItaly, and was named a Wine Industry Leader in the North American wine industry by Wine Business Monthly in 2020. In 2019, the Wine Industry Network named Brown one of the Most Inspiring People in Wine. She serves as the American Specialist for JancisRobinson.com, and contributed to both the 8th edition of the World Atlas of Wine, and 4th edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine. Previously, Elaine served as the a Tomlinson Fellow at McGill University, where she did doctoral work in philosophy specializing in race and racism, as well as gender, women's and sexuality studies.
Erin Smith
Slurp Wine
A native Californian, Erin first fell in love with wine while attending university in Santa Barbara, California. She went on to work in finance for nearly a decade, before moving to Burgundy to pursue a career in wine. She landed in the UK working for one of the oldest publications in the UK, Harpers Wine and Spirits Magazine as a deputy editor. From there she cut her teeth in retail, transitioning to marketing and working with some of the biggest independent wine retailers and brands, in one of the most competitive wine retail markets internationally.
Etinosa Emokpae
Skurnik Wine & Spirits
Etinosa Emokpae is a wine professional based in Philadelphia, PA. She has over 10 years of experience in hospitality in renowned restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. She served as the Beverage Director at Walnut Street Café and most recently as the Wine Director of Friday Saturday Sunday in Philadelphia. Etinosa was named one of SevenFifty’s Rising Stars in Philadelphia for 2019. Currently, she is a WSET diploma candidate and transitioning into wine sales for Skurnik Wine & Spirits.
Felicity Carter
Pix
In addition to her role as executive editor of Pix, the U.S.-based wine discovery platform set to launch in Spring 2021, Felicity is a regular wine judge, having judged in countries from Brussels to Georgia. Felicity is a regular keynote speaker at wine events from Hong Kong to Verona and she is a member of the Magnum Club, a networking group for senior women in the international wine trade. Her previous experience includes serving as editor-in-chief for Meininger’s Wine Business International for 13 years, and prior to that she wrote for major Australian publications including The Sydney Morning Herald.
Gabriela Davogustto
Clay
Gabriela Davogustto is Clay’s in-house Wine Director since its 2017 opening. Davogustto curated Clay’s wine program, hand-picking more than 200 international labels that complement the farm-to-table establishment’s new American cuisine. Davogustto started her culinary career as a cook in well-known New York City kitchens, where she learned from some of the world’s most distinguished chefs, including Chef Seamus Mullen at Boqueria and Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner at Wallsé. She is a graduate of the Culinary Arts program as well as all wine programs offered at The Institute of Culinary Education. She is currently in the final stages of completing her WSET diploma. She has previously worked for prestigious wine directors, including Gil Avital of Boqueria and Josh Nadal of Locanda Verde.
Jordan Sale
81 cents
Jordan Sale is the founder of 81cents, which helps women and underrepresented minorities make sure they're being paid market rates by getting them personalized market data, compensation feedback, and career advice from hiring managers and recruiters in their field. To date, candidates using 81cents data and resources have seen an average salary increase of 17% and a total compensation increase of over $4M. 81cents has been featured in Forbes, ABC News, and theSkimm. Jordan holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Julia Coney
Wine Writer | Speaker | Educator
Julia Coney is a Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas-based wine writer, wine educator, speaker, and consultant. Her wine writing includes stories on wine, winemakers, and the intersection of race, wine, and language. She holds a WSET Level Two Certification in Wine and Spirits and is currently pursuing her Master Level Champagne Certification with the Wine Scholar Guild. Her work has been featured in VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, The Tasting Panel, Plate Magazine, Forbes.com, WineEnthusiast.com, Glamour, Essence, The Washington Post, and numerous print and digital publications. She has spoken at conferences such as wine2wine, Assemblage Symposium, Culinary Institute of America’s Summit for Sommeliers and Beverage Professionals, and Wonder Women of Wine.
Kamilah Mathias
Rich + Riot
Kamilah Mathias was born and raised in Oakland, CA and is a product of the community that exists in Oakland. She studied Fashion Merchandising in college, where she realized that the only women’s streetwear available was just an ill-fitting adaptation of men’s streetwear. In 2009 she started a women’s empowerment apparel line, Princess Punk. After a disappointing incident with working for someone else, she decided that full-time entrepreneurship was her new goal. In 2015 she renamed her business to Rich + Riot and hasn’t looked back since. Since then, she has co-founded Just Be, a Black women’s business community with the goal of building up Black women business owners.
Kristen Bieler
SevenFifty Daily
Kristen Bieler is the editor in chief of SevenFifty Daily and the editor in chief of Beverage Media Group publications. Based in New York City, she has been writing about wine, spirits and food for nearly two decades, and her work has appeared in GQ, TASTE, and Food & Wine Magazine’s Annual Wine Guide, among others. A member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, she is also a judge at the Ultimate Wine Challenge. Follow her on Instagram: @bielerkristen.
Kristin Olszewski
Nomadica Wine
After earning a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Gender Studies, Kristin Olszewski got her start in restaurants in the Bay Area. She has been a sommelier at Straight Wharf Restaurant in Nantucket, Beverage Director at Husk Nashville and for F10 Creative in Palm Springs. She was on the sommelier team at Osteria Mozza working with a list of over 1500-all-Italian selections and is obsessed with Italian wines. Kristin is currently the Wine Director at Gigi's where she has curated a list focused in wines from France and California. She’s a Founder and Chief Beverage Officer of Nomadica Wine where she curates a selection of high quality canned wine. She is passionate about working with high quality, small producers who focus on sustainable practices.
Línda Perla-Giron
BAWAR
Línda (they/them) is the Community Outreach and Education Coordinator at BAWAR. The work they do with BAWAR revolves around developing access points in which the people of Alameda County can get the support + resources needed as they heal.
María Rivero González
RGNY
María Rivero González was born in 1983 in a working family. She has a bachelor´s degree in International Relations from the Tecnológico de Monterrey. She has been the CEO of Bodega Rivero González since 2007. In 2010 she started her education at the International Wine Center in New York City, where she obtained her advanced diploma from the WSET as a sommelier. In addition to managing Rivero González, Maria has important functions in different Mexican associations, such as being the Director of Marketing and Image of Consejo Vitivinícola de Coahuila, President of the Board of GFM Philanthropy among other boards where she is a member.
Photo credit: Sarah Anne Risk
Maryam Ahmed
Maryam + Company | Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum
Maryam owns a collaborative consulting firm, Maryam + Company, that specializes in project management, programs and experiences, and strategic planning for food, wine, and philanthropic businesses. Before Maryam + Company, she spent five years as a director and intrapreneur at the Culinary Institute of America. Most often, Maryam's work takes place at the intersection of chefs, sommeliers, activists, sustainability experts, creatives, and organizations committed to equitable access and diversity within their communities. In 2020, Maryam created and co-founded the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, with Elaine Chukan Brown, which brings together leaders of organizations with a commitment to equity and diversity in the wine industry and acts as a centralized list of ongoing initiatives.
Meredith Smith
Sawtooth Winery | Ste. Chapelle
Meredith Smith, Winemaker for Sawtooth and Ste. Chapelle, could be considered synonymous with Idaho winemaking. A longtime wine enthusiast, Meredith left her prior career in tax and real estate development to enroll in the viticulture program at Washington State University. After her first harvest with Sawtooth in 2009, Meredith was promoted to an associate winemaker, and by 2012 ascended to winemaker. Her award-winning, Snake River Valley-origin wines caught the attention of national critics, and Wine Spectator invited Meredith to share her Sawtooth creations with the world’s wine luminaries at Vinexpo in Bordeaux. In 2016 Meredith took on the tandem role as the lead winemaker for both Sawtooth and Ste. Chapelle
Miranda Elliot
Elliot Wine School
Miranda Elliot is a sommelier with over 10 years of experience working for a wide range of Chicago restaurants. She also served as Education Director and Sales Associate for Connoisseur Wines and as Illinois Sales Manager for Martine's Wines. Miranda has since gone on to launch her own wine school, Elliot Wine School, which offers beverage classes and events, WSET certifications, Sake Sommelier Association courses and certification, private events, and consulting. Miranda also offers community-building events in which participants discuss how to create a more inclusive and equitable wine world. Through Elliot Wine School's monthly LGBTQ+ Wine Brunch, LGBTQ+ wine professionals and LGBTQ+ people interested in joining the wine industry gather virtually to share stories and lend support.
Nadine Brown
At Your Service
Nadine is a twenty year veteran of the Washington Area restaurant industry. She spent over 14 years at Charlie Palmer Steak as their Wine Director and Sommelier. Nadine and her husband were managing partners of Society Fair a boutique eatery in Alexandria Virginia, where she worked as General Manger and Sommelier. She is a two-time winner of the Rammy’s Wine Program of the year for the region. Nadine is a proud board member of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan D.C. and the new nonprofit the Verasion Project. Nadine holds certifications from both the Court of Master Sommelier and WSET. She is a wine judge participating in competitions including the Virginia Governors Cup and TexSom IWA. Nadine founded At Your Service, where she offers virtual and in person wine tastings, wine education and consulting.
Pauline Vicard
ARENI GLOBAL
Pauline Vicard co-founded and directs ARENI Global, a research and action institute dedicated to the future of Fine Wine, gathering top international experts in a think- tank format. Growing up working hands-on in her family vineyard in Burgundy, Pauline broadened her vocational commitment to wine by joining the regional wine body and French Embassies in Cuba and Norway. She then created a successful corporate wine event and education company and was named France’s largest official on-trade union wine educator, before moving to London to lead ARENI. She is currently studying to be a Master of Wine, is also a Wine and Spirit Education Trust-certified educator.
Shae Frichette
Frichette Winery
Shae Frichette is Co-owner and Assistant Winemaker at Frichette Winery, a limited production winery and tasting room in the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State, USA. She is the 2015 ATHENA Young Professional Award recipient, a recipient of the 2015 Entrepreneurial Award, 2015 Young Professional Award recipient, inductee as a Rising Star in the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame and graduate of the Leadership Tri-Cities Class XX. Shae is currently Chair of the Board of the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Board of Directors for the Red Mountain AVA Alliance, Visit Tri-Cities and Advisory Board for UW Foster School of Business.
Tahiirah Habibi
Hue Society | The Roots Fund
Tahiirah Habibi is an esteemed Sommelier, Founder, and Entrepreneur. In 2017, she launched Hue Society as a safe space for the community to learn, commune, and find resources. She created a cultural space for the Black & Brown community to share their wine developments and experiences. Tahiirah is the first Black woman to grace the cover of Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 list. She has been featured in VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Vogue, and Imbibe Magazine. Infamous for her pioneering achievements in the wine industry, Tahiirah co-founded The Roots Fund, a nonprofit that will create new educational pathways, financial assistance, and career opportunities for Black & Indigenous people to be successful in the wine industry.
Tanisha Townsend
Girl Meets Glass | Wine School Dropout
Tanisha Townsend has cultivated a community of wine enthusiasts through an unyielding passion for oenology. As Chief Wine Officer of lifestyle agency Girl Meets Glass, Tanisha leads wine classes and tours in Paris (and virtually). She also hosts the podcast, Wine School Dropout. Her goal is to empower individuals with an advanced knowledge of wine & spirits in order to build confidence in their tastes and make choices as a better informed consumer.
Tonya Pitts
One Market Restaurant
An industry changemaker, Tonya is a wine professional who catapults wineries and winemakers into the mainstream. She is a leader for diversity and inclusion in the hospitality, food and beverage industries. Tonya is a certified sommelier and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International. As Sommelier & Wine Director for One Market Restaurant in San Francisco, Tonya curated a wine list with a bold style and flavor profile, including offerings by women, Black and Latino winemakers. She is also an active philanthropist and mentor, establishing Women in Wine to improve representation in the industry, and serving on the advisory board and mentor for Wine Unify. She also holds a professorship with the University of San Francisco, working with students on food and wine pairings and is an ambassador.
Ursula Zopp
Auberge du Soleil
Ursula Zopp leads the Talent & Culture function at Auberge du Soleil, the 5 Star flagship property of the award-winning Auberge Resorts Collection. With over 30 years of experience in both Human Resources and Hospitality, she is well-versed in all aspects of Human Resources management including talent acquisition, learning & development, compliance, and benefits administration. During her 20+ years with Auberge Resorts, she has worked simultaneously as the corporate lead in HR while overseeing Auberge du Soleil, and has been a key contributor to numerous hotel openings and acquisitions. Ursula has a great depth of experience in not only preventing but also addressing harassment in the workplace. Her favorite part of HR and hospitality is having the ability to nurture and develop people and foster healthy workplace culture.