An industry changemaker, Tonya is a wine professional who catapults wineries and winemakers into the mainstream. She is also a leader for diversity and inclusion in the hospitality, food and beverage industries.

Tonya is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers 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. She also holds a professorship with the University of San Francisco, working with students on food and wine pairings and is an ambassador, advisory board member and mentor for Wine Unify.

Tonya is also a wine judge and speaker. Her media appearances include CBS This Morning, ABC 7 News “Sips with Spencer,” Daily Beast, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Somm Journal, Tasting Panel, Wine Stream and Wonder Women of Wine. You can follow her on Instagram @noirsommelier.

Alisha Blackwell-Calvert is a Certified Sommelier and a Certified Specialist of Wine from St. Louis, MO. She has worked several positions within the industry including serving, managing, wine sales, floor sommelier, wine retail, and beverage director. Her strengths are held in food and wine pairing and blind tasting theory. Blackwell-Calvert is currently an independent wine consultant, creating wine lists for clients, conducting staff trainings, and managing private cellars.

You can follow her on Instagram at @exquisitevines.

Alex Sarovich is a native Chicagoian, avid traveler, passionate teacher, and CMS Advanced Sommelier. She has worked as Sommelier at SingleThread since early 2019. Most recently, Alex has begun a new role as Wine Director at Little Saint, Single Thread’s more casual Healdsburg-based sister restaurant. Alex is looking forward to building an accessible wine program and perhaps even more importantly being part of a dedicated team committed to creating a unique gathering space that will foster and support the community.

Previously a Bâtonnage Forum Level 2 Mentee in the Hospitality Industry Area of Focus, Mary Catherine Večko was recently promoted to Food and Beverage Assistant Manager at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in beautiful Blue River, BC. She completed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust awards through the Advanced Level 3. Mac is into canned wine, sustainability initiatives, and wine writing. She is proud to have been named one of two Rioja Wine Academy Ambassadors through Femmes du Vin in October of this year. Follow along with her wine journey at @sipwriterepeat.

In response to the changing world around her Kat created CORE Body | Mind, LLC, a consulting platform and support network that guides through physical and motivational trainings. It is her way to give back to the hospitality industry with health in motion and with a curated plan for you and your team. As a certified personal trainer, yoga guide, and cancer exercise specialist, Kat is making the effort to find, and share, the balance of hospitality and life with her peers and community while she experiences all the challenges and inspirations along the way.

She is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently preparing for the CMS Master Sommelier Exam in 2021. She is the Wine Scholar Guild’s Spanish Wine instructor for the Las Vegas Wine Academy, has passed her WSET Level 2 in Wine & Spirits, is a Sake Certified Specialist and a Sherry Certified Specialist. You can follow her on Instagram at @winegoddesslv.

Anna-Christina Cabrales pursued her bachelor’s degree in Economics & East Asian Studies and a minor in Psychology at Rutgers University, and later investor relations at NYU SPS. After several years as a project manager, Anna-Christina left the corporate world behind and pursued her culinary and sommelier diplomas at the French Culinary Institute. Her wine career blossomed at the highly acclaimed Morrell Wine Co. starting in 2012. There, she grew and became the General Manager & Wine Director through to its closure in 2020 due to the pandemic. Cabrales is now the Education & Innovation Manager of Independence Wine & Spirits, as well as mentor at Wine Unify and teacher at the Sommelier Society of America.

Elizabeth Dames is the Wine Director for Capital City Club, a private club in the Atlanta area, as well as the CEO for her own consulting company, Wine Entwined. She is Level 3 Certified with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and is a French Wine Scholar having passed with Highest Honors. Additionally, she is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is preparing to sit for the Master’s Level Exam in 2022.

Trace Conway, a California native, has spent most of her life in the hospitality industry. She studied psychology at UC Davis and then pursued her master’s degree in organizational psychology at NYU. During this time, Trace realized that her heart was in hospitality and committed to building her career and using her education to develop in the industry. Conway has worked everywhere from fish shacks on the beach to Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City, including Corkbuzz in New York City, where she worked for Master Sommelier Laura Maniec. Trace has since gone on to become a certified sommelier and attend distilling school in Spokane, WA. She joined the Butcher & Bee team in 2016, overseeing the Charleston and Nashville locations, as well as sister concept The Daily in Charleston. At Butcher & Bee, Trace focuses on drawing attention to the restaurants’ breakfast and lunch menus, as well as expanding on the wine and cocktail selections. Her leadership style provides a support system that allows her team and restaurants to shine.

Conway now resides in Charleston, SC, with her partner of 14 years and their two children, Rylee (8) and Tasman (2). When she is not at Butcher & Bee, she enjoys spending time at the beach, exercising and cooking and entertaining for friends and family.

Born overseas, Caleb Taft spent his formative years in San Diego. After college, he began cooking professionally, but a move to San Francisco brought him into the world of wine. He worked as a retail wine buyer for a few years, before becoming the National Sales Manager for Vinum Cellars, where he sold wine in 30 states as well as a few international markets. Caleb then joined the staff of nopa restaurant as a manager in their first year of operations. He left to become the Wine Director and manager of Camino in Oakland and later returned to retail at Arlequin Wine Merchants in San Francisco. After a stint in sales, he helped open Nari Restaurant in San Francisco, where he helped build a diverse team focused on service and crafting guest experiences.

Madison Michael is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry. She is a sommelier and a lover of all things sparkling. She has consulted on a variety of restaurant, bar, and hotel concepts. In 2018, she opened her own fine-dining restaurant, Merchant Roots, in the Fillmore District of San Francisco. In 2020, amid the height of the pandemic, she sold the restaurant to focus on another concept and co-founded an AI startup that produces an app for wine recommendations for novice wine lovers. Currently, she is the Director of Service for Osito & Liliana.