Mentors

Our mentors include leading wine professionals, sommeliers, winemakers, and beyond. They volunteer their time to provide leadership for the next generation of diverse voices in the wine community. Explore below our incredible mentors.

Executive Director

Alicia Towns Franken began her career as the Wine Director for Boston’s famed Grill 23 & Bar, where she worked for over a decade to build one of the city’s most respected wine programs. During her tenure as Wine Director, she earned numerous accolades from organizations and magazines including Boston Magazine, The Boston Globe, Les Dames d’Escoffier and Wine Spectator.

Ultimately, though, her passion for building community, working to champion a more diverse wine industry, and innate talent for mentoring young wine professionals led her to take on the role of Executive Director for Wine Unify, an organization who’s mission is to welcome, elevate, and amplify the voices of underrepresented minorities in the wine industry. In her current role as the Executive Director of Wine Unify, Alicia's dedication to driving positive change shines through. As a champion for diversity in the wine industry, she actively advocates for greater representation and inclusivity. Through Wine Unify, Alicia is fostering a more equitable and welcoming environment, creating opportunities for underrepresented voices and celebrating the diversity of cultures and experiences that enrich the world of wine.

As a personal extension of her work with Wine Unify, Alicia Cofounded Towns Wine Co, with her husband Michael Franken. Towns Wine Co. is a wine company that aims to amplify underrepresented voices in the wine industry. They partner with female winemakers of color to help tell their stories and showcase their talent and regions. They reinvest the profits back into their partner winemakers to not only promote diversity and representation but also: economic empowerment, encourage entrepreneurship, cultural diversity in winemaking, changing industry norms, customer preferences.

Alicia lives in Boston with her husband and their two children. She is actively engaged in her community serving on the boards of The Esplanade Association, Board of Advisors of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Leadership Council of The Posse Foundation.

Alicia Towns Franken

Head of Mentorship

Expertise: Wine & Beverage ManagementTonya Pitts has been in the restaurant industry for over 30 years, and a Wine Director and Sommelier for well over 20 years. Her food and beverage experience has largely focused within the San Francisco Bay A…

Expertise: Wine & Beverage Management

Tonya Pitts has been in the restaurant industry for over 30 years, and a Wine Director and Sommelier for well over 20 years. Her food and beverage experience has largely focused within the San Francisco Bay Area and Saint Louis, MO. She has worked with several high profile chefs, including the late Chef Judy Rodgers of Zuni Cafe; Chef Jeremiah Tower of Stars Restaurant; Chef Loretta Keller of Stars Café; Bizou Restaurant and other notable establishments in the Bay Area.

She is currently working with Chef Mark Dommen of One Market Restaurant. In addition to her role at One Market, she has dedicated her career to philanthropy, mentorship, and amplifying the voices of those who are not heard. She has been featured in numerous industry publications, is a Certified Sommelier, and continues to educate herself through the Court of Master Sommeliers and Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Tonya Pitts

Expertise: Wine Management

Expertise: Restaurant ManagementGary Obligacion is a seasoned hospitality executive. He is currently the Director of Development for The Alinea Group in Chicago, which owns and operates four Chicago-based, award-winning restaurants -- Alinea, Next, …

Expertise: Restaurant Management

Gary Obligacion is a seasoned hospitality executive. He is currently the Director of Development for The Alinea Group in Chicago, which owns and operates four Chicago-based, award-winning restaurants -- Alinea, Next, Aviary, and Roister. Gary is specifically focused on the Group launching food & beverage operations in the recently developed St Regis Tower, scheduled to begin operations Q3 of this year. This is his second time with the Alinea Group, having earlier served as Director of Operations.
Prior to his return to Chicago, Gary was the General Manager at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, one of the country’s top boutique luxury hotel properties.


Gary’s hospitality career began in 1984 at Alice Water's landmark restaurant, Chez Panisse, while he attended the University of California, Berkeley, while his management experience runs from high end restaurants like Alinea, to luxury hotels (Post Ranch Inn, Pebble Beach Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotels), to world class events like Pebble Beach Food & Wine.


When given a chance, Gary will find a way to get outdoors and enjoy a long hike and some fresh air. Otherwise, any day with friends and a bottle of wine is a really good day.

Gary Obligacion

Expertise: Restaurant Management

Expertise: Wine Business

Kelly Mitchell is a Sales Representative for Skurnik Wines & Spirits, wine consultant, and educator. She was named on Wine Enthusiast’s 2021 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list. Kelly was also named a “Rising Black Voice in Wine” by Wine & Spirits Magazine, appearing on its October 2020 cover. In 2016, she founded her consulting company, Kelly Mitchell Wine to focus on the wine needs of consumers. Kelly consults as a wine educator on a variety of consumer driven wine topics, as a guest sommelier for wine tastings and events, and as a private consultant for wine enthusiasts and collectors. Her strength is expert food and wine pairing and she has worked with a global roster of chefs on unique and memorable dining experiences.
In April 2020, Kelly launched Kelly Selects, an e-commerce boutique where she shares her favorite wines and makes them available for consumer purchase. Thousands of consumers nationwide have ordered and enjoyed her selections.
Kelly has a B.A. from Spelman College. She holds the WSET Level 2 Certificate in wine education from the International Wine Center. She is a new member of Les Dames d'Escoffier International, New York Chapter which is the preeminent global professional association for women leaders in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries.
Kelly is a mentor for Wine Unify. Kelly was a 2020 Batonnage Forum Speaker, talent at Charleston Wine +  Food Festival among others. She has been featured in articles in Wine & Spirits, Sevenfifty Daily, While Entertaining Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Martha Stewart Living, Forbes, Wine Enthusiast, NBC News and Vine Pair and has appeared as a guest on several podcasts. When she is not working in wine Kelly enjoys cooking, group fitness classes, pilates, and travel.

Kelly Mitchell

Expertise: Wine Business

Brenae put her passion to action at a young age, she joined the Future Farmers of America at the age of 13 and became an officer when she was 17. The program took her all over California and immersed her in a world she knew she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life. Brenae studied Crops and Horticulture Science at California State University, Chico and during her senior year, after developing a palate for bold red wines, decided to pursue a career in viticulture.She joined E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2013 as an Operations and Viticulture Intern and quickly established a relationship with an important mentor, winemaker Deborah Juergenson. “Deb started out as one of the first few women winemakers in a very male-dominated field. It’s been amazing to have her as a mentor, both professionally and personally,” Brenae says. “Viticulture is still very male-dominated, so to drive more inclusion and diversity is very much an uphill battle.” It’s a battle that Brenae has done anything but back down from. Since joining Gallo, Brenae has farmed Monte Rosso Vineyard with increasing levels of responsibility. In addition to her internship, Brenae also served as Viticulture Technician for 11 months before being named Vineyard Manager in 2015.Monte Rosso is home to some of the oldest producing grapevines in California and hasgarnered a near-mythic reputation among winemakers. “When I started, it was intimidating.Here I am as this 24-year-old coming to manage Monte Rosso, a world-renowned vineyard andone of the oldest in the state. It’s difficult and complex. Our vines range from four months old to over 130 years old, so it’s a lot to take on, but I love it,” she says. “We’ve brought a lot of technology and innovation to the vineyard, so much so that we can be farming up to three different wine styles within the same single block.”Mount Peak Winery, like Brenae, is singularly focused on expressing Monte Rosso’s uniqueness. “When our winemaker Mark Williams visits, it’s not uncommon to hop in my truck and then hike into his favorite blocks. It’s a hands-on approach to winemaking, and he’s very honored to work with the fruit.” When asked how Monte Rosso’s distinct terroir shows up in the bottle, Brenae quickly answers. “Acidity,” she declares, “and minerality and spice.” Part of the vineyard’s mystique is that its signature qualities seem impervious to producer and variety. “Youcan taste Monte Rosso wines blind and recognize them immediately,” she adds. Brenae is California Table Wine, ©2019 Mount Peak Winery, Napa, CA. All rights reserved. doing everything in her power to keep it that way. “My goal is always to preserve what is special about Monte Rosso,” she says. “Hopefully it will be producing for another 132 years.”

Brenae put her passion to action at a young age, she joined the Future Farmers of America at the age of 13 and became an officer when she was 17. The program took her all over California and immersed her in a world she knew she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life.

Brenae studied Crops and Horticulture Science at California State University, Chico and during her senior year, after developing a palate for bold red wines, decided to pursue a career in viticulture.

She joined E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2013 as an Operations and Viticulture Intern and quickly established a relationship with an important mentor, winemaker Deborah Juergenson. “Deb started out as one of the first few women winemakers in a very male-dominated field.

It’s been amazing to have her as a mentor, both professionally and personally,” Brenae says. “Viticulture is still very male-dominated, so to drive more inclusion and diversity is very much an uphill battle.” It’s a battle that Brenae has done anything but back down from.

Since joining Gallo, Brenae has farmed Monte Rosso Vineyard with increasing levels of responsibility. In addition to her internship, Brenae also served as Viticulture Technician for 11 months before being named Vineyard Manager in 2015.

Monte Rosso is home to some of the oldest producing grapevines in California and has

garnered a near-mythic reputation among winemakers. “When I started, it was intimidating.

Here I am as this 24-year-old coming to manage Monte Rosso, a world-renowned vineyard and

one of the oldest in the state. It’s difficult and complex. Our vines range from four months old to over 130 years old, so it’s a lot to take on, but I love it,” she says. “We’ve brought a lot of technology and innovation to the vineyard, so much so that we can be farming up to three different wine styles within the same single block.”

Mount Peak Winery, like Brenae, is singularly focused on expressing Monte Rosso’s uniqueness. “When our winemaker Mark Williams visits, it’s not uncommon to hop in my truck and then hike into his favorite blocks. It’s a hands-on approach to winemaking, and he’s very honored to work with the fruit.” When asked how Monte Rosso’s distinct terroir shows up in the bottle, Brenae quickly answers.

“Acidity,” she declares, “and minerality and spice.” Part of the vineyard’s mystique is that its signature qualities seem impervious to producer and variety. “You

can taste Monte Rosso wines blind and recognize them immediately,” she adds. Brenae is California Table Wine, ©2019 Mount Peak Winery, Napa, CA. All rights reserved. doing everything in her power to keep it that way. “My goal is always to preserve what is special about Monte Rosso,” she says. “Hopefully it will be producing for another 132 years.”

Brenae Royal

Expertise: Viticulture

Anthony is the co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a platform democratizing access to investing in wine as an alternative asset class. He is a repeat entrepreneur who has previously founded and sold two companies, EnvoyNow and KnowYourVC. He has also held leadership positions at Blockfolio and is a board member at RateMyInvestor.


Anthony is the co-founder and CEO of Vinovest, a platform democratizing access to investing in wine as an alternative asset class.

He is a repeat entrepreneur who has previously founded and sold two companies, EnvoyNow and KnowYourVC.

He has also held leadership positions at Blockfolio and is a board member at RateMyInvestor.

Anthony Zhang

Expertise: Wine Entrepreneurship

10 years ago, George Washington Carver Walker, III didn't know the difference between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc. He encountered wine while he was a student at the Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM) majoring in Food and Beverage Management. As he turned 21, George took his CMS and graduated from The CIM shortly thereafter.

Currently working for Wade Cellars as their National Brand Ambassador and winery operations assistant in Napa, CA, George has extensive experience working in restaurants in both the back of house and front. His previous roles include working for i-lixir Beverage, a distribution company in Michigan representing Jenny and Francois, Jose Pastor, and Brooks Winery to name a few. He was also a wine buyer for Spartan Nash’s D&W. George has worked harvest in Burgundy for Domaine de Montille and in the Napa Valley for Wade Cellars. He has travelled to 5 of the 7 continents on his quest to understand how food and beverage intersect with culture. George is also credited with creating the show “Cultural Ingredients” for PBS.

He was named Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40, Wine Business Monthly Industry Leader of the year, Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch and a cast member in James Beard Award Nominated SOMM TV Sparklers.

George is determined to change the culture and perspective of wine, “Taking the Boujee out of wine” one bottle at a time. 

George Walker III

Expertise: Sales & Hospitality

The Wine Linguist, founded by Alice Achayo, is committed to amplifying the cuisines of the global south and the diaspora, innovating approaches to discussing wine to increase accessibility and relatability to diverse wine drinkers, and raising awareness around the work of winemakers and vineyard stewards. Achayo's wine and dinner experiences center the stories behind featured cuisines and the paired wines. Her workshops and seminars teach wine professionals and wine drinkers alike how to shift the language they use to talk about wine to foster a deeper appreciation for wines beyond tasting notes. For Achayo, wine language draws upon sensory memories, and wine serves as a medium that bridges cultures and encourage genuine human connections.


Alice Achayo is a 2023 Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Taste Maker honoree.

Alice Achayo

Expertise: Education & Events

Specialty: Wine Sales & Wine WritingA California native, Lucy has spent over a decade documenting the wine industry through the lens of food justice. She was introduced to wine while working on a bottling line before completing her first harvest…

Specialty: Wine Sales & Wine Writing

A California native, Lucy has spent over a decade documenting the wine industry through the lens of food justice. She was introduced to wine while working on a bottling line before completing her first harvests in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Lucy attended Wellesley College and Oxford University where she began blind tasting, eventually competing on an international level. Her passion for Californian wine brought her to Napa where she’s worked in sales, hospitality, private collections, and production. She passed her WSET Level 3 with distinction.  

Lucy currently works for Mayacamas Vineyards and writes for online wine retailer SommSelect. She is also the lead writer for Wine Unify.

Lucy Anderle

Expertise: Wine Sales & Writing

Expertise: WinemakingPriyanka was born and brought up in Mumbai, India, and is the daughter of two academic physicists. Having discovered a passion for wine, she received the Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology at the University of Californ…

Expertise: Winemaking

Priyanka was born and brought up in Mumbai, India, and is the daughter of two academic physicists. Having discovered a passion for wine, she received the Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California – Davis; she also holds a diploma in Enology from the University of Dijon. She built her experience working at wineries in Napa including Dalla Valle Vineyards, Stags’ Leap Winery as well as traveling through the regions of Burgundy, Cognac, Bordeaux and New Zealand. She also worked with the Tonnellerie Demptos to establish the oak and cooperage market and providing technical support to wineries in India.

Priyanka is currently the winemaker at Signorello Estate in Napa, where she focuses on premium, estate-grown wines using precision viticulture and restrained winemaking to showcase the fruit expression of the unique site. When not working, Priyanka can be found exploring the outdoors with her dog, Chloe, cooking, reading or traveling.

Priyanka French

Expertise: Winemaking

Expertise: Beverage ManagementAnna-Christina Cabrales, like most, fell into wine by accident. Anna-Christina grew up in a large family of chefs, who taught her taste and smell from a young age. Despite having this much culinary exposure and love for…

Expertise: Beverage Management

Anna-Christina Cabrales, like most, fell into wine by accident. Anna-Christina grew up in a large family of chefs, who taught her taste and smell from a young age. Despite having this much culinary exposure and love for the craft, she instead 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, now known as the International Culinary Center. 

Since joining Morrell in 2012, Anna-Christina has expanded the wine list significantly, especially the by-the-glass selection, which at one point listed more than 150 options. Her efforts were rewarded in 2014 and 2019 when the prestigious quarterly, The World of Fine Wine , voted Morrell Wine Bar’s glass list “Best by-the-Glass Wine List.” Since 2015, Morrell has attained the Best of Award of Excellence award from Wine Spectator by growing the bottle list well over 1,200 selections .

Outside of pursuing her Advanced Certification under the Court of Master Sommeliers, and teaching classes at the Sommelier Society of America, she enjoys her time dining and enjoying a glass of Champagne, always. 

Anna-Christina Cabrales

Expertise: Media & Wine Management

Advisory BoardJulia Coney is a Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas-based wine writer, speaker, and wine consultant. Her wine writing includes stories on wine, winemakers, and the intersection of race, wine, and language. She holds a WSET Level Two C…

Advisory Board

Julia Coney is a Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas-based wine writer, speaker, and wine 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 is currently pursuing her Master Level Champagne Certification with the Wine Scholar Guild as well as WSET Level Three Certification in Wine. 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. 

Most recently, Julia launched Black Wine Professionals, a resource for wine industry employers with the goal to lift up the multifaceted Black professionals in the world of wine.

Julia Coney

Expertise: Wine Sales & Wine Writing

Kelly E. Carter is the Director of Communications at Alpha Omega winery in Napa Valley’s legendary Rutherford appellation. She moved to Napa Valley in 2015 and the following year gave up an illustrious journalism career to join the iconic winery, where she handles internal and external communications, public relations and marketing. She also oversees social media, photography and video shoots and assists with the Alpha Omega Collective Foundation. Kelly is a former chair of Napa Valley Vintners’ Public Relations Committee and is currently a member of NVV’s and Wine Institute’s Marketing and Communications committees. In 2021, Kelly was selected for NVV’s first Napa Leadership Program and in 2022 chaired NVV’s Collective Napa Valley Community Celebration. She holds a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 award. A New York Times bestselling author with her tennis phenom co-writer Venus Williams and travel afficionado, Kelly’s journeys have taken her to wine regions in Italy, France, Spain and South Africa. She was born in Los Angeles and resides in Yountville.

Kelly E. Carter

Expertise: Marketing & Writing

A seventeen-year veteran of the restaurant & hospitality business, Kate Green cut her teeth under Chef Nancy Silverton, where she worked her way up from answering the phones to Director of Communications for the Mozza Restaurant Group.

A fixture in the food and wine scene around Los Angeles, Kate produces a unique pop-up event, Vinyl & Vino which pairs local DJ’s and winemakers to showcase their talents.

In her off time, she can usually be found with a glass of great Champagne in her hand, and a Los Angeles Dodgers ball cap on her head. Kate splits her time between Chicago and Los Angeles with her partner, Simon.

Kate Green

Expertise: Marketing & Events

Shortly after graduating from Columbia University with a BA in Spanish Literature, Jamil set out on a journey to live and work in Paris which first sparked his interest in the world of wine.  Upon returning to New York City, he landed a job at a leading fine wine retail store in Manhattan, and from there followed a now 24+ year career in the wine business spanning retail, distribution sales, and most recently supplier sales.

After a total of about 5 years in the distribution side of the business, Jamil was recruited by Jackson Family Wines as a District Manager of Upstate, NY.  Through the course of a 17-year tenure with Jackson Family Wines, Jamil has held positions of District Manager, Region Manager, Imports Division Manager, Crown Distribution Team VP, Central & Northeast VP of Estates Division, and most recently Northeast VP of the Classics Division.  He has managed markets and distributors all throughout the East Coast and into the Mid West.   His main area of expertise are sales skills, talent development, distributor management, business negotiation and analytics.  He’s traveled to many wine regions of the world, including France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Santa Barbara, Oregon, and many trips to Sonoma & Napa.

Most recently, Jamil has joined a DE&I focus group within Jackson Family Wines called the IDEA Alliance.  This has allowed him the opportunity to bring some change to the company, voice some concerns and challenges regarding the lack of diversity in the industry, and ultimately initiate a partnership with the Urban Grape Foundation with their Wine Studies Award for Students of Color program. 

Outside of work, Jamil enjoys spending time with his family and friends, cooking, and traveling the world.  His other passions include coaching his son’s club soccer team and he also works as a professional boxing referee in his spare time.

Jamil Antoine

Expertise: Sales & Business Development

Expertise: National Wine Buying & Sales

M. Shanken Communications Market Watch, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter and Wine Business Monthly have recognized Annette Alvarez-Peters as a top leader in the wine industry. She spent nearly 37 years working for Costco Wholesale, the 3rd largest global retailer and dominant membership warehouse club operator.

Annette began her career with an entry-level position and spent her last 25 years in Costco’s Beverage Alcohol department. Retired in January 2020, she held the position of Asst. Vice President - General Manager for wine, spirits and beer categories while leading a team of 11 buyers in the United States as well as assisting 9 international buyers.

She holds the Diploma from Wine & Spirit Education Trust, along with a Certified Wine Educator certificate from Society of Wine Educators. She has also been inducted into the following associations: Bordeaux’s Commanderie du Bontemps de Medoc; Champagne’s Ordre des Coteaux des Champagne and Chateauneuf du Pape’s Echansonnerie des Papes.

Annette was named Wine Business Monthly Top Wine Industry Leader (2019- 2017), Most Influential in the US Wine Industry from IntoWine.com in 2018 (No. 1), Retailer of the Year by Wine Enthusiast (2015), Washington State Wine Industry (2015), and MarketWatch (2011).  She was also named to Decanter’s Power List in 2013 (No.4) and biennially since 2005 and in Fortune/Food and Wine Top 25 Innovative Women, Food & Drink (2014).

Annette Alvarez-Peters

Expertise: Wine Buying & Retail Sales

Dominick Purnomo, Wine Director & amp; Co Owner of Yono’s & dp An American Brasserie, grew up in his family’s restaurant working alongside his parents at an early age before going on to State University of Ney York at Morrisville to pursue a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management.

Upon finishing Morrisville in 2000, Purnomo came back to Albany to work in the family business and

took over the day to day operations. It was then that he discovered a true passion for wine. After having dined in some of the worlds finest restaurants such as Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Lespinasse in New York, Purnomo wanted to bring a world class wine program to Albany, more specifically to Yono’s.

At 25 years of age, Purnomo was elected to his first of two, two year terms as the President of the Greater Capital District of the New York State Restaurant Association, the youngest President in the history of the state organization.

Dominick was a national finalist for the Best Young Sommelier Competition, has been nominated for a James Beard Award for his wine program on 3 occasions. His wine list has been praised by Wine Spectator since 2004 as a Best of Award of Excellence winner and has recently been named one of the 300 greatest wine lists in the world, receiving the 3 star award from The World of Fine Wine. Under his direction, Yono’s wasnamed one of the Top 100 restaurants in America by OpenTable for two consecutive years.

Dominick was generously recognized for his leadership and business achievements as a 40 Under 40 by the Albany Business Journal and for his sartorial efforts as one of the #BestDressedSomms by GQ Magazine. He was just the 30th member inducted into Shaker High School, his alma mater’s, Hall of Fame.

Mr Purnomo has presented at the Desmond American Wine Festival, Albany Wine & Dine for the Arts, Nantucket Wine Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Wine Festival and the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. He lectured to a group of trade professionals and students at the prestigious 94 th annual Hotel Ezra Cornell at Cornell University’s renowned Hotel School. He has served on the esteemed wine teams for the James Beard House, Burdigala, Reboule de Rhône, Nantucket Wine Festival, The Jacques Pepin Foundation, La Tablée & Wine on Wheels alongside the most accomplished sommeliers in America.

He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the New York State Restaurant Association, The New York Wine & Grape Foundation and The Palace Performing Arts Center, is a member of the Society of Fellows at the Culinary Institute of America, the American Sommelier Association, the Chevalier du Tastevin, a founding board member of the Albany Food & Wine Festival, the founder of the Sommelier Society of Albany.

In March of 2020 amid the emerging COVID19 global pandemic, Dominick Co founded FEEDALBANY which provides meals for those who are in need and at risk in the community, especially those who work in hospitality. For those efforts he has been named a Local Hero by Capital Region Living Magazine, a finalist for the Jefferson Awards, hailed as a CHANGEMAKER and a Empire Health Hero by the Capital Region Business Journal, received the inaugural COVID-19 “Beyond the Call” award from the Albany County Legislature, and a finalist as Philanthropist of the year by the United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

He has appeared in Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine, GQ, Oprah Magazine, Men’s Journal, Santé Magazine and on MSNBC & CBS New York.

Dominick lives in Albany with his three daughters, Gemma, Halle & Blair.

Dominick Purnomo

Expertise: Food & Beverage

Expertise: Winemaking & RestaurantsAndré Hueston Mack is the owner and winemaker of Maison Noir Wines and former sommelier at Thomas Keller‛s restaurants The French Laundry and Per Se. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, CNBC and ABC‛s"The Taste." Based on the success of the labels he created - OPP, Oregogne, Love Drunk, Horseshoes & Handgrenades, and Knock on Wood - he established Get Fraiche Cru, a boutique graphic design firm.

Expertise: Winemaking & Restaurants

André Hueston Mack is the owner and winemaker of Maison Noir Wines and former sommelier at Thomas Keller‛s restaurants The French Laundry and Per Se.

He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, CNBC and ABC‛s"The Taste." Based on the success of the labels he created - OPP, Oregogne, Love Drunk, Horseshoes & Handgrenades, and Knock on Wood - he established Get Fraiche Cru, a boutique graphic design firm.

André Mack

Expertise: Wine Business

Dini is an anti-racist organizer, special needs advocate and wine entrepreneur. For 25 years Dini "Vino" Rao has been on a quest to help people fall in love with wine. She inspected and sold rare auction wines at Christie’s, helped start Amazon’s wine department and Lot18 and poured as a sommelier. Now she is using her expertise and her Harvard MBA to bring virtual wine tastings to wine lovers around the globe via her company, Life in Vino. With these inclusive wine experiences, Dini hopes to empower and affirm wine lovers from all paths.

Dini Rao

Expertise: Education & Hospitality

Cynthia Gomez, an accomplished marketing strategist with an entrepreneurial spirit in the wine and spirits sector, embraces her first-generation Latina heritage from Mexico with pride. With over two decades under her belt, she has mastered the art of crafting memorable consumer brands and transforming existing ones to resonate in today's market. From intimate family-owned ventures to global powerhouses like Treasury Wine Estates, Cynthia's journey has been marked by versatility and a commitment to excellence in various market landscapes.

As the former VP of Marketing for Don Sebastiani and Sons, Cynthia's strategic foresight was instrumental in overhauling a comprehensive wine brand portfolio. Her leadership led Flybird, an innovative ready-to-drink margarita cocktail, to ascend to the #2 position in its category. Her collaboration with Target also gave rise to the California Roots wine brand, turning it into the retailer’s best-selling private label wine nationally.

Currently, as the Head of Marketing for STEL+ MAR Wines, an entrepreneurial start-up, Cynthia is adeptly steering efforts to engage millennials, sparking their passion for the world of wine. Along with a zeal for brand creation and revitalization, she finds joy in assembling dynamic teams and guiding the next wave of wine marketing professionals.

Holding a BS in Business Administration from Sonoma State University and an MBA from Golden Gate University, and being fluent in Spanish, Cynthia skillfully bridges cultural nuances in her professional endeavors. Outside the office, she cherishes outdoor adventures with her sons, Massimo and Marco, in the picturesque Petaluma, CA.S

Cynthia Gomez

Expertise: Marketing

Femi is a self-professed 'music junkie' who likes to share the gift of a great glass over the sounds of a great album, while living in one of the greatest cities on earth. He discovered his passion for wine while working at the Charleston Grill, a restaurant that he says “endlessly rewarded your curiosity for wine & commitment to hospitality” under the encouragement and mentorship of the former Wine Director, Rick Rubel. During his time at the Grill, he made the rare achievement of passing the first three levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers within two years. He is also a two-time national finalist for the Chaine des Rotisseurs Best Young Sommelier in America competition, and the winner of the 2017 & 2019 Top Somm Blind Tasting Competition of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. He was awarded Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2018 ‘40 Under 40' and was selected as ‘Sommelier of the Year’ along with Miles by Food and Wine Magazine in 2019.

Femi Oyediran

Expertise: Sales & Hospitality