Teaching – Learning- Growing : Developing Knowledge and Skills in an online world

Dr. Laura Catena is a Harvard and Stanford trained physician and the founder of the Catena Institute of Wine in Argentina.  She is currently managing director of Catena Zapata and of her own Luca winery.  Catena has been called the “face” of Argentine wine and is author of Argentina’s definitive wine guide, “Vino Argentino”.  Her work has been featured in the NYT, the Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine Magazine, La Nación, Decanter and The Economist 1843 Magazine. In 2017 Laura introduced her second book, “Oro en los Viñedos”, an illustrated book about the world’s most famous vineyards.

Elaine is a celebrated keynote speaker, educator, and wine writer and is one of the world’s top authorities on California wine. She serves as the American Specialist for JancisRobinson.com, and as Contributing Writer to Wine & Spirits Magazine. She contributed to the award-winning 8th edition of the World Atlas of Wine, as well as the award-winning 4th edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine. The IWSC and VinItaly have named her one of the top wine communicators in the world the last two years in a row, and in 2019, the Wine Industry Network named Chukan Brown one of the 9 Most Inspiring People in Wine.

As Managing Director of Vinitaly International, Stevie has launched and now coordinates a series of new initiatives connected to the Vinitaly brand. As Professional Wine Groupie, Stevie is always seeking innovative ways to communicate Italian wine – with a strong creative emphasis on social media and educational platforms. In 2017, Stevie produced the Italian Wine Podcast, the first podcast in English dedicated exclusively to Italian wine and its personalities. Now in its third year of regular broadcasts, the show published its 400^th episode on September 5, 2020. She also carries out various editorial projects, the latest being The Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian Wine. The book is a reference guide, the first in a series designed to simplify the complex world of Italian wine.

Jeremy Lamri is an entrepreneur, co-founder of Monkey tie, The HR Lab and Hub France AI. He studied at Oxford and HEC Paris and is currently completing a PhD in cognitive science at Paris Descartes, and is the Head of Research, Innovation and Prospective at JobTeaser. Author and lecturer on the future of work, HR, organizations and ecosystems, he also teaches at HEC Paris, ESCP Europe and Mines Telecom.

James is a writer, speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur. He is an expert in many areas of the wine trade and has traveled extensively to many of the world’s wine regions.
Tidwell co-founded the TEXSOM Conference with fellow Master Sommelier Drew Hendricks. Now in its 15th year, the conference attracts a prominent list of attendees, presenters, and sponsors from around the world. Tidwell is also Co-Owner and Producer of the TEXSOM International Wine Awards.

Based in Lille, north of France, Valerie leads ISG LM, one of France’s most creative business schools. with a strong focus on luxury management. In 2019, Valerie launched an MBA focused on wine, bringing the next generation of leaders into the Fine Wine conversation.

Dr. Damien Wilson is the inaugural Hamel Family Chair of Wine Business Education with SSU’s Wine Business Institute. Dr. Wilson arrived in California in 2015 with 20 years of professional experience in the wine sector. He was previously part of Burgundy’s School of Wine and Spirits Business, having established a European professorial career after having started with the University of South Australia in 1999.