Emi Machida (born 1975) is the toji (master sake brewer) at Machida Brewery in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, and the first female toji in her family’s long-standing sake brewery line. The brewery was founded by her family in 1883. After graduating in literature in Tokyo, she joined the family brewery in 2000 and took on responsibilities in sake production and recipe development. She is an active member of the Women’s Sake Industry Group. Her signature sakes include Junmai 60 Wakamizu and Liao Sei. Emi Machida has won multiple gold medals at the Annual Japan Sake Awards. Her work combines product quality, craftsmanship, and breaking gender barriers while restoring women's presence in sake making tradition.

Elizabeth McCall joined Brown-Forman in 2009 in the quality and sensory department, and has risen through roles including Sensory Scientist, Master Taster, and Assistant Master Distiller. In 2023, she was appointed Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve. She oversees special releases and innovation series like the Master’s Collection and Distillery Series, ensuring consistent sensory and quality standards across batches. As a second-generation spirits professional and one of the prominent female master distillers in bourbon, she contributes significantly to both legacy and forward-thinking product concept innovation.

Alba Hough is a renowned sommelier and wine culture advocate from Iceland, also playing a key role in production and spirits craftsmanship. She has competed internationally since her youth, contributing significantly to education and raising professional standards. As President of the Icelandic Sommeliers Association and Chief Production Officer at Himbrimi Gin, she advances both local wine/spirit culture and women’s representation and equity in the profession on an international stage. For Alba, wine is more than a drink—it connects identity, culture, and community.

During 2024–2025, Jaione Echarri led service innovation at El Molino de Urdániz with flexible wine-by-the-glass offerings and dynamic bottle opening strategies—aligning beverage selection with guest preferences and the tasting menu rhythm. She oversees both cellar and dining operations, ensuring seamless coordination, while advocating continuous staff training to elevate sommelier craftsmanship. Her 2025 award as Best Floor Manager of Navarra underscores industry recognition of her excellence. Moreover, with the restaurant’s Michelin Green Star designation, her front-of-house leadership likely aligns with environmental responsibility—optimizing service flows, reducing waste, and integrating sustainability into guest experience.

Alyzée Marchal is one of France’s most promising young sommeliers in 2024. Trained under Jean-Baptiste Klein, Head Sommelier at the two-Michelin-starred La Table d’Olivier Nasti in Kaysersberg, Alsace, she has developed exceptional precision, sensory depth, and emotional storytelling through wine.La Table d’Olivier Nasti, led by Meilleur Ouvrier de France chef Olivier Nasti, is renowned for its wine program, which features over 600 labels combining iconic estates with emerging winemaking talents. In 2025, the restaurant received Star Wine List’s Gold Star – Best Wine List in France, praised for its depth, diversity, and authentic reflection of Alsace’s innovative spirit.Winner of the Best Student Sommelier of France, Alyzée distinguishes herself not only through technical mastery but also through her ability to communicate terroir and culture with emotion and clarity. With her background in sports and discipline under pressure, she is poised to become one of the next leading voices in fine dining and wine education.

Anne Humbrecht, born in Alsace, is both a sommelier and a custodian of vineyard culture. Since 2011, she has served as Head Sommelier at La Table du Gourmet, a Michelin-starred and Green-Starred destination, where she redesigned the wine list around terroir and sustainability. She earned her Master Sommelier Diploma in 2015 and was awarded the Sommelier Grand Est trophy in 2023. Known for her terroir-driven philosophy, she also translates fine-dining expertise into public wine tourism activities, making her a key figure in Alsace’s wine and hospitality scene.

Anna Sukava is a Finnish wine professional, founder of Hannah Wines—a wine service and media platform based in Helsinki that bridges education, culture, and experience. A DipWSET graduate and trained sommelière, Anna has worked in some of Finland’s most renowned restaurants including Hotel Kämp, Finnjävel and Ultima. Having lived in six European countries over 15 years, she brings an international perspective to Finnish wine culture.At Hannah Wines, she hosts tastings, workshops and consults for hospitality partners and private clients. Through the initiative “Finnish Women in Wine,” she promotes visibility and collaboration among women in the Nordic wine industry. Her philosophy centers on “Wine as Culture” — connecting stories, people, and places through the lens of taste and conversation.

Wakana Murata is one of Japan’s most exciting new bartending talents, breaking ground in a field long dominated by men. Originally working in marketing and recruitment, she discovered her passion for mixology while in Singapore, where she refined her craft and developed a signature style blending visual artistry with precise flavor balance. Her innovation gained recognition in global competitions such as Diageo World Class. Returning to Japan, she worked at Gold Bar at The Tokyo Edition before becoming Head Bartender at Tokyo Confidential, where her cocktail creations offer immersive, story-driven experiences. Known for integrating Japanese spirits like awamori and nigori sake with global influences such as tequila and champagne, Murata delivers drinks that are playful yet profound. She is emerging as one of Japan’s most exciting voices in bartending, proving that cocktails can be both joyful and deeply satisfying.

Lynnette Marrero is a New York-based bartender, mixologist, educator, and advocate—and a leading voice for women in the cocktail industry. She co-founded Speed Rack, an all-female bartending competition designed to elevate female bartenders and raise money for breast cancer education and research. Her work spans leading bar programs, non-alcoholic spirits with Aplós, the ready-to-drink spritz line Delola, and speaking/mentor roles. She champions innovation, inclusivity, and creativity in beverages, using her influence to open doors for underrepresented voices in hospitality.

Miao Zhao (Ring Zhao) is a Chinese innovative bartender, tea-cocktail advocate, and founder of Bar Choice. She blends traditional tea culture with modern mixology, exploring combinations of teas with spirits and unconventional ingredients for visually striking and culturally rich cocktails. In 2021 she won the China regional final of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition and placed among the top 20 globally. Through Bar Choice, she promotes a hybrid tea-bar / bar concept, aiming to engage youth and consumers in experiencing tradition and cocktail culture in more approachable, narrative-driven ways.