Christine Kim is a leading bartender and beverage director based in Washington, D.C., known for blending music, culture, and flavor in her craft. Her thoughtful, narrative-driven cocktails have made her a standout voice in the U.S. bar scene. In 2025, she was named U.S. Bartender of the Year at the globally respected Spirited Awards, recognizing her creativity, hospitality, and leadership behind the bar. Beyond mixology, she uses cultural storytelling and sensory design to explore how cocktails can embody rhythm, identity, and female empowerment.

Alpana Singh is a celebrated American Master Sommelier, who in 2003 became the youngest American woman—and the only South Asian—to earn this prestigious title. Over ten seasons, she hosted the PBS restaurant review show Check, Please! in Chicago, where she introduced audiences to the joy of dining and wine discovery.Beyond her achievements in wine education, Alpana has established herself as a successful restaurateur, having launched four dining concepts. Her latest venture, Alpana, located in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast, marks her creative transition from sommelier to chef. Known for her “reverse-engineered pairings,” she crafts immersive dining experiences—for example, pairing a New Zealand Pinot Gris with burrata, honey-roasted pears, and onion mostarda—to encourage guests to explore lesser-known varietals. Alpana also invests deeply in training her team through systematic wine education, creating a culture of confidence and hospitality that builds trust with diners and expands wine appreciation within the traditional restaurant setting.

Elisa transitioned from a music career into food and wine, becoming Wine Program Curator at 401K Food & Wine in Los Angeles. She designs a by-the-glass program that showcases diversity and quality, and is constantly present to share boundless knowledge of every wine. 401K Food & Wine is a gluten-free wine bar and eatery in Venice, CA, where a curated selection of sustainable wines meets a fully gluten-free menu. She stands as a pillar of unpretentious and inclusive wine culture in LA, making wine approachable, engaging, and relevant to a diverse audience. Her mission is to dismantle wine’s “elitist” barrier, creating a space where guests from all backgrounds feel welcomed and engaged.

Madeline Triffon is a transformative figure in wine, celebrated not only as the first American woman Master Sommelier but also for her unwavering dedication to kindness, curiosity, and confidence. Her career spans fine dining through wine director roles in the Detroit area, and now she leads wine selection, events, and customer education for Plum Market, a premium independent food retailer recognized for its curated global wine program and community-driven events. Under her leadership, Plum Market has become a hub for approachable wine education and experiential retail, earning the UNFI Local Independent Impact Excellence Award (2025) for its contribution to local food and wine culture. As a mentor, she supports new sommeliers entering the MS exam and local wine service community. Widely recognized for her retail and hospitality leadership, she is known as “Detroit’s First Lady of Wine” and has had significant impact in making wine expertise accessible to a wider audience.

Dina Opici is President of Opici Family Distributing and in 2024 became the first Chairwoman of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a historic milestone. With a background in law and deep roots in the family distribution business, she leads with a vision for advocacy, innovation, and inclusivity in the U.S. wine & spirits wholesale sector. She is known for championing policies, promoting women’s leadership, and driving strategic growth across multiple states. By driving regional expansion, integrating online retail, curating trend-driven portfolios, and influencing policy through her role at WSWA, Dina Opici has transformed her family’s legacy wholesaler into a modernized, multi-state distribution platform. She has enhanced the flexibility and competitiveness of the U.S. supply chain while injecting diversity and foresight into the evolving new retail landscape.

Zhou Mengqi (Dreamy) is a key member of the leadership team for Brown-Forman's Global Travel Retail (GTR) division. She was promoted to Regional Commercial Director, Asia Pacific during a major restructure of the company's GTR unit in 2023. This restructure aimed to create a more agile and market-focused organization, and Dreamy's appointment highlights the strategic importance of the APAC region for the company. With extensive industry experience, she is responsible for developing and executing the commercial strategy for Brown-Forman's portfolio of premium brands (including Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve) across all travel retail channels in Asia Pacific. Her focus is on driving growth, strengthening partnerships with retailers, and elevating brand experiences. In 2024, her region successfully launched Jack Daniel's first-ever GTR pop-up at Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea—an innovative activation for the brand in travel retail that demonstrates her team's excellent execution in market activation. As a China-based leader, Dreamy plays a vital role in bridging global brand strategy with local market dynamics in the APAC region.

Wilcy Wong is the Commercial Director for Global Travel Retail at Edrington Group, based in Singapore. With about 15 years at DFS Group in commercial, merchandising, and retail roles across Hong Kong, Macau, San Francisco, and Singapore, she brings deep channel expertise to her current role. At Edrington GTR, she leads the business operations for commercial functions, including partnerships with airports and travel-retail retailers, rollout of flagship boutiques (such as the Macallan boutique at LAX), and premium positioning of spirits brands. Her strategy focuses on aligning brand, product, and retail experience in travel retail to enhance both brand strength and consumer engagement.

Adriana Gibbs is a Venezuelan wine & spirits journalist, author, and culture communicator. She writes extensively on wine, rum, beverage trends, and food & drink culture for media including Punto Paladar, publishes books and regularly engages in public dialogues about wine. Her writing combines knowledge and approachability, aiming to broaden the appreciation of wine & spirits among Latin American consumers. She has been honored with awards such as Visionary Woman 2024, recognizing her role as a leading female voice in beverage writing & cultural dissemination.

Phương Maxy is a Vietnamese wine and spirits storyteller, writer, and content creator who founded PhuongMaxy.com, one of Vietnam’s first independent platforms dedicated to exploring “the stories behind every bottle.” With a professional background in marketing and brand strategy, she brings over a decade of experience to bridge global beverage narratives with Vietnamese culture and consumers.
Her platform features in-depth articles and interviews on both international and local producers — from Rhum Belami(Vietnam’s first local rum) and Savall Chocolate (a five-generation family business) to explorations of Vietnam’s emerging whisky scene and Southeast Asia’s evolving wine market. Through her bilingual storytelling (Vietnamese and English), Phương advocates for greater appreciation of craftsmanship, terroir, and the human stories shaping the drinks industry.
By combining editorial insight with marketing fluency, she is pioneering a modern, inclusive voice for wine and spirits communication in Vietnam, inspiring a new generation of mindful drinkers and cultural enthusiasts.

Wanda Mann is a prominent wine writer and media personality based on the U.S. East Coast, serving as East Coast Editor for The SOMM Journal and Tasting Panel. With over 15 years of expertise in wine media, she founded “Wine With Wanda,” a blog and Substack platform that shares travel-driven wine narratives beloved by industry and consumers alike. Wanda is a sought-after speaker at major events such as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Women in Wine Leadership Symposium, and Charleston Wine + Food Festival. She also serves as the Star Wine List NYC Ambassador, a board member of the Society of Wine Educators, and the former President of Les Dames d’Escoffier NY. Her approachable yet authoritative writing connects the wine industry to the public in meaningful ways.