Maryam Ahmed is the owner of Napa, CA based Maryam + Company and the co-founder of the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum. She works at the intersection of sommeliers, chefs, activists, sustainability experts, media, and organizations focused on diversity and sustainability to design impactful educational programs and execute strategic projects in the food and wine world. In 2022, Maryam + Company launched Field Blends, an immersive food and wine travel experience focused on bridging a gap between industry and consumers as well as opening up conversations about wine, food, land, labor, and agriculture. Maryam is a cast member on SOMM TV and a partner at PLAYTE Kitchen.

Jeri Andrews is the CEO and Co-Founder of XOBC Cellars, one of the fastest growing direct to consumer wineries in the industry. A collaboration with six- time Grammy Award-winning artist Brandi Carlile, XOBC Cellars is one of the very few LGBTQ+/women-owned wineries in the nation. XOBC Cellars is making a difference for those most in need in areas of global conflict and support by allocating profits to Looking Out Foundation.

As a business owner and a high-performance coach for C-level executives, business founders, owners, professional athletes, philanthropists and world-class entertainers, Jeri works with a wide array of clients to excavate and achieve their personal and professional goals. She has been an executive leader in several world-class financial services and technology firms and most recently, as an executive committee member, helped GQG Partners grow from $10B in managed assets to over $100B in less than 24 months. She has also worked with Intellectual Ventures, an entrepreneurial company backed by Bill Gates, and led the London based team for Russell Investments. She began her career at Xerox Corporation, where she spent a decade building high performance sales teams. With a thirty year track record in finance and technology, Jeri has worked around the world on a variety of complex transactions and helped her clients develop leadership skills, manage crises, transition businesses, restructure management teams, and create new business opportunities.

A graduate of Boston University, Jeri has earned her Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses. Jeri is on several technology advisory boards and holds a seat on the board of Looking Out Foundation and the Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation. When not in Seattle, Jeri can be found with her wife of fifteen years and partner in XOBC Cellars, Amy, in Walla Walla or in Champagne enjoying the lifestyle, culture, wine and history.

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Leigh attended the University of Oregon, then University of California, Davis where she earned her master’s degree in Viticulture. She has worked in wine regions around the world, meeting a host of people from a variety of cultures along the way. She gained experience at respected properties in Gevrey Chambertin France, Marlborough New Zealand, Napa Valley California, Chile and Washington State.

Leigh joined Results Partners Vineyard Management company in 2014 as the Director of Viticulture, after working fourteen vintages for Archery Summit Winery.

Leigh and her winemaker husband, Patrick Reuter, co-own Dominio IV Winery in McMinnville.

Tiquette Bramlett is the President of Oregon's Compris Vineyard (formerly Vidon Vineyard) and, in April 2021, became the first Black woman in the country hired to lead a winery. Bramlett began her studies to become a sommelier in 2015 and developed a passion for Willamette Valley wines. In 2020, Bramlett founded Our Legacy Harvested, a non- profit organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity in Oregon's wine industry. In addition, Bramlett is the Associate Director for Assemblage Symposium, a program for women and diverse groups in wine that inspires conversations about the challenges these communities face in the industry. She is on the board of INC (International Pinot Noir Celebration), Oregon Wine Board and Women in Wine.

Bramlett's contributions to the industry and community have been recognized locally and nationally. In June 2021, Bramlett was included in Portland Business Journal's "30 new Portland-area executives you should know" list. In August 2021, Bramlett was named one of Wine Enthusiast's 40 under 40 Tastemakers 2021, and Imbibe Magazine's 75 to watch in 2021.

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Pat Campbell co-founded Elk Cove Vineyards, the first vineyard and winery in what would become the esteemed Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Along with husband and co-founder Joe Campbell, they named their winery for the local herd of elk that bedded down around their trailer that first winter on the property.
 
Among early winegrowers in Oregon, Pat had the strongest background in farming and the longest family history in Oregon. In fact, Pat’s great grandfather was a Swiss immigrant to Helvetia Oregon who grew grapes and made wine prior to prohibition. She grew up on a pear orchard in Parkdale, Oregon at the base of Mount Hood. Pat always knew she wanted to farm, but she also didn’t want to be beholden to the cannery as a commodity farmer or use harsh chemicals to farm. She had to find something different.
 
After getting a French degree from University of Oregon, Pat fell in love with wine while working as a cocktail waitress in San Francisco’s jazz scene. She and Joe paired cheap burgundy with Pat’s French cooking – she was a Julia Child devotee – and they traveled to Napa and Sonoma on weekends to visit wineries. Two wine tasting experiences solidified Pat’s interest in wine. A dinner at a fine SF restaurant where she and Joe shared a bottle of Burgundy – the 1961 Le Musigny and a blind tasting of ten white burgundies from different soil types. This fascination led to her exploration into what made great wines, and the realization that good viticulture on the right site (climate and well drained soils) and good winemaking skills are essential.

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In 1973 she and Joe found a property in the foothills of Oregon’s Coast Range and they decided to grow and make wine in earnest. In 1974 they planted 5 acres of chardonnay and 5 acres of the Pommard clone of Pinot Noir with 6X7 foot spacing (a first for the Willamette Valley). Another first came in 1979 vintage when the couple made three single-vineyard Pinot Noirs grown on three soil types: Jory, Laurelwood and Willakenzie.

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It wasn’t until their second vintage in 1978 that their efforts started paying off. A Riesling from a friend’s vineyard secured three gold medals in 1980. The Elk Cove 1978 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were selected to be served at a dinner honoring the young industry with Robert Drouhin as the keynote speaker. And The Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker gave high praise to Oregon’s winemakers for the 1983 vintage.

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Building on these successes, in 1981 they broke ground on their first real winery. Pat and Joe worked together well sharing every task from yeast selection, punch downs, running the press after midnight and tractor work in the vineyard. Pat did the less glamorous work of business management while Joe continued his work as an emergency physician. They both poured their hearts into sales: retail, wholesale and even deliveries.

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In 1994, son and now Owner/Winemaker Adam Campbell joined the business. 1999 was Adam’s first harvest as winemaker. He soon became general manager. He was followed by sister and Creative Director Anna Campbell in 2012.

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Today, the Campbells farm just over 400 acres on 6 different properties in the Northern Willamette Valley on three different soil types. Elk Cove is one of the 10 largest wineries in Oregon with a commitment to sustainability as a business, people and farm. Pat is now retired and spends her free time birdwatching and playing tennis. She has served on the boards of the Portland Audubon Society and the Friends of the Columbia Gorge. You might also find her planting geraniums and deadheading roses in the Elk Cove tasting room gardens.

Shari Dunn is the CEO/ Principal of ITBOM, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in institutional and organizational coaching around equity, leadership, change management, women in leadership, and workforce development. ITBOM consults with companies as diverse as fortune 500’s, State Agencies, and medium to small-sized businesses. Shari is a former non-profit CEO, attorney, journalist, and foundation funder. Shari was the Co-VP of Power of Attorney Foundation, a sub-grantee of the former Atlantic Philanthropies. She has been quoted in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Non-Profit Quarterly, and more. She is also an adjunct at the University of Portland in the Pamplin School of Business and serves on the Oregon Talent and Workforce Development Board.  Her approach is outside the traditional human resources paradigm and is meant to help institutions with a systemic redesign to bring workplace equity. Shari has been awarded Executive of the Year and one of the Women of Influence by the Portland Business Journal, amongst many other awards and honors.

Originally from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, Christelle has also lived in Tokyo, Paris, and the United States. As a result of her worldly background, she has a keen eye for stories that translate across cultures. Christelle is inspired to tell human stories. When not covering the news, Christelle enjoys exploring the outdoors and all the wonders of Oregon.

Chef Sara grew up in Vista, Ca., a small town in north San Diego County.  After graduating high school, Sara moved to the south of Spain. Food became an obsession and ultimately fueled Sara’s decision to return to the U.S. to attend culinary school. 

After returning to the States, Sara began working in restaurants and attending culinary school full time.  By the time she reached the age of 22 she was ready to try on a bigger city for size and relocated to San Francisco, Ca.  It is here where Sara really began to thrive in the restaurant industry.  Working with Brandon Jew at Bar Agricole helped shape Sara’s simple approach to food.

In 2013, Sara once again returned to Spain to work at famed restaurant Asador Etxebarri.  Here she gathered more appreciation for simple and locally sourced food as well as a different lens through which to see food.  It is this experience that helped propel Sara into her first head chef position at Huxley in San Francisco where she garnered many accolades and awards, including 3 stars from the San Francisco Chronicle, Eater Young Guns, Zagat 30 under 30 and James Beard semi-finalist Rising Star Chef 2016 and 2017.

In 2017, Chef Sara was named Rising Star Chef for the San Francisco Chronicle while working as chef de cuisine under Melissa Perello at one-michelin starred restaurant Octavia. 

She was on season 18 of Bravo’s Top Chef and currently resides in Portland where she owns and operates a tinned fish company specializing in sourcing and tinning sustainable species of fish from the waters in the Pacific Northwest.

Kari Kihara is Executive Chef and part owner at Mac Market, an eating, drinking and community gathering place in McMinnville, Oregon. After a brief stint farming in Maine, Kari and her partner moved to the Willamette Valley having heard of its rich agriculture and beauty. Originally from Massachusetts, Kari received most of her culinary training in San Francisco. Working for Melissa Perello at Frances and Amy Brown at Marla, Kari learned the importance of seasonality and building relationships with small farms to create thoughtful food. After traveling for six months in Europe, she returned to the city to work as sous chef at Sons and Daughters. It was here that Kari explored new techniques and flavors, as well as whole animal butchery, a skill set that changed the way she cooks. Now leading the culinary program at Mac Market, Kari focuses on sustainable farm-to-table practices, cultivating a strong local food system, and building a happy work environment. Utilizing her background in Michelin starred restaurants, she creates engaging and unique menus that highlight small local farms. Inspired by cultures around the world, her food is known for bold flavors that surprise and comfort. 

Taking their name from the historic Hazelfern Farm in Portland, Oregon, Hazelfern’s journey from 5-gallon carboys in the family basement to their vineyard, winery, and farmhouse in the Willamette Valley has been a wild ride since 2006.

Sparked by the loss of a young family member and quarter-life crisis in 2014, Hazelfern’s co-founders Laura and Bryan Laing traded in their daily commute for a tractor and the wine life. Hazelfern’s Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are expertly crafted in an old-world style, and made to be paired with good music, great people, memorable stories & delicious farm dinners.

As Hazelfern’s General Manager, Laura is the driving force behind the experience and heart of Hazelfern. From co-winemaking to running the finances, planning the events, marketing, HR, and hosting guests in the Hazelfern wine barn, Laura truly wears every hat there is. Most importantly, Laura is a mom to two beautiful future women leaders and takes that role very seriously.

Garett Long is a farmer and soil scientist who believes healing the planet is in parallel with healing the human spirit. He spent five years practicing biodynamics at "The Biggest Little Farm" before leaving to pursue his M.S. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from University of California-Davis. He is currently the Director of Agriculture at Troon Vineyard, a Biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified farm, where he tends to compost, cover crops, sheep, chickens, dogs, two acres of vegetables, a cider apple orchard, and 50 acres of grapevines.

By day, Coach Jen Matthews is a mompreneur and behavior change coach whose 24-year career spans professional dance, corporate wellness, behavioral coaching, and transpersonal psychology which is the psychological study of human potential. She specializes in performance coaching for parents and professionals as well as offering life skills educations courses in mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and decision-making skills.
 
By night she is a mother, a dog lover, a sister, and a daughter to four wonderful parents who loves hanging out with her 10-year-old son, traveling, dancing, writing, and cooking new recipes.

Raised among the vines of Monterey, California and Marlborough, New Zealand, one could say that the McBride Sisters’ path to winemaking was destiny at work. 

Newly found sisters who had been raised across the world from one another, Robin and Andréa’s love affair with wine was planted within them from an early age while growing up in two of the world’s most iconic wine-growing regions.

In 2005, the sisters found themselves together in California, fueled by a shared passion for all things wine, wine-making and a desire to shake up the industry with a blend of old-world elegance and new-world finesse. It was then that the McBride Sisters Collection was born.

As the work began, so did their reality as two fierce, female and forward-thinking leaders in an industry historically defined by tradition and gender. But, like countless groundbreaking women before them, Andréa and Robin saw every obstacle as an opportunity to chart their own path rather than follow the standard formula. 

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Over time, McBride Sisters has grown into what is not only the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, but one of the most inclusive, accessible, socially aware and sustainable. 

These values show up not only in the wines they make but in all facets of their company. Their signature McBride Sisters Collection wines are direct reflections of the terroirs of their youth, with flavors designed for all palates. The fun, fab and eco-friendly SHE CAN canned wine collection and it’s related SHE CAN Professional Development Fund, are inspired by the endless pursuit of all women who are making their dreams a reality and breaking barriers daily. And the Black Girl Magic collection, Robin and Andréa's personal ode to their culture and story, is inspired by the magic and resilience of Black women, to be enjoyed by all.

Ximena Orrego is the owner/winemaker of Atticus Wine which is a micro-boutique producer of beautiful and distinctive Pinot Noir in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of the Willamette Valley. Founded in 2005, it is the ongoing journey of love and dedication of Ximena and her husband Guy Insley. Ximena was born in Peru and grew up in Latin America. After university in Canada she moved to Florida, where she met Guy. It was there that they tasted their first Oregon Pinot Noir and decided to visit the Willamette Valley on vacation. Before their trip was over, they had placed a bid on their property – their future had been sealed. They built their family home among the vines, creating a place where they can watch their children grow, be connected with the vineyard and coexist with nature. 

Ximena leads all winemaking and sales & marketing activities for their brand.  She is also the Vice President and Marketing Chair of the Yamhill-Carlton Winegrowers Association, Board Member of the Yamhill County Soil and Water Conservation District and an active member of the DEBI sub-committee of the WVWA.  In 2020, she founded Celebrating Hispanic Roots.  She also has nearly 20 years of global corporate experience in the Telecom and High-Tech Industries with responsibilities in the areas of Operations, Finance and Business Development.

Ximena’s work and family life have taken her all over the world but she is always happy to be back in Yamhill.  Having been a city person for most of her life, she feels privileged to call this beautiful place her home and be able to raise her children so close to mother nature.

Photo: Carolyn Wells-Kramer

For over 30 years, Anna Maria operated Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon’s North Willamette Valley, growing the winery and building the brand founded by her pioneering parents in 1970. Through her leadership and the combined efforts of her sister and brother, the business developed into an industry leader. She is attributed with growing the winery’s annual production to 50-60,000 cases and establishing a premiere travel destination for wine tourists. She released her memoir “Pinot Girl” in the Spring of 2020 in celebration of the winery’s 50th anniversary. A year later, she and her sister successfully negotiated the sale of the winery to the esteemed French house, Societe Jacques Bollinger of Champagne, France.
 

Her roots as the daughter of a pioneering wine family have given her the strong advantage of being educated in all areas of the wine business. This unique experience and skill set allowed her to serve the state’s wine industry in a myriad of ways, including acting as an ambassador for Oregon wine growers internationally and building Oregon wine country into a travel destination. Anna Maria has always been actively involved in philanthropic organizations and trade events. She is currently the President of the Oregon Winegrower’s Association, a state commissioner of the Oregon Tourism Commission and is a Founding Member of Anthony’s Circle (advocates for foster youth in the public school system). She has served extended terms on the Oregon Wine Board, Oregon Pinot Camp, Willamette Valley Wineries Association, ¡Salud!, CASA and Project Lemonade. She was the Founding President of Oregon’s Chapter of Women for WineSense in
1992.

In 1987, Anna Maria graduated from the School of Journalism at the University of Oregon. She moved to Boston and worked in the publishing industry before returning home to the wine business in 1991, when she took the position of Director of Sales and Marketing at Ponzi Vineyards.

In 1999, she was instrumental in establishing and operating the family’s commercial venue in the heart of wine country, Dundee. This first farm-to-table restaurant and regional wine bar enjoyed decades of introducing wine travelers to new boutique wine producers and the valley’s bounty.
 

In 2012, she and her sister Luisa acquired ownership of the winery from their parents, and Ponzi Vineyards became one of the country’s few sister-run wineries and one of Oregon’s few second-generation wineries. The following year, Anna Maria opened an elegantly modern tasting room becoming the valley’s first tasting room offering table-side service, and establishing the winery as an exceptional wine country destination.

Anna Maria assumed the position of President in 2014, overseeing all business operations. Under her steadfast leadership, natural business savvy, and tireless work ethic, the winery experienced growth and success as one of the nation’s most respected regional producers. In Spring 2018, The Laurelwood was unveiled, a one-of-a- kind hospitality space paying homage to her parents’ legacy. The venue presented another fresh amenity to the valley with its elegant approach to showcasing regional food pairings with wines.

Anna Maria and her husband, Brett Fogelstrom, reside on their hilltop property, overlooking their 20-acre “issimo vineyard” and the Scholls valley. She remains active in her community and committed to enhancing her beloved Oregon. Her two adult children both live and work in Los Angeles, and she now finds herself playing mother to a Chow Chow and Bernese Mountain dog.

Rachel Spiegelman is a marketing, digital transformation and consumer behavior executive with over 20 years in strategy, operations and communications experience at high growth companies in various stages of development.

Rachel is currently an Operating Partner for Blue Point Capital where she serves on the Board of Directors for portfolio companies including Next Level Apparel, a manufacturer of wholesale and DTC premium fashion blanks, Weaver Leather, a platform business with leading products in equine, pet, and crafts, and Spector & Co. a premium promotional products and marketing support business. She also serves on the Board of eegees, an iconic fast-food chain expanding throughout the southwest and SusieCakes, a multi-unit bakery retail concept throughout California and Texas. Rachel guides these businesses and their private investors in maturing positioning, consumer understanding and digital transformation to catalyze sustainable growth. Rachel spent most of her early career as CEO and founder of Pitch, a strategic and creative advertising agency based in Los Angeles. During this time, Rachel partnered with some of the world’s most recognized brands including Burger King, Netflix, Blizzard Activision, Hilton and Pepsi to develop go-to-market strategies based on real consumer needs, refine operations, innovate products and experiences, and deliver relevant and differentiated messaging.

In this second stage of her career, Rachel and her husband Gregg moved their family to Yamhill Oregon and now run Drake Farms, a first-generation family farm dedicated to serving their community and reminding people of the joy that comes from sourcing local food for every meal. At Drake Farms, we pasture raise pork, duck, chicken and free-range eggs for some of the most regarded Chefs and customers in the Willamette Valley, working to be the best possible stewards of our land and neighbors.

Julia Sullivan delivers high impact programs that draw upon her operations background in the automotive industry and her experience facilitating lasting change in her Self, people and organizations. 

Julia taught in the Transition to General Management executive program offered by Columbia University, where she analyzed business cases participants wrote depicting the complex issues confronting their companies. She applied frameworks developed by Action Design and Chris Argyris of Harvard to help executives recognize, reframe, and rectify their contribution to challenging situations.

In 2003, the Stanford Graduate School of Business awarded Julia the Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership award to recognize her professional achievements and her contributions to the community. Julia earned a Bachelor in Industrial Administration from Kettering University and was one of the first Latinas to earn an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is the former Co-President of the Hispanic Alumni Chapter, and current Board Member of the Stanford GSB Alumni Association leading unprecedented activities that engage all alumni on issues and solutions related to race, inclusion, and equity. 
 

Marli Williams is an international interactive keynote speaker, courage cultivator, and joy instigator who first fell in love with transformational leadership as a camp counselor. After getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Outdoor Education and her Master’s degree in Education, along with 15 years leadership experience and training later, Marli decided to give herself permission to be the “Professional Camp Counselor” she knew she was born to be. Now she helps incredible people and organizations stop waiting for permission and start taking bold action to be the leaders and changemakers they’ve always wanted to be through the power of PLAY. When she’s not speaking on big stages, consulting with high level leaders or training facilitators, you can find Marli running Camp Yes, her annual Adult Summer Camp for Women.