Twenty-Two Wine & Spirits Professionals and Up-And-Comers Awarded Emerging Leaders and Professional Merit Scholarships
San Diego, CA (August 21, 2024) –SommCon is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Emerging Leaders and Professional Merit scholarships. These awards reflect SommCon’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of industry trailblazers and honoring those who push the boundaries of excellence in their field. This year, 22 exceptional individuals have been chosen for their passion for the wine and spirits industry and potential to shape its future. The SommCon scholarship program is sponsored in part by The SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel Magazine.
2024 Emerging Leaders Scholarship recipients include:
- Kelsee Calderon | Sleuth Cellars
- Elías Cárdenas Rodríguez | Rancho la Puerta
- Liza-Bart Carroll | Beached Vine
- Marilyn Fajardo | Bo-Beau Kitchen + Roof Tap
- Olena Ihnatiuk | ZXQ Vineyards & Winery
- Ciera Jones | Sip, Serve, Savor
- Loris Anne Jones-Randolph | Cucina Alba
- Kimberly Kachmar | Wine Express
- Hannah Page | The Inn at Little Washington
- Kelsey Schmidt | Pacific Wine Services
- Elena Syrovatkina | Montage Palmetto Bluff
- Tony Tapia | Cohn Restaurant Group
- Dexter West | JW Marriott
- Indigo Zuber | Wynn Las Vegas
- Evette Becker | Evette Becker Consulting
- Crys Chen | Floraison Selections
- Onyx Cly-Peek | Grande River Vineyards
- Billie Harris | The Vino Van
- Teri Kerns | Ramona Ranch Winery
- Angelo Paul Perez | RNDC
- Roderick Stewart | Little Alley Steakhouse 2.0
- Libby Tseng | 酒久賞 Jiou Jiu Shang Wine & Sake Academy
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s recipients of the Emerging Leaders and Professional Merit scholarships,” said Michelle Metter, co-founder and director of SommCon. “These individuals are the future of the alcohol beverage industry, and we are dedicated to fostering their development by providing a platform for mutual learning and mentorship. As an industry, we have as much to learn from these talented professionals, and we are honored to welcome them into our community.”
SommCon scholarship recipients are invited to participate in a comprehensive mentorship program tailored to provide guidance and support before, during, and after the conference. SommCon’s mentorship program is designed to equip scholars with the tools and resources they need to excel in the alcohol beverage industry, and includes:
- Full conference access to SommCon, October 5-7 in San Diego, California
- An assigned mentor dedicated to supporting the scholar’s professional development
- Organized mentorship gatherings leading up to, during, and after SommCon
- A mentorship breakfast during SommCon to foster networking and discovering professional opportunities
- Ongoing career advice from mentors and SommCon including: resume reviews, guidance for professional growth, headshots, and industry updates
- Complimentary access to SommGo, SommCon’s on-demand streaming service for wine, beer, and spirits education, for one year
- Virtual educational sessions with industry experts
- Opportunities to contribute articles and interviews with industry experts to a dedicated column in The SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel Magazine
- Membership in the SommCon Scholar Alumni online community
Scholars are selected by SommCon Mentorship committee members in a blind selection process removing name and identifying information. This year’s committee includes:
- Rick Arline | Hotel Perla
- Molly Brooks | Disneyland Resort, Club 33
- Anibal Calcagno | International Sommelier Guild
- Meg Carrington-Griffin Simons | The Verasion Project
- Will Costello | Preferabli
- Maurice DiMarino | Cohn Restaurant Group
- Larissa Dubose | Paradies Lagardère
- Tahiirah Habibi | Hue society/Sipping Socials
- Brent Kroll | Maxwell
- Meridith May | The Somm Journal/The Tasting Panel Magazine
- Angela McCrae | Silver Oak & Twomey/Assoc. of African American Vintners/Uncorked & Cultured
- Steve Pagano | San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina
- Whitney Pope | WHIT + WINE
- Vanessa Rason | Mosaic Wine Alliance
- Lisa Redwine | Burtech Family Vineyards
- Erik Segelbaum | Somlyay
- Kathleen Ann Thomas | CORE Body | Mind
- Justin Trabue | Heitz Cellar/Natural Action Wine Club
- Hai Tran | Provi/SOMMATION
- Toshio Ueno | Mutual Trading Co.Inc./Sake School of America
