Wine Business Institute Research Summit

As the wine industry emerges from a state of disruption, the 2021 Wine Business Institute Research Summit will highlight “Leadership Through Innovation” to examine how the industry has and continues to innovate. This popular annual gathering of wine business leaders and professionals is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information about the 2021 WBI Research Summit and registration can be found here. 

“This year’s lineup of experts and topics will address the pressing issues and opportunities facing the wine industry now and in the future,” Dr. Jean-Francois Coget, dean of the Wine Business Institute and School of Business and Economics at SSU.

Stephen Rannekleiv, global sector strategist at Rabobank, will kick off the Summit with a presentation titled What’s Working in Wine Industry Innovation? Dr. Richard Campbell, professor and expert in sports marketing at Sonoma State, will give the final presentation titled Sport & Wine: Fanaticism and Opportunities in Collaboration.

Fourteen additional speakers will present and lead panel discussions on eight other topics, including Using Business Model Innovation to Strategic Advantage; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in the Wine Industry; Relevant Digital Marketing KPIs for 2021 and Beyond; Grit in the Wine and Innovating to Thrive; What the Wine Industry Can Learn from Cannabis; Convergence of Commerce and Communications Online; Pivoting After a Societal Shock: Leadership Skills to Transform the Wine Industry; and Embedding Sustainability into Strategy and Policy in the Wine Industry: 

Scheduled to speak are:

• Geralyn Brostrom, adjunct faculty of wine business at Sonoma State University
• Dr. Sergio Canavati, professor of management and entrepreneurship at Sonoma State University
• Dr. Jean-Francois Coget, professor of organizational behavior and dean of the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University
  Juliana Colangelo, vice president west coast and junior partner of Colangelo & Partners
• Matt Coyne, Wine MBA ’21 and doctoral candidate of hospitality management at UMass Isenberg School of Management
• Hannah DeYoung-Link, Wine MBA ’21 and e-Commerce digital production specialist at Crimson Wine Group
• Isaiah Fitzgerald-Palacio, senior accountant at Allen Wine Group
• Dr. Anisya Fritz, proprietor of Lynmar Estate
• Dr. Marta Juega, winemaker and sustainability manager at Alliance Wine in Spain
• Dante Love, director of digital marketing at Jackson Family Wines
• Matthew McDermaid, Wine MBA ’21 and cellar and tasting room lead at The Meeker Vineyard
• Marilyn Nagel, founder and CEO of Ready-Aim-Aspire
• Dr. Sandra Newton, professor of management and wine business at Sonoma State University
• Dr. Adele Santana, associate professor of management and sustainability at Sonoma State University

“We are especially keen on this year’s theme ‘Leadership Through Innovation’ as we celebrate the Wine Business Institute’s anniversary and 25 years of working and thriving together as a community,” said Ray Johnson, executive director of the Wine Business Institute. “We look forward to engaging wine business leaders in learning and dialogue about how we can continue to adapt and reinvent and seize new opportunities.”

The sessions will be presented with a TED Talk pace followed by a 30-minute Q&A and discussion with the Summit speakers.

The Wine Business Institute Research Summit is an annual gathering of academics, scholars, and wine industry professionals, all of whom have a strong tie to Sonoma State’s Wine Business Institute, either as in-house faculty, wine industry faculty, alumni, current students, board members (and colleagues from their organizations), and our underwriter of the WBI Summit. The 2021 Research Summit is again underwritten by our partner Rabo AgriFinance.

About the Wine Business Institute

2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. We celebrate the institute’s legacy as a pioneer in providing wine business education and research and 25 years of working together with the wine community to advance the industry. Visit https://sbe.sonoma.edu/wbi25 to see how you can celebrate with us.

The Wine Business Institute serves as an intellectual and industry center for faculty, students, and the business community. Founded in 1996 as a partnership between the wine industry and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, the WBI provides cutting-edge research that informs industry best practices and program curriculum. The WBI offers online and in-person wine-focused degrees and industry certifications. For more information about our degree and certificate programs or our wine business research, please contact us at winebiz@sonoma.edu, or visit https://sbe.sonoma.edu/winebiz.

About RaboAgrifinance

As a leading financial services provider for agricultural producers and agribusinesses in the United States, Rabo AgriFinance adds value using industry expertise, client-focused solutions, and by creating long-term business relationships. Rabo AgriFinance offers a comprehensive portfolio of services that gives producers the right products to prepare for, and take advantage of, market opportunities. This comprehensive suite of services includes loans, insurance, input finance and effective risk management products. Rabo AgriFinance is a subsidiary of Rabobank, a premier bank to the global agriculture industry and one of the world’s largest and strongest banks. Rabobank is an equal opportunity provider.