Chef Melanie was born and raised in Johannesburg South Africa until moving to the US. As a young girl Melanie began cooking, creating menus and going shopping. She spent time dreaming of delicious dishes and preparing them to delight her family. This turned into a passion for creating good food and she worked in various restaurants and cafes, and then became an organic school lunch chef serving over 5 different schools in San Francisco. During the pandemic she opened Inner Temple Foods, originally a meal delivery service utilizing seconds produce and bi-product from local farmers and producers to bring healthy meals to the community in a time of need. Currently, she serves the entire Bay Area with small events catering, private cheffing, and cooking classes. Her passions lie in serving the community and utilizing local products to strengthen the relationship between producer and clients.

Best-selling author, award-winning photographer, and creative director whose work spans 55 countries and 47 states. A Sonoma County native, she’s proud to call Healdsburg home.

Mentored by top sommeliers over many years in restaurant service and management in Los Angeles, Jennifer joined Paul Hobbs in 2002, for a full immersion role helping design and build Wholesale, Exports, Imports, DTC, and Hospitality programs and leading teams, acting as chief brand ambassador in the market, creating all content for Paul Hobbs and an ever-growing domestic and import portfolio, while also contributing to package and website design. She has played similar roles at Kosta Browne, Lasseter Family Winery, and other brands as a consultant. She has her own micro-brand, Wow and Flutter Winery, is a published performing songwriter, and served for seven years on the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation board fundraising for the parks and their life-changing programs.

Claire Elaine has spent a lifetime in every aspect of the food & beverage industry. With this experience, she has handcrafted her ideal job as Baker/Owner at Wooden Petal, her one of a kind Pretzel Shop in Santa Rosa, California. Claire is also one of Les Dames Sonoma first Micro-Grant Award Winners.
www.woodenpetal.com

Carlisle Degischer is the co-owner of Dragonfly Floral, a sustainable and organic flower farm located in Healdsburg, California, where she and her family grow a diverse range of seasonal plants and flowers. In addition to running the business, Carlisle has transformed a barn on the property into a community space for classes and events, combining her passion for art and local engagement. With a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture and community service, she also provides floral services for events, local deliveries and more. As a mother, she balances the demands of family life with her dedication to nurturing the farm, fostering creativity and supporting her local community.

www.dragonflyfloral.com

Alexis Clark is the founder of FIlament Creative Co., a design studio that specializes in food & beverage and hospitality design. With over twenty years of experience, she partners with clients to craft brands and marketing materials that truly connect with their audiences. Alexis thrives on collaboration, bringing creativity and strategy together to elevate brands and deliver meaningful design solutions. She’s passionate about bringing brands to life through compelling and strategic visual storytelling.

Visit www.filamentcreativeco.com 

Karen has been a leader in the travel industry for over 25 years and was on the board of Bay Area Travel Association for 6 years.  In 2017 she relocated her travel business to Napa to focus on global, culinary travel.  Having been a Director of Sales and Marketing at Carlson Wagonlit Travel for 8 years developed her knowledge and skills to build a thriving travel business.  She truly believes in close collaboration with chefs, wineries, restaurants, hotels and local producers to make all of her culinary adventures special and unique. After visiting 63 countries and counting, she understands what travelers need and want in varied destinations around the globe.  She holds a degree in English Literature from St. Mary's College of California and has written many articles for travel industry publication.  She belongs to the prestigious Virtuoso Network of the most accomplished travel designers in the world and holds a special designation as a Virtuoso Culinary Expert.  She has been a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier San Francisco chapter since 2019 and the Sonoma chapter since 2024 and is proud to be part of this philanthropic organization of women leaders in the field of food, fine beverage and hospitality.  

She is a driving force in wine marketing and business development.

With an impressive 20-year career, Barbara is a versatile and results-oriented marketing and business development expert in the international wine industry. Her extenstive experience and adaptability have led her to roles from entry-level to senior executive, consistently driving revenue growth and elevating brand recognition for the wineries she serves. Barbara's keen analytical skills, innovative thinking, and engaging storytelling abilities ensure her strategies are both effective and captivating.

Holding a degree from Syracuse University, Barbara has cultivated her expertise across marketing, production, distribution, and hospitality sectors, enabling her to create powerful and successful campaigns. As an entrepreneur, she leads Apri La Creative Consulting, a full-service agency specializing in omnichannel marketing strategies that boost brand awareness, drive growth, and foster strong team synergies.

In addition to her consultancy work, Barbara co-owns a boutique production company and an import business with her husband, focusing on bringing artisan Italian wines to the US market. Her multifaceted experience and leadership make her a driving force in wine marketing and business development.

Kimberly Belle is a partner and coach at Salt & Roe, a boutique coaching firm supporting hospitality professionals and their teams in developing careers and concepts that meaningfully contribute to our communities. She works with owners and operators to guide them as they create new food and beverage ventures, grow existing restaurant operations, and lead lives of purpose. Kimberly previously worked as Co-owner and Executive Chef at her NYC-based catering company, The Dinner Belle, before moving on to become a hospitality executive charged with developing the F&B programs at both Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel. She lives in the Sonoma Valley with her family, where she stands (and eats!) in awe of the Early Girl tomatoes her garden grows.

Lisa was raised on an apple farm in Sonoma County which helped blossom her passion for food and wine. When Lisa was 19 years old, she moved to Germany to work in hospitality and there she finally understood the community relationship between food and wine and farm to table. Lisa returned to Sonoma County and pursued a degree in biology and chemistry and was seduced by the wine industry.

Lisa has been a wine industry professional for 27 years at Benziger Winery. Lisa is the winemaker for biodynamic, organic and sustainable certified programs at Benziger. Lisa loves to bake and cook, supporting local farms, restaurants and neighboring wineries. Lisa believes in community involvement.

“Community work is essential to help promote respect, tolerance and growth as a living entity. This means showing up to serve and be part of a movement that knows it takes a village - the team together can achieve more than the individual.”

Dawn is the owner operator of The Mad Batter Cakery Company in Santa Rosa, California. Mad Batter is a bakery dedicated to the craft of gluten free baked goods and they have been serving up their award winning baked goods for 10 years. Mad Batter is a wholesale and retail bakery serving restaurants like Wild Goat Bistro and Penngrove Market. Dawn makes baked goods for coffee shops like Avid Coffee and is hoping to get her products in Oliver’s Markets.

Dawn prides herself on serving up the best products using the freshest ingredients. Dawn works with the Lattice School and has had two highly functioning autistic kids working for the bakery. She also has partnered with the Department of Rehabilitation to hire young adults to work in the bakery. Dawn loves working with kids and spreading the joy of baking.