Jummy Olabanji co-anchors News4 Today, the #1 morning news in Washington, D.C.
A native of Fairfax County, Olabanji has spent most of her life in Virginia, graduating from Westfield High School in Chantilly and Virginia Tech. She earned a Master's degree in Communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.
Olabanji started her journalism career as an intern for NBC4. She has also worked for stations in Charlottesville, Norfolk, and New York City.
She has been honored for her work with two national Edward R. Murrow Awards for breaking news anchor coverage, two Virginia Associated Press Awards and eight EMMY Awards.
Olabanji is an advocate for organ donation and sits on the Board of Directors of the National Kidney Foundation. She is also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, The Links, Incorporated, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

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Dr Michelle Grant is the founder and sommelier of Era Wine Bar. Prior to Era, Dr. Grant spent years as a subject matter expert and business development leader in both non-profit and private sector consulting firms. Her former life included many of the travels that were the inspiration for Era. Dr. Grant lives in Mount Rainier, MD with her husband Ka-ton, their two children, Leila and Lionel, and bulldog, Biko.
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https://www.erawinebar.com/

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In 2010, I decided it was time to follow my dreams and turn my passion and purpose into a business. I left my corporate job, moved back home to Charlotte, N.C., and enrolled in a culinary arts program. From there, Heart and Soul Personal Chef Service was born.
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Danielle Fiala didnt always want to be a chef. But after completing her engineering degree in Philadelphia, she found herself missing the tastes of her native Jamaica and began seeking comfort in the kitchen. Thus began the journey that led her to culinary school in San Francisco and a new careerand lifeas a chef. In the twelve years since then, she has worked at numerous acclaimed restaurants in the Bay Area; there was even a stint as a butcher along the way. Her travels landed her in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, where her cooking career took a decidedly wine-centric turn.

She is currently freelancing as a private chef, with regular clients including The Napa Valley Reserve, Silver Oak Cellars, and Breathless Wines in Healdsburg. Growing up in a developing country, she was acutely attuned to the issue of food waste. So a commitment to sustainability is always at the forefront of her work.

Danielle currently serves as the San Francisco Chapter Secretary of Les Dames dEscoffier, a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries.
https://www.instagram.com/dsfiala/

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A proud Oakland native, Aminah Chef Mimi Robinson-Briscoe is the founder of the Black Food & Wine Experience. She is passionate about bringing Black culture and food together for the most amazing culinary experiences. For more than a decade, she has focused on the often-overlooked intersection of food, social justice, and entertainment.

Through Chef Mimi LLC, Chef Mimi has brought to life three distinct brands: The Black Food & Wine Experience, an interactive annual event that bridges food, beverage, education, health, and Black culture, "Bringing It to The Table," the first culinary competition show highlighting the talent and passion of Black chefs, and Chef Mimi Catering, a boutique catering company that services Bay Area tech companies such as Facebook, Slack, Twilio and Lyft as well as non-profits and cultural events like the Coalition of Black Excellence and ESSENCE Festival.

A graduate of the California Culinary Arts Academy in San Francisco, Chef Mimi is an active board member of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce and Diablo Valley Colleges culinary and wine program. Most recently, she was recognized as 2022 Wine Enthusiast Top 40 tastemakers and the list of 2021 Forbes Next 1000, which highlights entrepreneurial heroes who are redefining what it means to build and run a business today.

https://www.thechefmimi.com/bfwe
https://www.instagram.com/iamchefmimi/

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Born and raised in Crete, Greece, and moved to the US to continue with her studies in Marketing. She holds a degree in Political Science and a Masters in Political Analysis from the University of Crete. She is a WSET Diploma Candidate, and a wine documentary filmmaker. Chrisa combines her experience as a journalist and a former Political Strategy Advisor to create her films. Her latest film, In the Wine Dark Sea, screened at festivals around the globe, won multiple awards and is now available to watch on Amazon Video. Chrisa is keen on exploring human relationships with our environment and uses filmmaking to share those stories. She is particularly interested in how filmmaking can be used as a creative medium to explore the extraordinary and complex world of wine, and how it can help people care and learn more about whats in their glass.

https://www.instagram.com/winecellarstories/
https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Dark-Sea-Joel-Dinolt/dp/B0B6PM15W7/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=in+the+wine+dark+sea&qid=1674222388&s=instant-video&sprefix=In+the+wine+%2Cinstant-video%2C80&sr=1-1

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Owner, Chosen Family Wines
NBA CHAMPION. HUSBAND. FATHER.
FOODIE. WINE CONNOISSEUR.
EVERYONES FAVORITE.
This is a passion project. I get excited talking about this every day. In my office at home, I have my championship ring, and then right next to it is my first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottles. The three things that for me, outside of my family, Im the most proud of.
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Sadie Drury
Sadie Drury is a Walla Walla native who decided to combine her love for agriculture with her interest for wine by attending the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College and pursuing a career in viticulture. Sadie worked on Red Mountain for 5 years before joining the North Slope Management team in early 2013. She currently manages6vineyardsin the Walla Walla Valley AVA including the famed Seven Hills Vineyard. Sadie is passionate about sustainable agriculture and has worked closely with LIVE as a past Technical Chair and is now on the Governance Council for Sustainable WA. Sadie is the current Chair for the Washington State Wine Commission. She is the 2019Powers Sabbatical Recipient, the 2020 Washington Winegrowers Erick Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year, and a 2021 Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker.
https://www.instagram.com/vitnerd/?hl=en

Marty Clubb, LEcole N41
Marty Clubb is Managing Winemaker and co-owner with his wife Megan of LEcole N41.This third generation, family-owned winery is located in the old Frenchtown Schoolhouse depicted on their label. Founded in 1983, LEcole was the third winery in the Walla Walla Valley. LEcole has been named a Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine sixteen times. LEcole is a partner in the highly acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard as well as the nearby1,500 acre vineyard developmentSeVeinhome to LEcoles exclusive estate vineyard named Ferguson. The first vintage of wine from this vineyard, 2011 Estate Ferguson, was named best Bordeaux blend in the world over 15 at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London in 2014.The 2013Estate Ferguson was named Best New World Bordeaux Blend at Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia in 2016.Martys ongoing dedication and commitment to the Washington State wine industry is evident in his many leadership roles. He has served more than thirty years on the Boards of various wine industry associations, including the Washington Wine Commission. He is currently a Director of the Washington Wine Institute and Wine America. Marty was instrumental in the founding of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, serving as its first President. Marty worked with other industry pioneers in the development of the Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology and Viticulture and continues to serve as an emeritus member of its wine advisory board.
https://www.lecole.com/our-story/family/

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Mari Womack, Damsel Cellars
Mari Womack began her love affair with wine while working in Seattle restaurants. She caught the wine bug early when food and wine pairings captured her heart and her imagination. In 2010, she began working in nearby Woodinville tasting rooms, including Obelisco Estate and volunteering at Baer Winery during harvest. Becoming a part of the Woodinville wine community fostered her enthusiasm for winemaking and encouraged her to dream big.
Through these efforts, Mari was able to meet several winemakers in Woodinville and became the assistant winemaker at Darby Winery in 2011. Now working on vintage number six, her wines continue to impress and shes amassing a loyal following.
It is with pride and passion that Mari introduces her wines to you. The romance, ritual and history of wine continues to motivate and inspire her.
https://www.damselcellars.com/

Dick Boushey,
Dick Boushey, a cherry and apple grower first planted Boushey Vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in 1980three years before the Yakima Valley was recognized as an American Viticultural Area. Boushey Vineyard was located in a cooler region of the Yakima Valley and the grapes grown here soon earned distinction for the unique terroir they exhibit that was different from grapes grown in the warmer Red Mountain to the east and Wahluke Slope to the north. At the request of Rhone Ranger winemaker Doug McCrea of McCrea Cellars, Boushey began planting Rhone varietals and was one of the earliest Washington vineyards to grow Syrah.

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JJ Williams, Kiona Vineyards
JJ Williams is General Manager at Kiona Vineyards & Winery on Red Mountain. Williams is the third generation at Kiona, where his grandparents John and Ann Williams planted the first grapevines on the mountain in 1975. Williams grew up on Red Mountain and started working in the family business at age 14. He says he spent his childhood stacking and unstacking ladders, balancing shovels on my outstretched palm, and wondering why we couldnt have cable television like normal kids. Today Kiona is one of the largest growers on Red Mountain, farming more than 270 acres and working with 60 plus top Pacific Northwest wineries. https://kionawine.com/

Shae Frichette, Frichette Winery
Shae Frichette is Co-owner and Assistant Winemaker at FrichetteWinery, a limited production winery and tasting room in the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State, USA. Shae completed Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2, and Introductory Course and Exam to Court of Master Sommeliers.Sheisthe2015ATHENA Young Professional Award recipient,2015 Entrepreneurial Award recipient, 2015 Young Professional Award recipient, Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of FameRising Star in ducted and graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities Class XX. Shae introduced Sashay Wines in 2017, a label for Frichette focusing on approachable red sand off dry ross. The Sashay wines included Ros of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Shae is currently Past Chair of the Board of the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Board of Directors for the Red Mountain AVA Alliance,Visit Tri-Citiesand Advisory Board for UW Foster School of Business. She isa mentor with eMERGE, aSTEM based leadership program for girls. She is an active volunteer with the American Heart Association hosting an annual fundraising and awareness event and also founded the Benton City Giving Garden Project where more than a dozen wineries grow food and provide financial donations to the local food bank. As a community advocate, Shae volunteers by sharing wine and wine education forever a dozennon-profits in the Tri-Cities area each year. Prior to starting Frichette Winery, Shae lead the Organizational DevelopmentFunctionforStanley Black & Decker-HHI where she designed Leadership Development Programs for associates in four countries. Today, Shae is the head winemaker for Sashay and assistant winemaker for the Frichette Wines. Shes active in speaking at conferences and events on topics such as networking, providing stellar service and teambuilding. https://www.frichettewinery.com/

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