Danni Lin (B.S., M.S.), CEO of GREAT WINE, Inc., would like to share her entrepreneurial journey. Under her leadership, GREAT WINE now has an online store, and understands that technology does not only make a product; it also creates an environment in which symbiotic parts of the wine world will thrive together to create higher product demand and supply.
Besides adopting groundbreaking technology in winemaking, GREAT WINE also collaborates with myVinotype – a smart wine recommendation platform for wine-related businesses and connoisseurs to learn more about clients’ wine preferences.
Launched in 2011, myVinotype first started as a website widget and a consumer survey. By 2016, the platform has launched an iOS app, and has become available in eight languages worldwide. All these features are supported by data analytics in order to be more client-oriented.
GREAT WINE is a huge success in the USA. In 2016, GREAT WINE opened its first tasting room in the Seattle Metro Area to offer wine tasting and vinotyping experiences to clients. It is ready to accept future challenges it may encounter during the expansion phase.
Our CEO Danni Lin is devoted to inspire more clients to engage in the global cultural exchanges of wine, with the opening of the first international satellite tasting room in China in September 2017.
Before becoming the CEO of GREAT WINE, Lin was a Data Scientist at Microsoft. Like many, Lin had experiences of going into a supermarket, and got lost in massive product lists and ads. She thought her likes and dislikes were related to how knowledgeable she was in wine – until she had a conversation with Tim Hanni.
Hanni is one of the first Americans to become Master of Wine, and introduced Lin to the scientific concept of “vinotype,” i.e. wine preferences and sensory abilities of people. Lin then transformed from a wine novice to a wine educator who encouraged consumers to speak their mind – what they really enjoy drinking and experiencing.
In 2016, GREAT WINE opened its first tasting room in the Seattle Metro Area to offer wine tasting and vinotyping experiences to clients. Lin did not let tasting and learning end in a brick-and-mortar store; she started a wine club for her clients so they can enjoy “vinotyped” selection of wines at home.
Craig McAllister, New Zealander spent his first 20 years in Christchurch, New Zealand and then lived in London for 6 years. He has travelled extensively throughout the world. He found himself drawn not just to the wine industry, but to the wine lifestyle due to his love of cooking, traveling and being outdoors. This led him to Lincoln University in New Zealand, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in viticulture and enology.
While traveling around the world, he found himself drawn to wine industry. Cooking, traveling and being outdoors led him to received his Bachelor of Science degree in viticulture and Enology (which means study wines) at Lincoln University in New Zealand.
Craig’s passion for winemaking has taken him all over the world, from New Zealand to Australia, Chile and Cyprus. He first joined the La Crema team in 2007 as the Harvest Enologist. After gaining additional experience abroad, he joined the La Crema team full-time in 2009. He has been a steward of La Crema’s Monterey program and worked extensively on the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. He also helped to further develop La Crema’s esteemed collection of single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. He was promoted to head winemaker in 2017.
For Craig, there is never a dull moment in winemaking. From the rush and intensity of harvest, to bottling the wines and taking them to market, he continually strives to improve quality.
Todd Mitchem is a leader, entrepreneur, son, father, and devoted husband who cares deeply about America and like you has grown tired of the destruction going on in Washington. It's Time for this to change and Todd Mitchem is the person to make it happen!
A LEGACY OF SERVICE AND STRENGTH
Born in the small, rural, mining town of Bluefield, West Virginia, Todd came from humble beginnings. He grew up observing the power of hard work from his WWII veteran and blue collar, coal mining grandfather, Roby, who taught him that you never give up on this country or yourself. Todd, also learn valuable lessons from his father, also a military veteran, who worked for nearly four decades at the same company starting as a meter-reader and retiring as a senior executive leader.
THE WILL TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Todd Mitchem learned his survival instincts from the powerful women in his life, like his mother, a two-time cancer survivor, who never quit in the face of certain death. After receiving a diagnosis of only six months to live, Todd's mother not only decided to fight cancer, she decided to win. She taught him the power of perseverance and taking risks to beat any obstacle. The health care system failed her during her second cancer by telling her to "give up," and then sending her massive bills that were not covered by insurance. But being a fighter, Todd's mom turned to cannabis and is still alive today. It is her drive "to never give up" which Todd has adopted into his own life and business ventures.
A LEADER IS MADE NOT BORN!
Todd Mitchem knows how to get things done in the face of incredible odds and knows how to turn talk into action that gets results.
For ten years, Todd worked as a leadership developer and business development expert. During that time, he built learning as well as management change initiatives for companies all over the world. As a senior leader for one of the world's top change management companies, Eagle's Flight, Mitchem helped to create powerful and efficient solutions for some of the toughest leadership and organizational challenges in many of the world's fortune 500 companies.
TAKING ON HUGE CHALLENGES
After his mother's incredible survival miracle from cancer, Todd became more interested in the fast-growing marijuana industry. So, in 2013 he joined the emerging cannabis industry to help build companies, educate leaders, and raise standards. Never one to back down from a challenge, Todd quickly developed huge success in spite of incredible odds. He helped develop the largest brand in the space, O.penVAPE with over 1,600% growth in 12 months. Todd built the world’s first global social network unique to the cannabis consumer called High There! which grew from zero users to over 300K in less than a year. After marijuana legalization, he also developed the world’s first marijuana job fair called, CannaSearch which saw over 3400 job hopefuls, who ended up filling over 1000 new jobs in Colorado alone. Todd Mitchem also leads the industry as the first person to speak to Attorneys General on the need for standards in marijuana tracking, youth prevention, production, and business leadership.
Currently, Mitchem and his wife, Diana run a successful government affairs and community outreach company, TMC Partners, which develops initiatives in the cannabis space for businesses, including the state's number one company, The Green Solution. For his expertize and ability to get things done, Todd was asked to speak to countless conventions, youth prevention summits, and government town hall debates. Todd Mitchem is seen as "The smart level-headed problem solver" by municipalities in which he drives fundamental changes. He has spent the last four years working to protect consumers and workers while building a robust job creating industry, which now employees over 25,000 people in Colorado alone.
PASSIONATE AND POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS
Todd is a loving husband to his wife Diana, who herself is an immigrant to this country. Diana Mitchem immigrated to the United States from war torn Lithuania at the age of twelve after not seeing her mother for seven years. She taught herself English by the age of fourteen, graduated high school early and went on to get two degrees from CU Boulder. Diana and Todd live in district two just up the hill from Golden, and work each day to make this world better than they found it. Diana and Todd work together, parent three amazing kids, and they never give up on each other or this country they love!
You can learn more about Todd Mitchem, his strategies for work and life, as well as his powerful philosophy for how to build collaborative environments in Washington from his book, YOU, DISRUPTED.
IT'S TIME FOR A NEW KIND OF LEADER, in his own words.
"I decided it was time to serve my country as my father and grandfather did before me, by entering the race for Congress. Like millions of Americans, I have felt the sting of rising taxes making it hard to thrive. Also like many people, I have felt first hand the blunt force hit of a broken health care system, which nearly destroyed my family financially. Like you, I am tired of the talk in Washington, the fighting, and the massive levels of government waste that pushes each citizen into deeper despair. From college students to our seniors and retirees, countless people have been left behind culturally and economically. It's time to stop the pointless talk and finally take action toward tangible solutions. We are all in this together, and it is together that we will show the world It's Time for action."
- Todd Mitchem
Jessica the founder of Kind Traveler, a new digital travel platform (arriving 2015) that rewards travelers for making donations to local and global charities with exclusive offers from today's greatest hotels and unique properties.
Our mission is to transform the incredible collective of everyday travelers into a financial force that betters the health and wellbeing of individuals, the environment, and animals.
Passionate about sustainability, wellness, travel, and social innovation, I'm also a contributing writer for Fast Company, Hospitality Design, One Green Planet, Green Lodging News, Spa Finder, Examiner, CBS Los Angeles, and the BLLA (Boutique Lodging & Lifestyle Association).
As a proud vegan and animal welfare advocate, I practice yoga and ballet when I'm not working on Kind Traveler initiatives!
Her career began as an earth science and math teacher with UCSD's Pruess School, a unique charter school for low income students who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college, educating 130 students each day. She then spent 10 years as an Associate Publisher and Advertising Director with popular print & digital fashion and lifestyle magazine start-ups including 944 Magazine and Foam Magazine in San Diego and Los Angeles. Her entrepreneurial journey began as the five-year Principal of LA-based brand consultancy, Publicly Loved, where her clients included luxury real estate moguls like CIM Group and Marriott Hotels.
With a heart for travel, sustainability, social impact, and animal welfare, she has contributed as a journalist to Fast Company, CBS Los Angeles, Hospitality Design, One Green Planet, Green Lodging News, CEO.com, Spa Finder, Examiner, Destination Luxury, Darling Magazine, and the BLLA (Boutique Lodging & Lifestyle Association).
As a speaker, she’s presented on the stages of TEDx and regular contributes as a panelist with various professional hospitality associations and events including the Travel & Adventure Show, Lodging Magazine’s Green Lodging Conference, the Enlightened Entrepreneur Summit, and the Boutique Lodging Association’s annual leadership summit.
As a child, Jessica always had a longing to help animals. Over the last six years you could find her searching for homes for LA’s homeless pet population on death row and educating the public on the importance of spaying and neutering as a volunteer with Best Friends Animal Society, Carson Cats, and Much Love Animal Rescue. As a passionate voice for animals, she's served as a reporter interviewing celebrities such as Bob Barker, Willie Nelson, Ian Somerhalder, and Russell Simmons to create awareness around the importance of avoiding circuses that involve animals, ending the illegal wildlife trade, and the need to end factory farming with Animal Defenders International, Humane Society of the U.S., WildAid, and Animal Hero Kids.
Peter is a New York-based wine journalist and best-selling author. His writing has appeared in Wine Spectator, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, New York Times, New York Sunand others. Books include bestselling Chief!: Classic Cases from the Files of the Chief of Detectives and When Courage Was Stronger than Fear. Magazine journalism highlights include the first major profile in the American press (New York Times) of Serge and Beate Klarsfeld and their search for justice for Nazi victims in France; and the real estate cloak-and-dagger story of the Manhattan assemblage of the Citicorp Center (New York Magazine). Peter started writing about Rudy Kurniawan in 2008 and has covered the story ever since. He has two adult children and lives with his wife, Susan, in New York City.
She also is the author of the best selling title, The Harried Housewife’s Cookbook: 125 Most Requested Recipes!, and is the creator of The Harried Housewife’s RECIPE BOX television segments, magazine articles, and online posts.
A veteran newspaper columnist and TV cook; she enjoys developing seasonal recipes and providing imaginative home-inspired DIY ideas for time-crunched, budget-conscious folks to ensure memorable occasions throughout the year.
The Harried Housewife's Cookbook is filled with the top 125 most-popular recipes from veteran newspaper columnist, food writer, and media personality, Cynthia O'Connor O'Hara, also known as The Harried Housewife. This is the one cookbook you can grab at the last minute to whip up something delicious with on-hand ingredients. Every recipe has been streamlined to cut preparation time without compromising flavor.
Filled with old-fashioned recipes modified to fit the busy person's lifestyle, it also includes easy and elegant dishes that are perfect for entertaining. Each recipe has the benefit of having been prepared many times over by countless readers and viewers. It's these readers and viewers who have given their ultimate seal of approval. Her work can be found in supermarkets, Web sites, and publications around the world.
The Harried Housewife lives with her family in upstate New York. Culinary instructor Board of Cooperative Educational Services, New Hartford, since 1996. Newspaper columnist Observer-Dispatch (Gannett News Service), Utica, New York, since 1997. Television personality numerous television stations, since 1997.
Howard Hian is an award winning journalist, affiliated with the North American Travel Journalists Association and the International Travel Writers Alliance. He was a long-time member of the San Diego Hotel Motel Association and served as an allied representative on their Board of Directors. In 2012 he was the San Diego hotel industry’s Allied Person of the Year. He served as a panel member of the City of San Diego’s Economic Development Division. Hian writes a monthly travel feature for The Military Press, a California semi-monthly journal with print circulation of 100,000 and 500,000 – 650,000 views/month at their website. His column also appears online at Travel Savvy West, Real Travel Adventures and Roadtrips for Couples. He believes his secret to writing a good story is having an in-house proofreader and editor (his wife).
Hian has been playing poker for six decades. Over the past few years he has played 13,000+ hands of Omaha High/Low and 14,000+ of Hold ‘Em in home games, computer simulations, online and in casinos. In February 2014, he launched an app, Poker Tutorial: Omaha 101 – Improve Your Game and/or Learn the Basics. The app was downloaded in over 40 countries around the world. Its updated version Poker Tutorial: Omaha 101 Plus An Insiders Guide To Reno is now available in the iTunes store. It was recently won Gold in the app category in the North American Travel Journalist Association’s 2015 competition.
Do and check his site on: http://www.travels-with-hian.com