Katie earned her B.A. in Spanish and Global Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. She’s lived and worked in Chile, Spain, France, where she earned her M.Sc. degree in Wine Business, and the UK, working wine retail and writing for leading trade publication Harpers Wine and Spirit. After returning to her home state of California in 2014, Katie has focused her career on marketing and communications for the international luxury portfolios of Wilson Daniels, Paul Hobbs Wines, and now ODL, where she leads public relations and strategic planning for the company’s global clients. Katie has worked harvests in Chile, Burgundy, and Napa Valley, and holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits.
Michelle Gruben is a wine enthusiast and writer from Dallas, Texas. She writes about travel, tasting, and Texas wine on her blog, The Wine Fairy. Her introduction to TEXSOM was in 2025, as a Sommer Camp volunteer.
Michelle attended the University of Texas at Dallas as a National Merit Scholar, where she graduated in 2006 with highest honors. Afterward, she enrolled in culinary school at El Centro College. A passion for food and beverage led her to a decade-long career as a chef. She holds the WSET Level 3 Award Wines (with Distinction) and is a certified Texas Wine Ambassador.
Most recently, Michelle was selected as a Fellow of the 2026 Wine Writers’ Symposium in Napa Valley. Michelle’s curiosity and love for wine extends to every style and region. Her work can be found at www.the-wine-fairy.com and on Instagram (@winefairymichelle).
Davon D. E. Hatchett is a multi-passionate wine professional blazing a multi-disciplined career path within the industry.
A published freelance writer, her bylines have appeared in Sweet July magazine, Blavity, Ebony, and other regional/national publications. She also has a wine, food, and travel blog called “The Bubbleista.” Press includes being interviewed for Wine Enthusiast magazine, and live television appearances as a wine & entertaining expert for Emmy award-winning television show “A Manor of Speaking.”
Davon’s also CEO (Chief Effervescent Officer) of Bon Vie du Vin, a wine lifestyle company focused on normalizing diversity in the luxury wine space via hosted tasting events, digital content, and wine-oriented goods and services. A WSET III candidate and Champagne Master-level candidate, she’s had prior partnerships with luxury brand Codorniu Ars Collecta, Champagne Valentin LeFlaive, and the Italy Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.
As the Founding and Principal Attorney of Cultural Capital Law + Consulting, a holistic IP and brand development law firm & strategic consultancy focused on wine law, trademarks, business law, and tactical branding, Davon seeks to leverage her legal skills and knowledge to increase the number of successful BIPOC-owned wine brands and businesses. A recent accomplishment in pursuit of that goal includes serving as co-presenter for the session “Business Ethics + Identity” as part of the Lift Collective Entrepreneurship Program (LCEP) for female wine entrepreneurs.
Ultimately, Davon strives to be a thought leader, innovator, and catalyst for equity and inclusion within the business and culture of wine.
Brian Hay has been working and learning in the food service industry since the late 1980’s. As a young child in Ontario, Canada, he was a faithful viewer of “The Galloping Gourmet”, one of television’s earliest cooking shows. He moved on to more formal studies earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hotel and Food Administration from the University of Guelph, Ontario, and a Master of Science degree in Restaurant Management from Purdue University.
A strong believer in life-long learning, he holds a number of professional certifications, including:
Sommelier diploma from the International Sommelier Guild
Certified Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers
Certified Specialist in Wine and Certified Specialist in Spirits from the Society of Wine Educators
Certified Executive Chef along with a Certified Culinary Educator with the American Culinary Federation.
Brian has been the Program Director and Instructional Dean for 4 Culinary and Hospitality Programs around the country focusing on Culinary Fundamentals and Beverage Management for over 25 years. While doing this, in 2019, he started his own consulting business Art of the Pair.com, where he writes numerous articles related to Food and Beverage pairing along with Tea Reviews. He’s completing his first book on the art of food and beverage pairing.
Where does he get his energy from? He says his own inspiration comes from his family and a simple phrase from Anthony Bourdain: “Good food, good drink, good view, and good company. What else is there in life?”
Michael Wangbickler is President of Balzac. With nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Mike is a trusted advisor and strategic consultant to his clients. While others are frozen when faced with barriers, Mike is energized by it. He relishes analyzing problems for his clients, finding what is wrong, and providing them with innovative solutions. Mike’s strategic mind enables him to sort through the noise and find the best way forward. He embraces ambiguity and can identify paths to real progress.
Before following his heart to wine country, Mike followed his head to Silicon Valley where he spent 8 fast-paced years in technology communications, where he caught the bug for following the latest trends in marketing tech. Armed with a “live to eat” motto and an evident passion for craft food and beverages and the land, Mike entered Balzac’s life in 2004 and became the agency’s President in 2016.
As a studied disciple of Walt Disney, Mike thinks it’s fun to do the impossible. He believes leadership, imagination, and innovation require a certain level of fearlessness and he encourages his team to step off the worn pathways and break new ground. He leads a team who are driven forward by the stories that inspire people to share in a dream. It is with this philosophy that he’s guided successful marketing and communications campaigns for more than 70 global companies and trade associations from a dozen countries.
Shelly Wilfong is a wine educator and Texas wine podcaster. This Is Texas Wine podcast debuted in 2020 and broadcasts the most important voices in the Texas wine industry.
Shelly is a member of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Texas Wine Advisory Committee and was the 2022 recipient of the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association’s Wine Press Award for her writing and podcast on Texas wine. Shelly has been named one of the 25 women defining Southern wine by The Local Palate magazine. She is a member of the Dallas Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
Shelly judges wine competitions in Texas and New York. She has written about Texas wine for SommTV, Texas Wine Lover website, the State Fair of Texas, and more.
Shelly holds the Level 3 (Advanced) award from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and a Certified Specialist of Wine designation through the Society of Wine Educators. She is also an advanced Specialist of Texas Wine from Texas Wine School.
