As a Social Entrepreneur, Deborah Brenner measures success on the positive impact a business makes on society. She has manifested her vision with Women of the Vine & Spirits, inspiring a challenge that calls forth the best in people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose, working with the power of intentionality and alignment with a higher purpose. 

After graduating from the University of Delaware with degrees in English and Journalism Deborah spent 20 years in the male-dominated television and film technology industry that required international travel to countries for whom wine is a part of everyday life. During a fortuitous trip to the Napa and Sonoma wine regions, Deborah discovered another male-dominated industry, where women were under-recognized. 

Compelled to tell their stories, and tapping into her love of research and journalism Deborah authored a bestselling collection of profiles, Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste and Enjoy Wine, which Wine Spectator named a Critical Read of 2007.

Through the process of championing these incredible women, Deborah was inspired to enter the wine business herself, releasing wine from a first-of-its-kind collective of seven artisan women winemakers from Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles, CA. For the following seven years, Deborah learned the business inside and out. Ultimately, she could not foster women in the wine industry the way she had hoped, which led her to dissolve the wine brand and return to the drawing board.

A year later, in March 2015, Deborah organized the Inaugural Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium. It was a sold-out success. The attendees eagerly supported the opportunity to connect through a global network and seek ways to accelerate their business and professional development. This forum allowed for collaboration across all industry sectors and inspired attendees to do business with like-minded women and men. It was clear to Deborah that to make a positive impact on the alcohol beverage industry, women needed a voice year-round. 

Membership to the organization opened September 2015. What started off as a one-off event and grass roots movement quickly expanded into a global organization with members engaged across 23 countries. Women of the Vine & Spirits has become a catalyst for creating a positive impact in the alcohol beverage industry by giving women worldwide a platform and a voice to thrive. 

Deborah resides in New York with her husband, Jack. Having been the spouse of a restaurateur who owned and operated an Italian restaurant for 24 years in Piermont, NY, Deborah is passionate about supporting hardworking hospitality professionals who are fundamental to the on-premise sector of the alcohol beverage industry.

In addition to Women of the Vine & Spirits, in 2021 Deborah launched another “sister company”called Badass Bartender™. This first-of-its-kind community for female bartenders aims to fill a void for female bartenders to unite, be empowered, support one another, explore career opportunities and network. For more information visit badassbartender.com 

Deborah has received a Rising Star Award from Women for WineSense (2008), a New York Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion of the Year (2009), a New York City National Association of Women Business Owners Signature Award (2010), the Lillian Vernon Award for Outstanding Community Service by the Women's Enterprise Development Center (2011), a NY Women in Communications Rising Star Award (2013),  the Rockland Business Women's Network Woman of the Year Award (2014), American Cancer Society Dr. Louis Berger Award (2017), Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award Person of the Year Nominee (2017), Las Vegas Inc. “Woman to Watch” (2018), and Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award “Social Visionary of the Year” Recipient (2018).

David Dearie serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd., a portfolio of acclaimed domestic and imported wine brands. He was appointed to this position in November 2020. 

David has a wealth of leadership and executive management experience, having held senior executive positions in several global beverage companies. During the past thirty years David has lived and worked in eight countries across four continents, leading profit growth, stakeholder engagement and employee satisfaction in all instances. Prior to his current position, David founded and lead East Wind Consulting, held several Non-Executive Directorships and is currently Chairman of Lark Distillery Company Ltd. David has held leadership roles at organizations including Treasury Wine Estates (former CEO) and Brown-Forman Wine Group (former President &COO), where he oversaw large-scale business restructuring for sustainable growth, organizational culture change, brand building for value and market share growth and the identification and seeding of new and emerging markets and channels.

Dan Heller is the Executive Vice President of Sales for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which is the third largest premium wine company in the U.S.   Its portfolio includes wineries located in Washington, Oregon and California, and Ste. Michelle also imports wines from prestige estates located in Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand and Chile.  
 
Mr. Heller began his career with Ste. Michelle in 1985.  During his tenure, Dan has held several sales leadership roles prior to being named to his current role in, September 2017.  Dan’s areas of expertise include managing business across all trade channels, building teams and organization structures and managing national distributor networks. 

A native of Indiana, Dan earned his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University.

Melody Zhang serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, providing human capital leadership to align talent and business strategies with the company’s vision and business objectives. She is responsible for all aspects of human resources, including talent management, total rewards, diversity and inclusion, organizational development, internal communication, and HR systems and infrastructure. 

Melody joined Ste. Michelle in November 2020. Melody brings a wealth of experience to Ste. Michelle having served in senior human resources positions across several global enterprises including Anheuser-Busch InBev, The Hershey Company, Carlisle Companies, and most recently at Milgard Windows & Doors as Vice President Human Resources. Melody holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of Labor Relations and Human Resources at Renmin University of China, as well a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of New Hampshire. Melody currently serves on the boards of Asia Pacific Cultural Center and Milgard Women’s Initiative. She is a bilingual business professional fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese.