Alicia is driven by a passion for crafting exceptional experiences through thoughtful, immersive wine education.

Her experience educating consumers and members of the trade as well as her background in fundraising, events and coalition building for non-profits makes her uniquely qualified to address business and non-profit audiences.

Alicia fell in love with wine during a transformative trip to Burgundy—a moment that sparked a lifelong passion and resulted in a pivot in her career. She began her formal training at the global headquarters of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London, and upon returning to the United States, worked as a sommelier at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago and in wine retail while earning her WSET Diploma in 2020. As of 2025, just 13,800 individuals hold this certification globally.

Alicia went on to be the head of wine education for the largest wine and spirits retailer in the Midwest, where she spent six years building one of the nation’s top retail wine education programs, training nearly 2,000 employees. She has also served as a WSET Instructor for the American Wine School and continues to teach on behalf of the U.S. Champagne Bureau.

Her work in wine education has taken her across the globe, collaborating with world-renowned winemakers and members of the trade to bring engaging, immersive programming to the Chicago market. She now lives in downtown Chicago with her husband and two children.