Our Team

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Katie (pronounced “Kah-tee”) has devoted her entire career to the wine and spirits industry, and today brings over 30 years of public relations expertise to Calhoun & Company Communications. Prior to founding her own agency in 2003, Katie worked with public relations veteran Edwin J. Schwartz for 15 years, managing wine, spirits and restaurant clients for his agency.

Through her work with a wide variety of wine and spirits companies, Katie has developed a broad perspective on the industry and built strong relationships in the press. She travels frequently to meet with media throughout the country and track emerging trends so that she and her staff can generate individualized and meaningful story ideas.

A college year abroad spent in Paris and in Burgundy introduced Katie to the world of fine wine with its ancient traditions and rich history. Upon her return to the United States, she published her college thesis on Women & Champagne in 19th Century France.

Katie’s palate and tasting skills have earned her a place among top wine and spirits professionals as a national competition judge. She has judged at the Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, San Francisco International Wine Competition, Monterey County Wine Competition, and San Francisco World Spirits Competition; she also served as a regular taster at Wine & Spirits Magazine for over a decade.

With a deep love for kids and education, Katie was a volunteer for 15 years in San Francisco schools, served six years on The Thacher School Alumni Council and served nine years on the Board of Directors at Edgewood Center for Children & Families, supporting thousands of Bay Area at-risk youth with severe mental health challenges, aiming to achieve their full potential.

Katie’s wine industry affiliations include membership with Women for WineSense, Family Winemakers of California, Society of Wine Educators, Association of African American Vintners and Women of the Vine & Spirits. She also serves as a Level Two mentor for Bâtonnage and is on the UC Davis Library Wine Writers Collection Advisory Board. In 2023 Katie was invited to join the Executive Leadership Board of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology.

Katie lives in San Francisco with her husband and has two grown children. She rejoices in electronic-free backpacking trips, enjoys a long horseback ride on a dusty trail, loves to host dinner parties and is fond of travel in pursuit of a great cocktail.

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Michelle has contributed her unique perspective to Calhoun & Company since 2012, bringing with her years of direct wine sales experience, extensive travels to Italy’s major wine regions, and a passion for wine education.

While representing a start-up importer’s wines with a premium distributor, Michelle spear-headed sales efforts and worked with some of the Bay Area’s finest restaurants to develop and expand their wine programs. She also represented several Northern California wineries, successfully placing their wines in key accounts.

Fueled by her passion for wine education, Michelle enjoys conducting wine tasting seminars, where she shares her extensive knowledge of Italy’s diverse grape varietals and growing regions. She believes in ‘bringing terroir to the table,’ and focuses on wines of place and character to help tasters understand what can make a wine special. She has extensive experience in orchestrating large-scale industry events and tastings.

Her credentials include an Advanced Certificate with Distinction from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and the Italian Wine Ambassador certification, from VinItaly International Academy, widely recognized as the gold standard of Italian wine education. Michelle has also pursued professional wine studies at the Culinary Institute of America and holds the Italian Wine Specialist credential from the North American Sommeliers Association.

Michelle enjoyed a previous career in international development with the World Bank and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. She received a B.A. from Bowdoin College and a Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

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Felicia Sousa is a strategic marketing and operations leader with over a decade of experience elevating wine brands through compelling storytelling, efficient systems, and consumer-first experiences. Originally from the East Coast, Felicia grew up in Rhode Island before heading west immediately after graduating high school. Her background in Public Relations and Marketing Communications from California State University, Sacramento laid the foundation for a career defined by brand clarity, operational precision, and creative storytelling.

Felicia has built a reputation for driving strategic growth across direct-to-consumer channels, elevating brand identity, and streamlining operations with a deep understanding of the wine industry’s unique challenges and nuances. She has led the execution of high-impact digital marketing initiatives, developed integrated social media strategies, and created influencer campaigns that bring authenticity and reach to brand narratives.

Most recently, Felicia served as Director of Corporate Relations for a small family-owned winery, where she led end-to-end winery operations and brand strategy. Her leadership spanned project management, inventory and compliance oversight, tasting room management, staffing, digital marketing, and e-commerce. From coordinating bottling logistics to building strategic partnerships with the Sacramento Kings, CBS, and Sac Republic, Felicia played a central role in aligning every touchpoint with the winery’s long-term vision. She also executed seasonal events, elevated guest experience, and drove digital engagement through targeted campaigns and content development.

Previously, she supported marketing and e-commerce at both boutique and high-volume producers, consistently driving growth across DTC channels and strengthening brand presence in competitive markets. Her expertise in content creation, digital strategy, and consumer engagement continues to deliver measurable results.

Whether she’s designing a marketing strategy, managing inventory workflows, or hosting a private tasting experience, Felicia brings a 360-degree approach to modern wine business—one that blends creative storytelling, technical know-how, and guest-first hospitality. Her ability to align vision with execution makes her a sought-after partner for wine brands ready to scale without compromising authenticity.

When Felicia isn’t working, she’s writing about what she loves—wine, fashion, and the ways they both reflect who we are. She’s usually deep into a Substack draft, thrifting to find the perfect vintage blazer, or planning her next restaurant reservation.

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Nina supports the Calhoun & Company team as an Account Coordinator and our resident “Clip Master.” With a speciality in databases and systems paired with a love of wine, she adds both strategic and administrative assistance to the Calhoun & Company team.

Nina, a San Jose, California native, graduated from Chico State with a degree in Social Science and a minor in Spanish. She comes to us with over seven years of administrative experience supporting executives at all levels in large and small organizations. Her special talent: developing processes with efficiency and ease in mind.

While finishing her final years of college, she lived abroad in Costa Rica where she met her husband. Nina is new to the wine industry, but she personally enjoys a delicious glass of Chardonnay at the end of a long work day. When she is not working, you can find her kickboxing, salsa dancing, channeling her creativity into a beautiful watercolor piece or spending quality time with her daughter.

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While working on her BBA and MFA, Ashley gained wine knowledge and experience working in restaurants and wine shops throughout San Francisco. She earned her WSET Level III and worked six years for a wine importer as a sales and marketing coordinator. Recently, Ashley had the exciting opportunity to work the 2024 Harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. When she is not in the office, Ashley spends her time with family and taking leisurely walks with her poodle pup, Marley.

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Robert Rinauro is our on-site bookkeeper at Calhoun & Company. He is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of 26th Street Bookkeepers in San Francisco. 26th Street Bookkeepers’ mission is to provide bespoke bookkeeping solutions that satisfy the unique requirements of each and every client. Robert finds solutions that fit individual needs, interests, and temperaments, solutions to make life easier, simpler and stress free. C&C loves the peace of mind Robert brings to our C&C team managing Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable