Meet The Board
Vanessa Cominsky is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native who moved to Washington, DC in 2017, taking the Sommelier position at DBGB Kitchen and Bar, working with a primarily French and American wine list. From there, she moved on to St. Anselm in 2018, where she managed the beverage program, focusing on vintage Madeira and wines from all over the world.
She was able to stay busy during the pandemic, making 12,000 individual meals a day with World Central Kitchen at Nationals Park, while the restaurant industry in DC was shuttered. As the pandemic wound down, Vanessa worked as a Sommelier and Beverage Director at Michael Rafidi's Michelin starred Levantine restaurant, Albi.
In 2021, she moved on to distribution and is now working with Prestige-Ledroit as a Wine and Spirits Specialist based in DC. In her free time, Vanessa loves to read, cook at home, and enjoy the diverse food and beverage scene in DC.
Vanessa Cominsky
President and CEO
Email Me! vanessa@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @vminsky
Email Me! molly@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @chipmunkdays
Molly is a writer and editor who has lived in the DMV for ten years. Her background working for national nonprofits like the ASPCA and National Geographic Society, extensive experience in event planning, and love for the wine industry led her to the position of Director of Fundraising for VV. She was also one of women behind Young Winos of DC, a social organization that planned meetups and covered industry events in the city.
Today, she works with a diverse array of clients through her business, Demeter Consulting, a professional writing and editing services company that specializes in high quality proposal development. She is passionate about environmental stewardship, social justice, education, and women’s empowerment. She earned degrees in English and education from Ohio State University, and afterward spent a year abroad teaching in South Korea. Though she loves the DMV, she lives to travel, and is forever planning her next trip.
Molly Cox
Vice Board Chair and Partnerships & Fundraising Chair
Email Me! michelle@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @dcanterwines & @winepreneur
Michelle is the co-founder & CEO of DCANTER, an innovative, technology-driven wine retail company that focuses on organic and sustainable wines from small producers and provides personalized wine services, wine education, and wine travel experiences. She caught the wine bug while exploring the vineyards of Tuscany during a study-abroad photography class in college. After a 15-year stint in health care policy, she decided to leap into wine and entrepreneurship with her partner in life and business. Over 10 years later, she’s still excited about wine and wine business! Michelle is passionate about helping women advance in the wine industry through professional development and personal growth opportunities. She is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Michelle Warner
Mentorship Chair
Alyssa Wolf
Board Chair
Email Me! alyssa@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @workoutfor_wine
Alyssa founded Red Wolf Imports, a wine and spirits imports company based in Washington, D.C, in 2016 after ten years in the healthcare industry. She built her business from the ground up. Her portfolio comprises multiple South African and Portuguese producers in the D.C. area and beyond, including multiple women-owned brands and women-made wines.
Alyssa joined Vin Vitalité initially as a volunteer. She soon became a member of the Communications committee before eventually founding and leading the first Women in Wine Business Roundtable. She was elected as Vin Vitalité's board chair in October of 2024.
Alyssa’s passion for the beverage industry goes beyond sharing her amazing wine and spirit discoveries. She passionately supports small businesses around the world, helps wineries gain access to the US market, expands independent distributor portfolios, and provides boutique retailers with unique, sustainable wines to share with their customers.
Email Me! angie@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @angie.s.duran
Angie Duran
Treasurer
Angie Duran began her hospitality career fresh out of college within Italian cuisine with acclaimed Chef Roberto Donna. Quickly working her way up from host to front of the house management, ultimately launching and managing the critically-praised Roberto’s 4.
Soon after, she played an instrumental part in the opening of CityCenterDC’s Centrolina in 2015 as the General Manager of Chef Amy Brandwein’s Italian powerhouse. Four years later, she helped bring to life Centrolina’s sister restaurant, Piccolina da Centrolina, which in 2021 was one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America.
After six years with Centrolina, she left to serve as Director of Operations for Duo Group. In her current role, Angie oversees six locations under the group which includes multiple outlets of DC’s beloved East London-inspired gastropub, Duke’s Grocery, and their sister concepts.
Last, but most certainly not the least, Angie operates the West End wine bar, Bottles Wine Garden, and is a co-founder of Women of Wine DC.
Email Me! danya@vinvitalite.org
Follow: @danyasaur
Danya Degen is a DC-based hospitality operations professional and wine educator with knack for making wine from around the globe accessible to both new and seasoned drinkers.
Originally from New England and seasoned in New York City's vibrant culinary scene, Danya is an NYU alumna. Danya’s wine & hospitality background includes management on all sides of the industry–restaurants, retail, importing, and distribution. Her experience includes roles with NYC's NAYA, DC restaurant Beuchert's Saloon, and retailer DCanter, import distributor Siema Wines, and opening Little Pearl with famed chef Aaron Silverman where she grew into the role of General Manager and Wine Director. In 2019, her team earned a Michelin Star.
Mid-pandemic, Danya joined Hollis Wells Silverman’s Eastern Point Collective as the opening Director of Operations and Wine for La Collina, The Wells, and The Duck & The Peach, where she curated an entirely womxn-made/owned wine program. She joined Hollis for her fourth opening Méli Wine & Mezze as their General Manager & Beverage Director in 2023.
At Méli Wine & Mezze, Danya curates a dynamic wine program that celebrates the flavors of the Mediterranean. Her menu focuses guests on the familiar—taste—alongside the grape varieties to make the region more accessible to new drinkers. She’s known for her innovative approach, bridging the gap between retail and restaurants with weekly tastings, monthly guided wine dinners, and wine education centered around the Mediterranean region.