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Team

Leadership with Perspective

Twenty years in the wine, spirits, and food industries has taught us that strategy matters — but relationships matter more. Our leadership team brings deep category expertise, operational discipline, and long-standing industry connections to every client engagement. Senior partners remain directly involved, ensuring clarity of vision and accountability in execution.

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Gino Colangelo
Founder & President

Gino founded Colangelo & Partners in 2006 with a clear focus: to build a communications firm dedicated exclusively to the wine, spirits, and food industries. With decades of experience spanning retail, distribution, and global brand strategy, he brings a rare combination of commercial insight and relationship capital to the agency. Gino’s leadership continues to shape the firm’s integrated approach, guiding clients ranging from global houses to entrepreneurial producers seeking meaningful growth in the U.S. market.

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Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon
Chief Operating Officer, Partner

Felipe oversees the agency’s operational strategy and international coordination, ensuring seamless alignment between global brand teams and U.S. market execution. With deep experience in brand management and cross-border strategy, he brings structure and commercial rigor to complex portfolios. His leadership supports disciplined growth, operational clarity, and long-term brand stewardship.

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Michael Colangelo
Chief Financial Officer, Partner

Michael leads financial strategy and organizational management for the firm, reinforcing the disciplined foundation that supports client success. His oversight ensures operational strength, transparency, and sustainable growth across the organization.

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Sara Gorelick
VP, Spirits & Food, Junior Partner

Sara leads communications programs across spirits and food portfolios, combining media strategy with trade insight and integrated campaign development. She works closely with brands to strengthen positioning, build awareness, and create programs that connect authentically with both industry and consumer audiences.

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Paul Yanon
VP, Wine, Junior Partner

Paul brings extensive experience in fine wine communications, working with both domestic and international producers. His expertise spans media relations, trade strategy, and thought leadership positioning, helping brands navigate competitive landscapes with clarity and confidence.

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Susan DeMatei
Creative Director/President of WineGlass Marketing

Susan brings more than 35 years of luxury direct marketing experience, including two decades focused exclusively on the wine industry. She founded WineGlass Marketing in 2012, building it into a nationally recognized digital marketing and web development agency serving wine and spirits brands. A Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist in Wine, Susan combines deep category knowledge with performance-driven strategy. With the integration of WineGlass Marketing into Colangelo & Partners, she leads the expansion of website, digital, and database marketing capabilities — ensuring brand storytelling is supported by measurable growth.

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Michelle Erland
Vice President, Junior Partner

Michelle is a strategic communications leader with more than 15 years of experience across the food, wine, hospitality, and emerging tech industries. She leads national integrated campaigns spanning earned media, crisis communications, executive visibility, and public policy, helping brands build relevance, shape perception, drive growth, and navigate reputational challenges. She holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University, a Professional Certificate from Cornell University, and was named a Beverage Information Group 40 Under 40 honoree in 2024.

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Alisha Zaveri
Senior Director of Digital

As Senior Director of Digital at Colangelo & Partners, Alisha leads digital marketing strategies that translate brand storytelling into measurable business results, overseeing e-commerce, DTC initiatives, and full-funnel program execution. She specializes in performance-driven ecosystems across paid media, CRM and email, influencer partnerships, and owned channels. Alisha holds a Double Masters in Global Media and Communication Management from The London School of Economics and the University of Southern California, and an undergraduate degree in Media, Culture & Communications from New York University.

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Luca Venturelli
Strategy and Execution Lead

Luca leads U.S. strategy and execution for institutional wine programs, working closely with consortia and regional bodies to build category relevance and drive market growth. He combines a deep understanding of the three-tier system with a pragmatic, data-led approach to identify opportunities and translate them into programs that support distribution, strengthen regional positioning, and deliver measurable, long-term impact.

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April Sack
Senior Director

As Senior Director at Colangelo & Partners, April Sack leads strategic oversight for a portfolio of prestigious wine and hospitality clients. She specializes in brand positioning and media strategy, drawing on her deep industry experience from both the import and agency sides to bridge the gap between traditional luxury and the evolving market. As co-founder of the San Francisco-based natural wine shop TOMORROWS WINE, April brings an authentic, holistic perspective to her work, delivering outstanding results for her clients.

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Megan DeAngelo
Account Group Director

Megan DeAngelo is an Account Group Director at Colangelo & Partners, where she leads communications programs for a portfolio of leading Italian wine clients. With extensive experience in both Italy and the U.S., Megan specializes in building brand visibility and strengthening positioning in the U.S. market through media relations, trade engagement, and strategic storytelling. Known for her client focus, attention to detail, and ability to manage teams and complex projects, she has become a trusted partner to some of Italy’s most prestigious wineries.

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