THE PORTO PROTOCOL

MARTA MENDONCA

Marta's professional journey spans nearly two decades, predominantly within Marketing & Sales. Throughout her career, she collaborated with a diverse array of brands, countries, industries, and corporations, ranging from telecommunications to wine & spirits sectors. In 2016, Marta transitioned her expertise into establishing her own brand and consultancy firm, through which she took sustainability and climate advocacy to schools, events and companies, promoting awareness and encouraging change. Since December 2019, she has been running The Porto Protocol Foundation, spearheading its endeavors as the largest global wine community committed to knowledge sharing and collaborative solutions for climate action. Marta's academic background includes a degree in International Relations, a Post-Graduation in Marketing, and a Master's degree in Corporate Social Responsibility.

CRISTINA CRAVA

Cristina is an Environmental Engineer, a Safety and Health at Work Advanced Technician and holds a Post-Graduation in Management. She has built most of her career in an academic setting, at Católica University, in Porto, first as a teacher and as the scientific coordinator for the Environmental Quality Specialized Course and later on, as Advanced Training Manager. Cristina always worked in environmental consultancy across various industries, alongside her educational path, and still finds the time to manage, along with her family, their Vinho Verde project.

PANELISTS WINE & SUSTAINABILITY

Exploring vineyards across the globe, to better understand the great changes and challenges affecting the wine universe

SOPHIE BELLIN

As the founder of Drunk on Décor, a small women-owned business in Porto, and as someone navigating life with a chronic illness, Sophie focuses on upcycling "waste" from the wine (and spirits) industry into home decor - think candles from bottles and unique wine disco bars made out of barrels. Drunk on Decor was born from her passion for wine and sustainability, and it has been her mission to create a platform that celebrates the intersection of these two worlds. As a small business owner, she has faced numerous challenges, especially given that her chronic illness means she doesn't have the same amount of energy as most entrepreneurs. She is firmly committed to helping the wine industry grow sustainably, and the most important way she can do this is by networking with people who eat, sleep and breathe wine daily.

Kelly Pearson 

Kelly Pearson is a winemaker and owner of Lady Garden Wines. Kelly will give insight into what support Australia's federal and state governments provide the wine industry in this arena. In addition, she will share her peers' opinions on what is happening in Australia regarding climate change, producers' commitment to sustainability, and government support. One comment of Kelly we want to share with you as this is what Kelly is about: "I know that in this instance the focus is on sustainability with regards to vineyard, winery and production (packaging goods and transportation etc). However, I feel that sustainability in the wine industry warrants a discussion on social factors such as inclusivity and gender equality. This is the key interest of myself and my colleague, Shirley Fraser, who is on the board of Australian Women in Wine. Shirley and I are travelling to Porto to champion women in wine worldwide!"

STEPHANIE CUADRA

California native Stephanie Cuadra is a writer, linguist, and wine lover whose personal and professional pursuits have drawn her to diverse corners of the globe, spanning the Americas, Europe, the South Caucasus, and Asia. As a freelance journalist in the United States, Stephanie contributed to various publications, including the Los Angeles Times. But a move to Italy resulted in her fortuitous introduction to wine. From 2010 to 2016, she embraced the opportunity of a lifetime as head of worldwide communications and business development at Querciabella in Chianti Classico. Terrestoria and La Sorte Cuadra result from the invaluable experience and insight gained in that role behind the scenes of fine wine marketing and global export management. Stephanie is the mother of five, dividing her time between Milan, Salt Lake City and the family farm in Martina Franca (Puglia).

Mariana Serra

Since December 2021, Mariana has been the Communication and Marketing Manager of FSC Portugal, a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the responsible management of the world's forests in an environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. Mariana's background in the cork sector provided her knowledge about the different wine closures, specifically about cork stoppers. FSC's vision is to meet the rights and needs of the current generation without compromising those of future generations. With 30 years of experience in responsible forest management, FSC brings together members of the social, economic and environmental chambers. Through the certification process, FSC makes it possible for businesses and consumers to make informed choices about the forest products they buy, contributing to a positive change.