Welcome to Episode 1141 in which Steve Raye interviews Michael Votto, in this installment of Get US Market Ready With Italian Wine People, on the Italian Wine Podcast. About today’s guest: Mike is an attorney and entrepreneur from New Haven County, Connecticut. He grew up in a large Italian-American family that was a big part of the motivation to launch of Votto Vines in 2009. He co-founded the business with four family members as a family passion project after visiting a winery in Tuscany that did not export to the US. Votto Vines has grown rapidly since its founding, having been featured in Forbes, Wine Enthusiast, Inc. Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. The diverse professional backgrounds of the founders has been instrumental in the development of its unique business model. Prior to transitioning to a full-time role at Votto Vines, Mike spent more than ten years practicing commercial real estate and corporate law at two American Lawyer Top 100 law firms, Goodwin Procter in Boston and Schulte Roth & Zabel in New York City, and later served as Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of an asset management firm with greater than $25B in assets under management. Mike earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in European History at Union College where he was a member of the varsity basketball team. Mike also studied abroad in Florence, Italy during his undergraduate studies. He earned a law degree magna cum laude from Syracuse University, which he attended on a full scholarship as a graduate assistant for the Syracuse football program. Subsequent to law school graduation, Mike completed Wine Studies II coursework at the Boston University Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center. Mike is currently enrolled at Columbia Business School in its Venture Capital and Private Equity Program. Mike has previously been featured in Forbes and named one of the top middle market CEOs in America by Axial. In 2019, Mike was a semi-finalist for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and children. To learn more visit: Company Website: www.vottovines.com Personal Website: www.michaelvotto.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/vottovines Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-votto-26218a12/ More about the host Steve Raye: Steve Raye of Bevology Inc originally joined our weekly lineup with narrations from his book “How to get US Market Ready” - but everyone just loved him so much, we brought him back with this series of interviews that informs and inspires! Each week he speaks to industry professionals; guests who have gained valuable experience in the Italian wine sector and have insightful tips and stories that can help anyone who wants to learn about getting US Market Ready! To learn more visit: Website: www.bevologyinc.com/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodcast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!