Belinda Chang says that what makes her different is that she thinks small, like really small, about every single detail for an event. That includes being intentional about having women design each element, from the name cards to the tequila she’s pouring. She wants every part of the experience to be unique to you - a rare occurrence these days. She shares with Jeanne how a house full of friends and strangers most nights of the week led her to hospitality; why she took a non-paying job in a kitchen; how she pivoted when the world shut down during COVID; why you should NEVER buy the bar package; and why the best thing you can do is learn Excel.
 
Belinda Chang is a sommelier, an experiential storyteller, and lifestyle expert. She is the only bipoc woman to win a James Beard award in a drinks category in 2011 and was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as the “global virtual wine experience guru” in 2019. Over the course of her lauded decades-long career in food, wine and restaurants, Belinda has made a name for herself as a sought-after sommelier, host and on-camera personality. Prior to entering the life of a small business owner, Belinda managed the legendary 26,000-bottle cellar at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, the wine lists at Laurent Gras’ The Fifth Floor in San Francisco, and Danny Meyer’s The Modern in New York City. Belinda returned to Chicago in 2015 to serve as Managing Partner and Wine Director of the splashy steakhouse Maple and Ash before setting off to create her bootstrap, start-up experience production company: Belinda Chang.

Chang has created and produced some of the wine and food world’s buzziest IRL and virtual events — the who’s who annual James Beard Awards Pre-Prom, her splashy annual Pool Party during the Food and Wine Aspen Classic, and Virtual Boozy Brunch to support furloughed service people and small business owners during the pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, Chang’s virtual production company, studio 8h productions, created, hosted and produced over 300 virtual experiences for Fortune 500 clients and delivered bespoke experience boxes to their guests in 12 countries. In addition to creating and hosting live experiences, Belinda is a regular fixture in global media outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, Food and Wine, The Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune among many others.


FB: Belinda Chang
Insta: @Belinda_Chang
TikTok: sommelierbelinda 
YouTube: @BelindaChangLife
LinkedIn: Belinda Chang