Ari is a Chicago-based hospitality professional with a career built around his passions for food and wine. He has worked with leading US wine importers including Europvin USA, Pasternak Wine Imports, and Robert Kacher Selections, and currently contributes to the operations of Top Chef alum Joe Flamm’s restaurant group.

A native of Bergen County, NJ, raised in Miami, Ari attended George Washington University, where he developed an interest in politics and foreign affairs through legislative work in the office of former Florida Senator Connie Mack III. He remains an engaged voice on issues of democracy, pluralism, and support for the Jewish community and Israel.