Pacific Northwest Wine Symposium 2026 IN PERSON

Alec Taylor, ATTM Technologies

Alec Taylor has 32 years of experience in information technology, cybersecurity and leadership. Alec spent 7 years at T-Mobile, managing systems engineering & information security, and 16 years as co-owner of IVOXY Consulting, focusing on building scalable, secure & high-performance platforms & systems for banks, hospitals, and state organizations. Alec now focuses his efforts in assisting businesses minimize digital risk, ensuring compliance with government information security laws, and improving their experience with technology.

Jessica Kiser, Gonzaga University

Jessica Kiser, J.D., is a Professor of Commercial Law, Director of the G.U. Wine Institute, and Co-Director, Center for Law, Ethics, and Commerce at Gonzaga University.

Professor Kiser is passionate about Intellectual Property, Property, and Business Law. In addition to teaching various courses in those areas, she is Co-Director of the Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce and Director of the Gonzaga University’s Wine Institute. Her research involves intellectual property law, especially as it relates to emerging technologies, trademark law, brand-building, and strategic business development.

Her professional experience includes time spent practicing law as a member of the Transactional Intellectual Property group in Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s New York City office. This work focused on transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including licensing, settlement, development, manufacturing, and distribution agreements, as well as product acquisitions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and restructuring matters where intellectual property and technology were of significant importance. Before joining the Gonzaga faculty, Professor Kiser taught at Loyola New Orleans College of Law.

Rachel Smith, Northwest Wine Accounting

Rachel Smith, CPA is the founder of Northwest Wine Accounting. Her team serves as the outsourced accounting department for wineries, providing bookkeeping, wine inventory costing, financial reporting, and controller-level support. She is passionate about helping wineries build modern, streamlined accounting systems that improve efficiency and decision-making.

Rachel’s connection to the Washington wine industry began in 2006 when she moved to Chelan to start an organic vegetable farm and subsequently helped found and operate a small family winery. That experience sparked a passion for the intersection of agriculture, entrepreneurship, and finance, ultimately leading her to earn her CPA license.

In 2017, Rachel founded Books on Point, which rebranded as Northwest Wine Accounting in 2023 to focus exclusively on serving wineries. Today, her team serves as the outsourced accounting department for wineries throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the US.

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys reading, mountain adventures, and spending time with her two daughters.

Rachelle Strawther, Gonzaga University

A dynamic keynote speaker, facilitator, and leadership consultant, Rachelle helps people and organizations grow into their full potential. As Founding Director of Gonzaga University’s Center for Lifelong Learning, she built the university’s hub for professional development and continuing education.

Her worldview is shaped by nearly a decade of work in Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Italy —leading community programs and a sports-for-development organization serving 3,000 youth. She co-founded Gonzaga’s Women Lead initiative and the Kalaki Fund scholarship program, andhas represented over 800 staff as President of Gonzaga’s Staff Assembly

Sarah Goedhart, Hedges Family Estate Winery

Sarah Hedges Goedhart is the Director of Winemaking and Winery Operations at Hedges Family Estate. Sarah was born in Buenos Aires and spent her early years traveling the globe with her family. In 1986 her parents settled in Seattle to start Hedges Cellars. A vineyard was planted in 1990 in Eastern Washington, Red Mountain area. In the summer Sarah along with her brother Christophe, worked in the vineyard and in later years at the new winery built on that same location.

Sarah’s love for the industry would soon turn into a career choice. Sarah attended the University of San Diego and graduated with a degree in business and philosophy. The summer after graduation she moved to Provence and work for Chateau D’Esclans winery. She later attended UC Santa Barbara to study chemistry and at the same time worked for Santa Barbara winery managing the tasting room and helping with harvest. From 2003 to 2005 she worked for Preston Vineyards in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, doing wine production work on the biodynamic and organic property.

In 2005, she decided to move back home and start working for the family winery. She joined Hedges full-time in 2006 as Assistant Winemaker and two years later had completed her certificate degree in enology from Washington State University and started the label Goedhart Family with her husband. After her uncle and mentor retired in 2015, Sarah became head winemaker and director of winery operations.