Lauren A. King

Experience

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  Caketastic Pastries

  Jan 2010 - Jun 2012

  Chef-Owner

  • Co-founded Caketastic Pastries, a non-profit baking/pastry business, and donated the proceeds to build a well in Cambodia• Produced original cakes, cupcakes, and pastries for various events while in high school, working over 20hrs/week• Controlled company bank account, marketing, pricing, menus, and website development

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  Calafia Cafe

  Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  Baking and Pastry Intern

  • Collaborated with head pastry chef and chef-owner, Charlie Ayers and prepared bread, pastries, and desserts in a high-paced kitchen environment

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  Garden Court Hotel

  Jun 2012 - Aug 2013

  Front Desk Agent

  • Carried out daily front office and rooms tasks such as updating guest profiles, reservations (phone, online, in-person), check-ins/outs, daily office duties, room service, research, housekeeping, and valet• Created amenities for returning guests and wrote welcome letters for all guests to personalize our service and impact loyalty

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  Taverna Banfi at Cornell University

  Feb 2014 - May 2016

  Server and Wine Bar Attendant - Leadership Development Program

  Student server and wine bar attendant with the Hospitality Leadership Development program (application based leadership program) at Cornell University's fine dining restaurant, Taverna Banfi. Responsible for training new and current student servers on proper serving skills and tasks. Managed and prepared all wine, cocktail, beer and coffee orders for the servers. Educated staff on wines-by-the-glass menu and other basic wine knowledge information, including descriptors and food pairings, to assist with their selling of wines. Show less

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  The Breakers Palm Beach

  Jun 2014 - Aug 2014

  Food and Beverage Intern

  • Trained with and shadowed the executive chef and assistant food and beverage director of the resort• Acquired wine knowledge and serving etiquette while enrolled in rigorous employee wine course

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  W Hollywood Hotel & Residences

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2015

  Food and Beverage Winter Intern

  • Formatted and created Excel requisition and purchase order forms to organize mini bar purchases• Arranged and set up premier party event for new Fox television show• Updated contact lists, schedules, and closed checks for the Beverage and Food managers

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  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

  May 2015 - Jul 2015

  Intern, Corporate Food and Beverage Department, North America Division

  • Selected packaging, aided with the menu development, and ran forecast analyses for purchasing orders for a new national restaurant concept to be opened in American Sheraton and Westin hotels• Restructured and improved the internal webpages, PowerPoints, training documents, and multiple data lists/analyses • Collaborated with the Corporate Chef and facilitated the new menu tastings for the head F&B directors

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  Spoon University

  May 2015 - Jan 2016

  Food and Beverage Writer

  • Research, draft, and publish food and beverage articles on relevant trends for young adult readers• Create educational wine and spirit articles for millennials

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  Sherry-Lehmann Wines & Spirits, Inc

  Nov 2016 - Apr 2018

  Manager, Sherry-Lehmann West

  Second hire for first expansion of fine wine retailer, Sherry-Lehmann, in Los Angeles. Responsible for assisting with opening up the new Los Angeles Headquarters. Occupied many roles including purchasing, sales, marketing, event planning and execution, office management and customer service.

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  Pernod Ricard Winemakers

  Aug 2018 - Jun 2021

  Wine Brand Ambassador

  • Train and educate our customers internal team, distributors, trade & consumers on our wines, Champagnes and general Wine101 to create empowered ambassadors of our brands• Lead, develop and execute best-in-class events, training programs, seminars, and activations (200+) including social media programs, in-person and virtual, to increase brand and wine awareness and engagement on a local and national scale• Liaise between our global and local brand marketing teams to deliver on key marketing programs in the trade and assist with development of brand plans keeping a consumer-centric mind• Support sales at key accounts, working alongside our distributor sales reps and Pernod Ricard commercial teams both locally and nationally• Experience in viticulture, winemaking and tasting rooms throughout Australia, New Zealand, Spain and California during four month intensive training program Show less

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  Dallas Wine Education Center

  Aug 2020 - Jul 2021

  WSET Educator

  Educator for Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 1 certification through Dallas Wine Education Center.

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  Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

  Jul 2021 - now

  Sr. Manager Wine/Trade Education