Athena Yannitsas

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Raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Athena holds an M.A. in Heritage Management from the University of Kent (UK) and a B.A. in Economics from Boston University. Her professional background includes work in wine and hospitality, museums and educational institutions, across both private-sector and nonprofit settings. Athena’s prior experience includes leadership roles with the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco; COPIA/The American Center for Wine, Food & Arts in Napa, California; Wines from Spain and the Biltmore Hotel & Resort in Florida; and cultural and educational institutions including the Mystic Museum of Art, The Society of the Four Arts, SDPBC, and Palm Beach State College. She served on the boards of both the Hispanic Education Coalition and the Small Business Advisory Committee in Palm Beach County, Florida. Athena is also a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and a former wine professor at Florida International University. She is also the author of "Vino, Vida y Alegría," (2014), a wine education book for Spanish-speaking audiences. Fluent in English, Spanish, Greek, and French, Athena works across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America through her role at HERITAGE. She collaborates with diaspora and local organizations to advance cultural priorities, strengthen partnerships, mobilize support, and facilitate capacity-building workshops. Her work is grounded in a strong commitment to the shared legacy that connects people across borders — honoring memory, identity, and resilience across generations.