Erik Olson

With a passion for wine and adventure, I went out into the world with stints in two of the world's most exciting wine countries, Chile and Italy. I graduated with BA degrees in Business and International Studies from the University of Oregon, and spent the summer of 2003 traveling Europe with all of my possessions on my back (in the blistering heat!). I traveled 6 weeks on $1500, ate things I wasn't proud of, and did things I never thought I would do.

I ended the trip by landing in Paderno del Grappa, but little did I know that was just the beginning.

I traveled quite a bit that semester, met 87 of the coolest people I went to school with, most of whom I still correspond with on a daily basis. I loved it so much that I came back to Asolo to attend the MBA program a year later, completing my MBA in 2005.

Since then I married Giulia Canali, yes, the "Giulia of CIMBA", and became Director of Business Development for a healthcare company in the US. I then started my own Italian wine import company, sold it, and am now working for a small startup in Seattle that focuses on Open Source technology consulting. That has led me into design and web development, adding a nice weapon into my arsenal of skills.

My ultimate dream is to end up back in the Veneto one day, owning a vineyard, sipping Prosecco, and enjoying la vita bella!