School of Languages and Cultures to host talk by Purdue alumnus

The School of Languages and Cultures will host Michael H. Kennedy, Purdue alumnus and owner and founder of Component Wine Co. in San Francisco, to speak on April 20.

The talk, titled “A Business Success Story Born of a Liberal Arts Degree,” will take place at 11:30 a.m. in Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239. It is free and open to the public.

Kennedy graduated from Purdue in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in French. After graduation, he started working for a small, family-owned winery. He soon took on the role of sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton hotel company, where he managed the wine programs for eight different restaurants. In 2016, Kennedy decided to start his own winery, the Component Wine Co.   

In 2017, Kennedy was selected by Forbes magazine for its annual “30 Under 30” list of outstanding entrepreneurs and innovators under the age of 30. He also received the 2017 Purdue Emerging Voice Award given by the College of Liberal Arts.

Writer: Olivia Crouse, ocrouse@purdue.edu