Sommsation's CEO is always thinking about where the world is going, not where it's been.

And then there is the equally alluring, though perhaps slightly more nuanced, Morocco Danielle Diliberti discovered through Said Ahnana, the private tour guide who navigated her through five cities in 11 days, an 1,100-mile journey.

"Said grew up in the Sahara Desert, had no formal education, learned English by watching VHS tapes, and worked his way up, from being a camel herder to a tour guide," marvels Diliberti, CEO of Sommsation, a digital wine-tasting platform. "Experiencing Morocco through his eyes…he taught me so much about the country and people. Things you don't read in a book. Things I'll never forget."

Whether she’s wandering Cuba or roaming Colombia, Diliberti typically prefers to research and plan each itinerary, favoring under-the-radar cities to buzzy sightseeing hubs. She rarely consults travel agencies or seeks out local tour guides.


Morocco was the exception.

She lucked out in hiring Ahnana, who Diliberti considers a "great friend" – they still talk and text through WhatsApp – and a "brilliant human" who "depending on the city and what we wanted to do, would introduce us to other people to make sure we got the best experience possible, as opposed to trying to do it all himself."


This "snowball effect" is the guiding principle that motivates Diliberti to live, and lead, with an open mind and a clear sense of purpose.


"You just constantly want to find people that you can trust and continue to learn from, like Said," she reflects. "Because it just becomes so much more elevated than what it would be if you tried to do it on your own."


Sommsation is a wine-experience technology platform that connects independent wineries, sommeliers, and customers through wine tastings to help people discover lesser-known wines, as well as the histories and stories behind them.


The company currently has partnerships with 21 sommeliers and 35 independent wineries while actively continuing to add new partners to the roster.


Diliberti was named CEO of Sommsation in March 2022. Before taking the helm, she served as COO and CFO. Sommsation was founded in April 2021. Diliberti has been on the frontlines from Day One.

She has a formidable resumé: CTO of The St. James, a Washington, DC-area sports, wellness, and entertainment complex; a Senior Director at Eldridge, a diversified holding company; former Vice President at global investment and advisory firm, Guggenheim Partners; stints at accounting powerhouses, KPMG and Deloitte.


"Probably the biggest thing as a CEO is really driving the thought leadership and being able to pivot very, very fast," says Diliberti of her current role at Sommsation. "A lot of times that's me raising my hand and saying I'm wrong or, if the team is receiving new information, I need to change what I said. I ask 'why?' and 'how?' a lot because the 'why's?' are really what matter. The 'what' is the 'why'."


As CEO, Diliberti heads a team of 30 and is known as being decisive, perceptive, and engaged; a strategic thinker, and an exceptional communicator. Someone who makes a point of meeting individually with each of Sommsation's 21 sommeliers to discuss their ideas and professional goals. A tireless collaborator.


For Diliberti, giving her team what they need to succeed goes hand in hand with creating a safe space for people to test, learn and adapt. "I've always felt really empowered to share my views and opinions," she explains. "I want the team to feel empowered, as well."


Her commitment to investing in people has not gone unnoticed within the tech industry. In May, Diliberti spoke at the first-ever ContentCon, a ContentStack event held in Austin, Texas. Her message – lead with technology but put your people first – clearly resonated with experts, influencers, and industry disruptors at the conference alike.


"Danielle Diliberti…reminds us that…while technology is a great tool to help organizations execute creative campaigns and projects, innovation is driven by your people," ContentCon organizers noted in a blog post spotlighting six key takeaways from the event.


"It's really thinking about where the world is going, not where it's been," she says. "No day is ever going to be like the last. Nor should it be."


Shying away from change has never been her thing. Diliberti is both a planner and a risk-taker who seizes opportunities that push her to constantly learn and evolve. She suspects that's why she's drawn to building and leading technology companies – Sommsation in particular.