The IESE & Wharton MBA Grad Wine Collab Of The Summer

When Sarah Mack started her MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona in 2021, launching a research-driven, anti-snob wine brand wasn’t part of the plan.

But IESE turned out to be the perfect place to explore the idea. Thanks to the school’s strong entrepreneurial support system and a tight-knit group of global classmates, Sarah graduated not just with a degree — but with a fully formed business concept.

“IESE intentionally builds teams within the MBA program so students work with and learn from people from different countries and cultures,” Sarah says. She spent her first year collaborating with a diverse group of eight classmates — and their team bond remains strong. “We still talk every week in our group chat,” she adds.

THE MACK SISTERS BUILT THEIR BUSINESS TOGETHER

After graduating in 2023, Sarah co-founded Vinat in 2024 with her sister Emily. The two still bounce ideas off Sarah’s former cohort and have received plenty of valuable feedback along the way.

This wasn’t their first venture. During the pandemic, the Mack sisters launched a successful luxury face mask company — an experience that proved they could build a business around something they genuinely loved. “As sisters, our superpower is that we know how to disagree with each other,” Sarah says. Their ability to challenge each other with trust and respect has become a core strength of their partnership.

Sarah credits her entrepreneurship professor, Thomas Kluttner, as a key influence. “He’s been an incredible resource for us,” she says, helping shape and refine Vinat’s direction. IESE’s Summer Entrepreneurship Program also offered strong support — even welcoming Emily, who isn’t an MBA alum, to co-build the concept alongside Sarah. “Emily got to know the professors well because she was on campus often working with me, and they allowed her to participate,” Sarah says.

Their undergraduate universities have also lent support. Sarah’s alma mater, Lehigh University, invited them to participate in its alumni Ventures Lab. Emily’s school, Miami University of Ohio, provided access to mentors and resources. “We’ve had the support of three powerhouse schools that are really rooting for us,” Sarah says.

LAUNCHING A FEMALE-FOUNDER COLLABORATION

Vinat offers thoughtfully sourced wines from Slovenia and Italy, sold online in most U.S. states and in select Texas restaurants. The brand is grounded in research — and designed to cut through the wine world’s elitism with a more accessible, authentic experience.

Most recently, Sarah and Emily partnered with Samaria O’Brien, a Wharton MBA and founder of San Francisco-based Vigie Limoncello. “We both launched our brands around the same time,” Sarah says. “We’ve gotten to know Samaria really well over the last year and a half.”

Together, they launched the Limoncello Spritz and Supper Kit, a boxed collaboration that ships to 43 states and combines Vigie’s refreshing cocktails with Vinat’s signature wines. “The logistics have been tricky,” Sarah admits, “but we worked together and launched this collaboration earlier this month.” Already, more than half of their inventory has sold.

The collaboration works so well, Sarah says, because both brands offer timeless, high-quality products. “Breaking into the alcohol industry as an independent brand is not for the faint of heart,” she says.

O’Brien agrees. She’s found the system stacked in favor of legacy players, with complex regulations and high barriers to entry. “There’s so much room for innovation,” O’Brien says. “Consumers are actively looking for something new — products that feel considered, elevated, and made with intention. That’s where small, founder-led brands like ours have a real advantage.”

Only 31% of sommeliers in the U.S. are women — making the growing presence of Sarah, Emily, and Samaria in the beverage industry all the more significant.

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Sarah offers this advice: “One mistake I see a lot of people make is thinking they need venture funds to launch a business. We actually bootstrapped this.”

When the idea first struck her, she assumed it wasn’t feasible — until a classmate offered a simple piece of advice: “Just write down everything you’d need for the business and run the numbers.” That exercise revealed a clear path forward.

“What stops a lot of people from starting a business is they put up all of these blocks,” Sarah says. “But you really have to question and challenge whether those blocks are real.”

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