Elishca Charles: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Elishca Charles of Kann. In this interview, Elishca discusses her journey through hospitality and what it means to her.

Elishca talks about her early aspirations of becoming a military doctor, studying public health in college. When Elishca realized that career might not bring her the most joy, she started working in restaurants and never left. Elishca started learning about wine with her coworkers and continued educating herself from there. After the pandemic, that restaurant could not keep her in the same capacity, so she switched to the hotel industry as a food and beverage manager where she got experience in event planning. Throughout this time, Elishca was growing her wine knowledge and wanted to work in a winery. Visiting Oregon awhile back, Elishca decided to make the move in 2023 and secured a job at Domaine Serene.

Elishca discusses her experiences within the Willamette Valley and her transition to Kann. Elishca had always loved Oregon Pinot Noir and grew a deeper appreciation for the Willamette Valley working for Domaine Serene. She hoped people left the winery feeling curious to try more wines and exposed to what is in our backyard. From there, Elishca was offered the opportunity to interview with Kann for a general manager position. Elishca had dined at Kann previously, and had dreamed of working there. Kann combined Elishca’s Haitian culture and the food she grew up eating with her love of wine.

Later in the interview, Elishca talks about what hospitality means to her. Elishca defines hospitality as an unwritten and unspoken language. She believes that hospitality is felt immediately when walking into a new place. She notes an experience she had with her grandmother in Haiti who did not share the same language. Elishca explains that her grandmother communicated through food and hospitality, something she takes with her throughout the industry.

This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Kann in Portland on August 18, 2026.