Sasha DeJaynes

Our Mission - To transform the way government delivers benefits by replacing complexity with clarity, delays with speed, and frustration with dignity. Every day, millions of Americans navigate confusing, time-consuming processes to access benefits they're entitled to. Many give up. Others wait months for decisions. State agencies struggle under the weight of outdated systems and overwhelming caseloads. We believe it doesn't have to be this way. By leveraging verified third-party data and intelligent automation, we're building a future where applying for benefits is as simple as renewing car insurance—where eligible families get help quickly, and agencies can focus on serving people. AmeriTrust Solutions addresses these challenges by bringing benefit program administration into the digital age—not just digitizing forms, but fundamentally rethinking how eligibility is determined and verified.

In my role as Chief Operations Officer at APO Financial I have helped usher the company through many key growth transitions. I facilitate the build out of procedural systems, foster a positive and productive culture for employees, and work to bring structure to a fast-paced growth strategy. The teamwork of the people I manage is critical to the success of our company. Every day is a welcome opportunity for me to learn from our team and grow as an effective and engaging leader. Some of the primary activities that occupy my work day include: - Developing company strategy to improve communication and efficiency - Organizing team meetings and setting agendas to help my team be productive and successful - Connecting with business partners and prospects to find value in outside collaboration - Learning about new systems and technologies to aid company growth - Building gameplans to implement company processes and explore new and better ways of accomplishing our goals - Facilitating cross-team collaboration and strengthening channels of communications - Encouraging my team's independence and critical thinking to help them grow as professionals and individuals

Food, wine, travel – I love it all. Mostly I am passionate about connection and communication. The world of wine is so much more than a beverage, it is an amalgamation of history, culture, nature and community. In the glass is something that creates a direct connection between human beings through the experience of enjoyment and understanding. Vinolust is a forum to create community fueled by educational entertainment focused on wine, travel & culture. Through tasting experiences, classes & travel I foster opportunities for each of us to continue to learn, grow and appreciate each other and the world around us. You can still find me on occasion teaching consumer wine classes, leading educational wine tasting experiences, and excitedly oversharing geeky details about wine at cocktail parties and events.

Neptune School of Wine is the premiere Orange County wine school owned an operated by Mater Sommelier Peter Neptune - under whose tutelage my knowledge of and love for wine blossomed. In addition to teaching wine classes for him, I manage his website and class rosters so he can continue to do the brilliant work he does engaging with and teaching lovers of wine. - I teach the WSET Level 2 program and Spanish Wine Scholar on occassion - I manage the website and class rosters for Neptune School of Wine classes and workshops - I correspond with students to manage inquiries and scheduling of exams - I manage payment plans for programs as necessary - I coordinate curriculum scheduling and marketing of classes

As Website Manager: - I maintained and updated all web content, pictures and blog posts for the Chicago Athletic Clubs website on both Wordpress and Hubspot platforms - I used knowledge of basic HTML to make minor adjustments and corrections as needed - I worked in Google Analytics to track website traffic, conversions, and strategized for continued improvement of SEO and web presence - I worked with typical digital marketing tools such as Adwords, Meta, ppc and retargeting campaigns to enhance our online marketing strategy - I worked and communicated with outside developers to create, build and maintain an effective and engaging website - I curated the monthly all-club newsletter for members to stay updated on current happening around the club - I sourced information and posted weekly to the company blog As Collections Developer: - I oversaw and managed collections for all past due member accounts on a monthly basis - I developed and maintained an effective and efficient communication strategy for retrieving funds from past due accounts - I communicated with members directly regarding their balance via phone and email, coordinated and processed payment plans for large balances - I was in charge of correspondence with and transition of past due accounts to a third party collection agency, and continued to manage accounts within the collection company interface - I responded to all chargeback notifications received with documentation and written support in defense of the charges posted

My time managing LCA Wine not only gave me a deeper appreciation for the world of wine but also introduced me to many amazing wine lovers and wine professionals. Some of the greatest connections I made were with our fantastic wine club members, who created a true community within our wine shop that I will always hold dear to my heart. - Curated a collection of global, value driven boutique wines through weekly tastings with distributors - Managed an inventory of over 350 SKU - Managed website, wrote and uploaded tasting notes and images for online inventory - Managed a monthly wine club of over 170 households - Organized and market weekly tastings for the tasting bar - Assisted and provided educated recommendations to customers on the floor and at the tasting bar - Managed semi-weekly or more marketing emails to promote sales of wine, tastings, classes and events - Worked with distributors to organize and oversee consumer and trade events at the shop - Developed and taught consumer classes on a variety of wine topics, including: Aromas of Wine, Intro to Wine and Wine Tasting, regional or country specific classes, wine storage and food and wine pairing - Executed corporate training for restaurants and other businesses on wine storage, wine service and wine list development

In my time as a professional actor in Chicago, I taught classes and workshops for the Acting Studio Chicago, with a focus on Viewpoints and Composition based on Tina Landau's revolutionary approach to physical creativity and exploration. I developed and executed a 6-week Viewpoints class syllabus for adults.

I was the assistant instructor to Jon Berry in teaching Viewpoints for the School at Steppenwolf summer program in 2010 and 2012. Viewpoints is a movement-based pedagogical and artistic practice that provides a framework for creating and analyzing performance by exploring spatial relationships, shape, time, emotion, movement mechanics, and the materiality of the actor's body. Rooted in postmodern theatre and dance composition, the Viewpoints operate as a medium for thinking about and acting upon movement, gesture, and the creative use of space. It was originally developed by Mary Overly and expanded upon by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau. I lead classes and Viewpoints exercises with 28 adult students enrolled in the program at Steppenwolf, and assisted in developing a final viewpoints presentation for the class, open to the public.

While studying at Northwestern University, my focus was on theater performance, studio art and dance. I also loved taking classes in religious history, anthropology, and languages. I received a Bachelor of Speech from the School of Communication, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in Theater, and secondary studies in Art History and Art Theory and Practice

A WSET Diploma, also known as the "WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine & Spirits," is the highest level of certification offered by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), considered a prestigious qualification for individuals seeking in-depth knowledge about wine production, business practices, and different wine styles around the world; it consists of six individual units that must be completed, typically requiring several years of study to achieve and is often seen as a key credential for senior positions within the wine industry. As of January 2025, there are over 13,000 people who have completed the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma in Wines.