HOST
As a Sagittarius from a large Italian family, stage-presence is in Tesauro’s DNA. Ever since he drew requests for an encore as the Scarecrow in a 6th-grade production of The Wizard of Oz, he’s relished the spotlight.
“It’s a spiritual jolt. Tesauro speaks with florid, Oscar Wildean zeal about using leisure and luxury to uplift people’s lives.”
ON the STAGE…
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival | 2015-2019
Designed, produced, and headlined events at the South’s largest food festival, featuring James Beard Foundation Award–winning chefs paired thematically with wine, cocktails & storytelling.
CMT (Country Music Television) Songbird Supper Club | 2019
Served as Master of Ceremonies for the inaugural kick-off of CMT’s Music Awards week in Nashville. Event combined Grammy-nominated musical artists with renowned culinary talents.
FORKS & SPOONS
Chef Kristen Kish, Austin, TX
Chef Sarah Gavigan, Nashville, TN
Chef Roxana Jullapat, Hollywood, CA
Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Washington, DC
RIFFS & TUNES
Maggie Rose
Them Vibes
Hannah Ellis
Twinnie
THE ELBYS | 2012-2017
Master of Ceremonies for Richmond magazine’s annual Restaurant Awards. Duties included judging the nominees, writing the show, and performing as headline host for entertaining red-carpet events.
Tesauro hosted the Richmond region's annual dining awards for six years, blending over-the-top costuming and spectacle with a year-in-review monologue in spoken word verse.
Listen to last year's Elbys intro, titled "For the 5th Annual Elbys, a reading from the Howl-y Scripture."
virginia artisan conference | 2015
Delivered the keynote – ‘Finding the Uncommon in the Commonwealth’ – for statewide annual affair, spotlighting the 'culture' within agriculture and the 'hip' inside artisanship.
virginia wine summit | 2012
Now the 5th largest wine-producing state, Virginia advanced its reputation, in part, with annual VA Wine Summits that spread the message. With co-host Master of Wine Jay Youmans, Tesauro helped develop and deliver the region’s story and value proposition.
wine media awards | 2011
Wine journalism entered a new age in the early 2010s as ready wifi access enabled a grassroots movement of blogs and online newsletters. Tesauro wrote, produced, and hosted the Awards show for what later became the Wine Media Conference.
james river writers conference | 2009
Now in its twenty-third year, Tesauro chaired the largest literary conference in Central Virginia. He hosted workshops, panels, and symposia featuring bestselling authors and top talents in publishing. He also introduced poetry and spoken word to the Conference which have now become standards.
On the screen…
BLUE COLLAR, BLACK TIE | 2013
Pilot for unscripted reality show that transforms blue collar guys into modern gentleman with Tesauro’s guidance on manners, savvy, and vice.
TRENDS WITH BENEFITS | 2011-2012
Tesauro served as resident Guest Expert for an unscripted reality show that aired on TBS (Turner Broadcasting Station) with a focus on social trends, modern manners, and other topics covered in The Modern Gentleman book series.
NOT AFRAID TO ASK | 2006
Tesauro co-hosted, with biochemist Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle, an unscripted lifstyle show: Not Afraid to Ask. Ebbel is a graduate of M.I.T. and Miss Massachussets 2004. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine. Together, they shot two episodes which aired on TLC (The Learning Channel) in November 2006.