What is your name?
Jen Ziskin
What is your occupation?
Restaurant Owner / Wine Director
What is your business name?
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La Morra
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Heritage and Punch Bowl Brookline
How long have you been a Boston Business Women’s Member?
Less than 1 year
What is your Instagram handle?
What is your LinkedIn URL?
linkedin.com/in/jen-ziskin-5751231
Were you born and raised in Boston? If not, what brought you here?
I was born and raised in Plymouth, MA.
Tell us more about your job or company and what led you to your career?
I started in the restaurant business at age 15 to make money during high school and college. I worked in every aspect of front-of-house operations. After college, I quickly moved into management positions, eventually becoming a general manager and later an Events and Marketing Manager.
My passion for wine began during a trip to Italy, where I worked for a prestigious winery, Marchesi di Barolo. Returning to the U.S., I balanced teaching middle school history with working in restaurants. After supporting my husband in opening La Morra, I fully embraced the restaurant industry. Over the years, we expanded to Heritage of Sherborn and Punch Bowl.
I earned the Advanced level of WSET in 2018 and became a Certified Sommelier in 2020. I love teaching wine through private classes and tastings, curating Italian-focused wine lists inspired by historical female innkeepers and barmaids.
What would your clients say about you and your company?
“You and your team are amazing. Thank you for preparing delicious food day in and day out. We are so lucky to have you in our town.”
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“My Papa told my mom, who passed it on to me: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. I’ve expanded this into a personal mantra — it’s a small world, and you should never burn a bridge.”
What is your favorite book?
I enjoy beach reads: Jennifer Weiner and Elin Hilderbrand are favorites.
What is your secret weapon?
My computer — email organized in folders for quick access and correspondence tracking.
What is your most recent WIN? How are you slaying it in your career or business?
Becoming a Co-Host/leader of Let’s Talk Womxn, a network of women-owned food and beverage businesses. This platform has given me an incredible community, high-impact events, and media exposure including The Today Show and Dining Playbook.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Mentor and hold staff accountable. By teaching them life and work lessons, they’ll be better prepared for college, careers, and life beyond.
How do you enjoy your free time?
I spend time with my husband, three boys, extended family, and friends — traveling, enjoying meals together, and savoring amazing wine.
What is something that not many people know about you?
I discovered at age 20 that my sister and I were IVF babies, and our estranged “father” was not our biological dad. Recently, I connected with additional donor siblings, forming a positive, extended family that now includes four new nieces and nephews.