Marie Cheslik is a Wisconsin-born registered nurse and certified sommelier. In 2010, Marie moved to Chicago to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and during school, she also worked as a part-time hostess in a restaurant. She loved the culture, energy, and easy access to tasty snacks. She balanced two careers, working as a nurse and at award-winning restaurants, becoming more passionate about wine.

Marie passed the Certified Exam from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2018, worked her way up to Wine Director at Michelin starred-restaurant, and even received nominations including ‘Best Sommelier’ from Jean-Banchet, Eater’s 'Young Guns' in 2020. In August 2020, she created Slik Wines as a way to continue teaching about wine in an approachable and safe environment. In 2023 she was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemakers.