Jelena Prodan, Sommelier & Beverage Director for SMG Restaurants. Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia Jelena developed a passion for diverse wine & cuisine during her early
travels through Europe. At 24, she emigrated to Chicago and began her culinary career, working her way up and through the ranks in both back and front of the house.
In 2019, she became the beverage and service director at S.K.Y. restaurant and proceeded to dedicate herself to curating a global wine list, highlighting both classic and upcoming regions and producers.

Jelena has been instrumental in opening and operating all three SMG restaurants including: Apolonia and Valhalla. She is known for her outside of the box thinking and
innovative pairings such as her "All Champagne" and "Anything but Wine" pairings, amongst others. At each restaurant Jelena offers broad and curated selections of over 20 by-the-glass wines per list, as well as robust bottle lists, sakes, vermouths, boutique spirits, and creative cocktails. Her beverage philosophy emphasizes supporting small, sustainable,
artisanal wineries and distilleries, valuing relationships with industry professionals and is fully committed to both her and her teams' ongoing education. She devotes her free time to
traveling to wine regions, fully engaging with vineyards, wineries and their artisans. She participated in the 2023 harvest at DuMol in the West Sonoma Coast and aspires to
undertake full harvests beginning in 2026 with her ambition to become the first Serbian MW and MS before 2030.