Our olive oil is born on Gökçeada, where rare Ladolia trees—rooted in the island’s Rum heritage—grow in mineral-rich soil shaped by wind and sea. Their fruit yields an oil with a character as pure and resilient as the landscape itself. My journey into olive oil began when I inherited our family grove. With a background in research, journalism, cultural studies, fine arts, design, and oreficeria, I’ve always been drawn to stories, craftsmanship, and materials that hold meaning. Olive oil brought these worlds together: tradition, artistry, and nature speaking in one voice. I spent years learning every step of production—walking the land, studying the trees, and working closely with local producers and agronomists. The result is a small-batch extra virgin olive oil crafted with respect, minimal intervention, and uncompromising purity. This brand exists to protect the Ladolia trees, honor their history, and share the unique taste of Gökçeada—an island where every drop carries memory, craft, and the quiet beauty of the Aegean.
I am currently developing a certified olive oil brand from my family’s Gökçeada grove, specializing in rare Ladolia olives and inspired by the island’s history and mythology. Alongside this, I explore jewelry and graphic design, blending creativity with cultural research, while continuing independent work in political science and Middle East studies. My projects combine hands-on experience, artistic vision, and storytelling to create authentic, meaningful products and narratives.
Angela has a degree in Psychological Science and Techniques. She is an agronomist, landscape architect and lecturer in agricultural sciences.
Angela oversees the production of her family’s historic olive grove in the Cilento area of Castellabate (SA), using sustainable agronomic practices in the belief that “agriculture can and should be integrated with the natural resources of a territory, with the aim not only of protecting the environment, but also of pursuing the best quality characteristics of the product, contributing to the creation of “well-being in place”, a fundamental element of the health of each of us.” In 2016, he became a member of ONAOO and began his educational journey.
In January 2020, he will complete his studies by obtaining the ONAOO Professional Taster qualification. On May 15, 2024, the Genoa Chamber of Commerce added Angela to the National List of Technicians and Experts of Virgin and Extra Virgin Olive Oils.
Since 2017, she’s been a professional olive oil taster for ONAOO. She’s also an olive oil and wine sommelier, a passionate foodie, and an avid traveler. Liana is a former lawyer who has been in the food import business for 12 years.
She started her company, ITALISKO SKONIO GURMANAI Ltd., in Italy, focusing on extra virgin olive oil. She also opened three specialised Italian gourmet stores and an e-commerce store in Lithuania. Ten years ago, she set up the first olive oil school in Lithuania. She also puts on events, courses, tastings, and tasting dinners, as well as promoting olive oil culture.
She represents more than 25 quality olive oil producers from the world’s best ranking in Lithuania. Liana and her company ITALISKO SKONIO GURMANAI Ltd. were absolutely thrilled to be awarded by International olive oil guide Flos Olei as the best Importer in the world of the year 2016!
Özden Gözlüklü Saka, a graduate of Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir with a degree in Business Administration, completed an MBA at the University of Sunderland’s London campus.
She currently serves on the executive committee of the Women Entrepreneurs of the Aydın Chamber of Industry and is also a member of the Women in Agriculture cooperative in Kuşadası/Aydın. She maintains her professional involvement with her family business, HAUS Centrifuge Technologies, a manufacturer of olive oil extraction machines in Turkey.
The company, which is a leading industry benchmark, is now in its third generation of family ownership. As a key member of the family business, she played a pivotal role in establishing a state-of-the-art olive oil production and research and development facility in Kuşadası/Aydın. Additionally, Özden is the founder and manager of the Defnelia extra virgin olive oil brand, which is distributed both in-store at the factory and through an online sales platform.
She takes great pride in being able to explain to her customers the importance of quality olive oil, a topic that has been a lifelong interest of hers, beginning with her childhood when she helped her mother with the olive harvest. Her personal connection to the product prompts her to appreciate the significant effort and dedication required to harvest and process olives into olive oil, a process she considers highly valuable. Özden completed her training, having begun the ONAOO technical course in 2022 in Palermo. In 2024, she earned the qualification of professional taster, which will strengthen her commitment to the industry. It will also allow her to further deepen and raise awareness of tasting techniques and interpretation of olive oil’s organoleptic characteristics.
Najeeb is a distinguished banking professional whose expertise extends far beyond the financial sector. While he has achieved significant success in his career, his true passion lies in the art and science of olive oil, a pursuit deeply rooted in his family’s heritage and the rich traditions of Palestine.
Motivated by this connection, he embarked on an educational journey at the ONAOO School, concluding in 2024 with the achievement of a professional taster qualification, marking him as the first from Palestine to achieve such recognition. Originating from the historic town of Birzeit, whose name translates to “olive oil well,” Najeeb grew up immersed in the legacy of olive cultivation.
His family co-owns an olive press in northern Palestine, where they blend generations of knowledge with modern, environmentally sustainable practices to produce exceptional olive oil. Najeeb’s journey reflects the deep, enduring relationship between people, the land, and one of its most revered symbols — the olive tree.
Independent Middle East Researcher
I completed my professional training with ONAOO (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva), having had a truly positive and enriching experience. The program deepened my expertise in sensory analysis, olive varieties, production standards, and quality evaluation, strengthening my ability to identify and appreciate high-quality extra virgin olive oil with precision.
Thank you so much to everyone for such a wonderful journey from the bottom of my heart.
Training as professional olive oil tasters is not only a personal pleasure: the universe that revolves around olive oil and its supply chain also offers a wide range of job, growth and specialization opportunities.
The advanced course allows you to consolidate and deepen your knowledge of oil tasting and obtain the qualification of ONAOO Professional Taster, but above all, to be included in the "International Register of Professional Tasters".
Participants learn about varieties, processing, and sensory tasting, with practical exercises under the guidance of experts.
Participants are invited to recognize strengths, weaknesses, qualities and organoleptic characteristics of the various oils