4 minute read
Breaking Down Barriers - Deborah Brenner, WOTV&S
Breaking Down Barriers
WOMEN OF THE VINE & SPIRITS DEBORAH BRENNER IS CHANGING THE FACE OF THE INDUSTRY
We hear a lot about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) these days with the intention of giving a voice to those who have been marginalized or silenced. The goal is acknowledging privilege and structures of power and intervening, creating pathways to right injustices. As such, DE&I is critical in securing success for businesses.
“We know that not only is DE&I the right thing for companies and our world, but it makes good business sense,” explains Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO, Women of the Vine & Spirits. “DE&I leads to BD&I (Business Development & Innovation), because the more diversity we have in leadership and among decision makers, the more creativity and innovation we have within our companies. Diversity in business is also advantageous for the bottom line. The more we reflect our consumers and understand what our consumers want, the more successful we will be. The power of socially conscious consumerism is vast. Socially conscious consumers make deliberate choices to support companies or brands with mission statements and actions that align with their own.” With this ideal in mind Deborah took action.
After 20 years in the male-dominated television and film technology industry, Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, decided to pursue her passion, which was working in the wine industry. “I was fascinated by the pace, beauty, craftsmanship and artfulness of the industry, and especially intrigued by how many people are involved before a bottle gets on someone’s table,” she explains.
She soon discovered that, like the television and film industry, the beverage alcohol industry was overwhelmingly white male dominated. “While there are incredible women involved in key aspects of the industry, their stories and legacies were significantly under-represented.” Compelled to highlight the achievements of these inspirational women, she authored Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste and Enjoy Wine, which was named a critical read by Wine Spectator in 2007.
The book writing process, inspired Deborah to enter the wine business herself releasing wine from a first-ofits-kind collective of seven artisan women winemakers from Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles, CA. For the following seven years, she learned the business inside and out. “Ultimately, conscious consumerism had not begun, and I could not foster women in the industry the way I had hoped, which led me to dissolve the wine brand and return to the drawing board.”
Deborah quickly realized that facilitating change would require a collective voice to advocate for diversity and women’s initiatives across all industry sectors.
WOMEN OF THE VINE & SPIRITS
In March 2015, Deborah organized the first Inaugural Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium focusing on actions the alcohol beverage industry could implement to change the status quo. Attendees welcomed the opportunity to connect through a global network and seek ways to accelerate their business and professional development. Industry leaders were anxious to bridge this gap and create internal initiatives to create more diversity. “It was clear to me that to make a positive impact on the industry, women needed a voice year-round, and WOTVS was launched.”
A catalyst for creating positive impact in the beverage alcohol industry, WOTVS gives women worldwide a platform and a voice to thrive and for creating programs that create equity and inclusion for all.
“We are committed to having relevant, timely and courageous conversations, coupled with year-round educational programs to support our initiatives and focus our efforts on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) and Business Development & Innovation (BD&I),” says Deborah, adding that all are welcome to the conversation. www.womenofthevine.com
The organization’s charitable arm, Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation 501(c)3, provides scholarships to help women advance their careers in food, wine, spirits, beer and hospitality industries through education, leadership, and professional development. www.wotvsfoundation.org
WOMEN POWERED BRANDS
Created by WOTVS, Women Powered Brands™, provides the first-ever dedicated resource for buyers, wholesalers, importers, bar managers and supplier diversity procurement managers to easily identify gender diverse brands in the beverage alcohol industry.
“Through conversations with our buyer colleagues, it really struck us that many had access to diversified funds and were actively looking for diverse brands but were struggling to easily to find them,” explains Deborah. “The reality is that so many women and minority owned operated brands lack visibility. We were determined to champion these brands to help get their product on shelves.”
This searchable database actively addresses both Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), and Business Development & Innovation (BD&I). www.womenpoweredbrands.com
BADASS BARTENDER™
An online community dedicated to uniting, empowering and inspiring women bartenders, Badass Bartender provides a safe (and fun!) place for women bartenders to connect with others in the industry, receive support, network, explore career opportunities and make new friends. “We encourage all members of our community who identify as women, transgender, nonbinary and gender-fluid to join us,” says Deborah.
Badass Bartender continues to grow. “It has become so clear that there is immense power in community, especially for women working in male dominated industries,” shares Deborah. “I learn so much from our bartending community and feel grateful for this safe space for them to share insights, ask questions and inspire one another.” badassbartender.com
