The Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum Orgs

Black Wine Professionals serves as a resource for the wine industry to connect to and support Black professionals across all aspects of the industry and trade. In addition to a database of professionals, Black Wine Professionals also offers resources to the Black wine community. Businesses can partner with Black Wine Professionals to offer scholarships, mentorship, wine tasting programs, discussions, and more.

Co-Fermented is an organization dedicated to creating awareness, facilitating representation, and building community for the LGBTQIA+ community within the wine industry. This year, we are working on creating a scholarship fund program that will launch in 2024 and will provide financial assistance for wine education, living expense assistance during harvest, and wine entrepreneurs hoping to start their own label within the LGBTQIA+ community. 

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Corporate Pero Latinos is an organization driven by a powerful mission: to facilitate social & professional connections through shared experiences while encouraging our members to give back to the community. An initiative of focus is teaching English to hospitality workers and they currently have volunteers at 3 locations in New York.

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The Glancy Wine Education Foundation supports BIPOC, women, and other underserved wine and hospitality professionals with scholarships to further their wine education. The Foundation believes in the power of wine education to improve earning power and career prospects for those just starting out as well as for those with well established careers in their chosen field. Since 2020, the organization has provided more than $220,000 in financial aid to hundreds of professionals wanting to take online or in-person wine courses. Applications are accepted year-round, and scholarships are awarded monthly.

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Hispanics in Wine is a nonprofit organization providing educational and career-advancement opportunities to the ever-growing Hispanic and LatinX community of beverage professionals in the United States and worldwide. From a comprehensive directory of wine professionals and strategic partnerships to an industry LatinX wine summit, scholarship opportunities, and more, Hispanics in Wine aims to connect, amplify, and support the ever-growing Hispanic and Latinx community, including wine entrepreneurs, producers, sommeliers, retailers, restaurants, vineyard stewards, and consumers.

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The Juneteenth Saber Celebration aims to create new traditions to be held for years to come. This celebration’s purpose is to commune in joy: in the joy in life, wine, and freedom. The three mission words: Congregation, Jubilation, and Cultivation, are merely to start the conversations to center Black Joy, and to radically use the love of wine in order to hold ourselves in celebration. The sabering portion of this event is to be an act of commemoration, freedom to express, and share abundance, in order to make sure that everyone’s glass is full of knowledge, community, and happiness.

Oenoverse is an access and opportunity initiative, dedicated to expanding opportunity in and through the Virginia wine industry. We are creating on-ramps to explore opportunities within Virginia wine through collaborations, partnerships, and our own work laying this foundation for the future.

The Our Legacy Harvested mission is to educate, advance, and empower the BIPOC community in the wine industry. Our Legacy Harvest partners with wineries to ensure tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards better reflect the diverse world of wine they represent. The OLH program focuses on BIPOC individuals at any career level that want to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Interns are placed with Willamette Valley wineries in either Direct to Consumer (DTC) or wine production positions. Our Legacy Harvested provides a coaching experience, including housing relocation assistance, and a vehicle for mentees. OLH fosters and facilitates bread-breaking opportunities with industry representatives and members of the winemaking community to encourage strong, lasting relationships. Our mission is to expose our community to all avenues of possibility to be part of the wine industry.

The Veraison Project works to create greater equity within the wine industry through four key initiatives: Sponsorship, Masterclass Education, Mentorship and Networking, and Apprenticeship. The primary goal of these four initiatives is to open channels to job placement through practical means to those needing assistance navigating the wine industry. The Sponsorship initiative provides funding to wine education for applicants seeking to expand their studies in wine. The Veraison Project provides Wine Business Masterclasses led by experienced wine professionals for the sake of providing inside knowledge across all aspects of wine business. As the wine industry is largely dependent on personal relationships and connections, the Mentorship and Networking initiative connects participants to a personal mentor across three-levels of mentorship commitment. These mentorships also help build direct connections to those providing employment. The Apprenticeship program partners with companies with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion to create job opportunities for individuals seeking further career development and experience.

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After years of writing about sexism and other inequities in the wine industry, The Vinguard, established itself as a social and environmental justice organization promoting a culture in the wine industry centered on belonging, empowerment, equity, and environmental stewardship. The Vinguard seeks to replace patriarchal power structures with an equitable way of doing business, prioritizing the needs of BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQIA, and women in wine. Their work includes WINeFare, The Wine Industry Equity Pledge, and other projects that amplify the voices and protect the rights of marginalized communities.

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Uncorked Access is an organization that seeks to bridge the gap between the hearing and d/Deaf worlds through wine and hospitality. The brainchild of a Deaf wine professional and a certified sign language interpreter, Uncorked Access has a specific and unique perspective on how the hospitality industry can become more Deaf-friendly and accessible. They offer consulting, staff training, ASL wine education, and collaborative event planning to establish accessibility as the norm, not the exception. Uncorked Access’ ultimate goals are to encourage d/Deaf wine enthusiasts to engage with the wine industry, which expands the consumer base, to inspire d/Deaf wine professionals to pursue accessible education, and to create space for d/Deaf employment and leadership.

Vinica Education Society is a not-for-profit society incorporated in British Columbia, Canada, focussed on diversifying the wine industry through innovative education and professional mentorship. We support people that are passionate about wine, but are experiencing systemic barriers to participation and advancement, develop into leaders in the industry.