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Listen to the recordings from this half day event on how to prevent waste and implement social equity, diversity and inclusion wineries and vineyards.
First Republic Bank is an American full-service bank and wealth management company offering personal banking, business banking, trust, and wealth management services, catering to low-risk, high net-worth clientele, and focusing on providing personalized customer experience.
During this mentorship session Philana Bouvier, the President of Demeine Estates, will share her experience working to steadily recruit and increase diversity within their business and will share the steps they took, insights and results, and the benefits they have experienced in making these shifts, including their Dream It Live It initiative.”
Philana Bouvier | President of Demeine Estates
Philana Bouvier is the President of Demeine Estates. She provides leadership and vision in creating a best-in-class sales and marketing organization. She is a widely recognized leader and champion for diversity and inclusion. In 2019, she was awarded SevenFifty Daily’s Drink Innovator of the Year for her work in spearheading efforts to open opportunities for women in wholesale C- Suite positions by increasing their access to high-level decision makers and persistently challenging male executives to get in on the effort.
Molly Sheppard | Educational Winemaker at Spottswoode Winery
Molly Sheppard is the Educational Winemaker & Sustainability Manager at Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery located in St Helena, Napa Valley. Growing up in Australia, Molly studied Molecular Genetics at the University of Melbourne before completing her degree in Agribusiness, Viticulture & Enology at Curtin University in Western Australia. After working in wineries in Victoria, Margaret River and the Yara Valley, Molly made her first trip to Napa Valley as an intern for the 2017 vintage and has been in the Napa Valley ever since, joining the Spottswoode team in 2018.
In May 2020 McKinsey & Company released a report titled, “Diversity Wins,” that shared the results of research across 1000s of companies in 15 countries. They found that, “For diverse companies, the likelihood of outperforming industry peers on profitability has increased over time, while the penalties are getting steeper for those lacking diversity.” Social equity, diversity, and inclusion, critical components of sustainability, are not just the right thing to do but consistently improve business performance. During this workshop you’ll hear from industry leaders including Elizabeth Vianna, Winemaker and General Manager for Chimney Rock Winery, who leads an all-Latino cellar team, Priyanka French, Bâtonnage Forum Mentorship Program Core Committee member and winemaker, and Heather Paulsen with B Corp about their experience with the business case for diversity and inclusion.
Elizabeth Vianna | Winemaker and General Manager for Chimney Rock Winery
Elizabeth first came to Chimney Rock as a harvest intern in 1999, while completing her Master’s degree in enology at U.C. Davis. Upon graduation, she became an enologist at Napa Wine Company and was soon named assistant winemaker there, where she worked directly with many of the region’s top winemakers including Heidi Barrett, Erin Green, Pam Starr, and Celia Masyczek. Elizabeth was named to the position of assistant winemaker at Chimney Rock in January 2002 and advanced to the position of winemaker in 2005. In 2009, Vianna was honored by the University of California – Davis School of Graduate Studies when she was invited by the Dean of Graduate Studies to deliver the commencement speech.
Priyanka French | Bâtonnage Mentorship Program Lead – Levels 1 & 2
Originally from Mumbai, Priyanka French is one of the few female Indians to hold a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from University of California, Davis. She built her experience working at wineries in Napa as well as traveling through the regions of Burgundy, Cognac, Bordeaux and New Zealand. Prior to joining Signorello Estate as Winemaker, she worked at Dalla Valle Vineyards where she had a chance to clearly understand the importance of female led businesses and initiatives. Her winemaking style focusses on precision viticulture and restrained winemaking that allows fruit expression as dictated by the site. In her new role, she hopes to open avenues for diversity in the industry and always remain a supporter of female driven enterprises.
Heather Paulsen, MS, PMP | CEO/Founder of Heather Paulsen Consulting
Heather Paulsen holds a BA degree in Psychology, Art, and Anthropology, and MS degrees in Community Development and International Agricultural Development from the University of California, Davis. She earned her Project Management Certificate at University of California, Berkeley, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Before founding HPC, Heather worked in healthcare administration and nonprofit management, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.
Nikki Silvestri is the Founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, a coaching and consulting firm bringing social and environmental entrepreneurs more impact in their work and joy in their lives.
As an entrepreneur and serial non-profit Executive Director, Nikki has invited thousands of leaders and hundreds of business and organizations into more in-depth conversations around the intersection of ecology, economy, and social equity. Her wide-ranging career has taken her from presentations at the White House and negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency to intimate workshops with local businesses and small retail organizing. A nationally recognized thought leader and international keynote speaker, her many honors include being named one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans.
Nikki serves as a Board Member for Greenpeace USA and is the Board Co-Chair of the Business Alliance of Local Living Economies (BALLE). She is a Faculty Member at the Food Business School (she co-designed and taught one of their inaugural courses, “Ethical Leadership in Food Business”). She is the recipient of numerous awards including ELLE Magazine’s “Gold” Award and OxFam America’s “Act Local, Think Global” Award.
This panel will speak to social equity, diversity and inclusion from the vineyard into the winery and out into the trade. Sam Parra, Co-Chair of AHIVOY, will speak about the work they are doing to empower farmworkers by providing education and professional development opportunities to vineyard stewards in the Oregon wine industry. Guillaume Eicholz, Vineyard Director at Dominus Estate, will share their experience cultivating and implementing vineyard team feedback and building partnership and community. Maryam Ahmed, Owner of Maryam + Company, and Tonya Pitts, Owner of Tonya Pitts Wine Consulting, will speak about their extensive work to champion and grow diversity and inclusion within the wine industry, as well as broader hospitality, food and beverage sectors.
Dr. Liz Thach, MW | Wine Writer & Consultant
Dr. Liz Thach, MW is a freelance wine writer, wine market expert, researcher, educator and consultant based in Napa and Sonoma, California.
She is an award-winning author and educator, specializing in wine business strategy, marketing, leadership/executive development, and wine lifestyle. Liz’s passion is wine, and she has visited most of the major wine regions of the world and more than 50 countries.
Guillaume Eicholz | Vineyard Director at Dominus Estates
Vineyard Director at Dominus Estate, Guillaume Eicholz has life-long connections in wine through his family-owned estate in Meursault, France.
In 2009, Guillaume married his wife Tiffany and they settled in Napa Valley. That same year, he was hired by Christian Moueix as Vineyard Director to oversee vineyard operations at Dominus Estate and Ulysses Vineyard. Today, Guillaume feels deeply rooted in the vineyards and is focused not only on improving their terroirs but also the lives of the people who tend them.
Maryam Ahmed | Owner of Maryam + Company and Co-founder of the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum
Maryam Ahmed (she/her/hers) is a creative entrepreneur based in Napa, CA. She specializes in community activation, strategic programs, and project management for food and wine brands with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and sustainability. Most often, her work takes place at the intersection of chefs, sommeliers, activists, sustainability experts, creatives, media, and visionary organizations. In 2022, Maryam + Company launched Field Blends, an immersive food and wine travel experience focused on opening up conversations about what’s emerging in wine and agriculture. Field Blends features unique tastings, tangible takeaways, and local provisions with educational experiences and critical discourse.
Sam Parra | Co-Chair of AHIVOY
Sam Parra, Co-Chair & Procurement at AHIVOY,was born and raised in St. Helena, CA, Sam was destined to be in the wine industry. After graduating from St. Helena High School he attended Napa Valley College before transferring to Sonoma St University. Sam and his wife moved to the Willamette Valley in the summer of 2016. He continued his philanthropic efforts in Oregon volunteering for Salud! plus the Lutheran Community Services Northwest. In 2019 he launched PARRA Wine Co where his single vineyard Oregon wines will be sold strictly through his mailing list. In his spare time Sam loves to hike, cook, attending live music shows, organizing wine tasting groups and traveling. He has traveled through England, Netherlands, France, Spain and Portugal. Next on his list Italy and Switzerland. Sam lives in Dallas, OR with his wife Allison and their Boston Terrier Noelle.
Bâtonnage Forum | Sarah Bray
Bâtonnage is the brainchild of all those who identify as women working in all the different facets of the wine industry… even (especially) those who have traditionally been overlooked or spoken over. We strive to educate wine professionals as well as wine industry supporters on the unique challenges and opportunities that women in the field–winemakers, vineyard workers, writers and marketers, salespeople, sommeliers, collectors, and drinkers–have faced both historically and present-day. We simultaneously seek to propose pragmatic solutions for charting a positive, inclusive course forward.
Maryam + Company | Maryam Ahmed
We work with visionary clients to create high impact brand initiatives through community building, strategic programs and experiences, and project management. With a focus on the worlds of food and wine, we work with clients ranging from solopreneurs and startups to non-profit organizations, conferences, and large scale businesses.
Our work is supported by a strong network and connected community, enriching each project we take on. Since the company we keep is our driving force, we align with brands that are purpose-driven and committed to ideas and products aimed at creating positive change.
Wine Unify | Mary Margaret
Wine Unify was founded on the belief that education is the cornerstone to progress in any field. Yet many ethnic and racial minorities experience significant barriers to entry – be it financial, mentorship, or a general feeling of exclusion. They seek to change that by fostering wine education for underrepresented minority groups, and amplifying the voices of the people of color who are already thriving within the wine industry. They do this by way of outreach, awards, and education, as well as various other elements within their initiatives.
Hispanics in Wine | Maria Calvert
Hispanics in Wine™ is a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying Hispanic/Latinx roots in the beverage and hospitality industries. Rooted in community and representation, its mission is to provide educational and career-advancementopportunities 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.
B Corp | Heather Paulsen
B Lab is the nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
Heather Paulsen Consulting (HPC) works with mission-driven businesses to create an economy (and a world) that works better for all of us: owners, employees, suppliers, customers, our communities and the environment. We provide practical strategies for clients to create positive impact through their daily operations, taking care of all stakeholders while also improving the bottom line.
The Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum brings together leaders of organizations with a core commitment to diversity and equity in the wine industry.
The Forum was co-founded by Maryam Ahmed and Elaine Chukan Brown in 2020 to help connect inclusive initiatives in the wine industry in order to foster collaborative efforts and problem solving among advocates and leaders. The Forum provides a bi-annual summit for leaders of organizations dedicated to diversity and equity in the wine industry; a central location for information on organizations doing the work; and educational series focused on DEI training for wine professionals.
The Roots Fund is a nonprofit organization focused on securing the pathway for the Black, Indigenous & LatinX community in wine. Built to create financial support, mentorship, and job placement opportunities. The Roots Fund is out doing the work!
Napa Green | Megan Scott
Napa Green serves as a catalyst and facilitator to grow certified sustainable, responsible businesses committed to the environmental stewardship and climate action in Napa County. Our members stand as leaders exemplifying that sustainability and caring for nature and community elevates quality and experience for employees, customers and community, now and in the future.
