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Listen to the recordings from this half day event on how to incorporate social justice, diversity and inclusion in wineries and vineyards.
Thank you to our exclusive event sponsor Napa Valley Vintners.
The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is a champion for an open and inclusive community and industry that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds. To help achieve this, the NVV has partnered with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to establish a new scholarship program worth $1 million for people of color who wish to pursue degrees in wine industry subjects such as grape growing, winemaking, marketing, business, and more. The organization demonstrates its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity through its efforts to amplify the voices of diverse vintners and through educational and marketing campaigns. The NVV is dedicated to continuous learning, reflection, and action, and it holds itself accountable for expanding its internal policies and actions. Through this work and that of its member wineries, the NVV is commitment to be responsible stewards and leaders in social responsibility within the Napa Valley community.
Nikki Silvestri, founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, will lead a short coaching session at Dominus Estate, with Tod Mostero Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate to identify a one or more proactive leadership goals around Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion that can be implemented in the near-term. This will be a vulnerable conversation diving into strengths, opportunities, and agency. These types of conversations can be challenging but we can’t ignore the need for our industry to increase social equity and diversity. The Soil and Shadow team provides “Social impact strategies with a dose of joy.” This will be a powerful and loving strategy session.
Nikki Silvestri | Founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow
Nikki Silvestri is, first and foremost, a mother of two, wife, and sci-fi nerd. Nikki is also a serial non-profit executive director and entrepreneur (currently the CEO and founder of Soil and Shadow), a board member of Greenpeace USA, and an international keynote speaker.
Nikki’s unique approach to inclusion, leadership and organizational development takes cues from nature, building models of “social fertility” to weave them into a Joy and Impact™ framework. Her work also encourages a rigorous and shame-free approach to acknowledging our societal shadows and blind spots, especially when attempting to balance the triple bottom line (ecology, economy, and equity) in times of uncertainty, climate/health feedback loops, and increasing volatility.
Nikki’s 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. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including ELLE Magazine’s Gold Award and OxFam America’s Act Local, Think Global Award, and she was named one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans.
You can find out more at www.nikkisilvestri.com and www.soilandshadow.com
Tod Mostero |Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate
Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, the French connection runs strong through Mostero, who studied in Bordeaux and trained at Château Haut-Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. He worked with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in the Languedoc and at Almaviva in Chile before returning to his native California to join Dominus Estate in 2007.
“Christian Moueix has been my guide throughout my career and has been my greatest example of a perfect winemaker. He is clear, precise and is profoundly attached to the vineyard. He has guided me from the beginning.”
Be a part of the live audience for a recording of the The Four Top, a James Beard award-winning podcast. This podcast will be a conversation with Katherine Cole, Host of The Four Top Podcast, and Martin Reyes, MW, Founder of Reyes Wine Group & Co-Founder of Napa RISE, with industry leaders, including Philana Bouvier, President of Demeine Estates, and Dr. Akilah Cadet, Founder + CEO at Change Cadet, about the successes and challenges of drawing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) candidates into the wine industry – in the cellar, the tasting room, leadership, and hospitality.
Katherine Cole |Author and Creator and Executive Producer and Host of The Four Top Podcast
Katherine Cole is the James Beard Award-winning executive producer and host of The Four Top, an international podcast focusing on hot-button topics in the wine world. She is also the author of five books on wine, including Sparkling Wine Anytime. She was previously wine columnist for The Oregonian newspaper, contributing editor at SevenFifty Daily, and a correspondent for wine and lifestyle publications worldwide. She is currently communications director at Vin Agency. A graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Katherine is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers and has been named to the “Imbibe 75” list of “the people, places and flavors that will help shape the way we all drink.” In her spare time, Katherine is an avid hiker, skier, cyclist, and volunteer, contributing her time to causes such as Portland Backpack, the James Beard Public Market, and the Portland chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International.
Martin Reyes | Partner at WineWise and Co-Host of The Four Top Podcast
A first-generation American, Martin has led a multifarious career across many sectors of the wine industry: importer, director, educator, international judge, winemaker, and speaker. Highlights include: becoming the first Master of Wine of Mexican descent, being named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top Forty under Forty, twice producing one of Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “US Best Cabernets”, twice being named one of Wine Business Monthly’s Industry Leaders, co-hosting The FourTop, a James Beard-awarded podcast, winning a JancisRobinson.com writing competition on sustainability, and co-founding two significant non-profit initiatives focused on social equity (Wine Unify) and climate action (Napa RISE). Today, while continuing to volunteer his time in sustainability and equity projects, Martin is a partner at WineWise LLC, a well-respected importer of European wines in California.
Philana Bouvier | President at 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.
Dr. Akilah Cadet | Founder + CEO at Change Cadet
As a young Black woman, Dr. Akilah Cadet experienced judgement, “isms”, and numerous barriers in the workplace. One day she thought, “what if I could change that?” and Change Cadet was started. Cadet, her last name, is a French term that means soldier. Change Cadet prepares individuals and companies to be soldiers of change in the workforce so there can be more women and people of color at the top. She wants everyone to feel empowered in their career. To accomplish this, she provides people and companies with services that support anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging (DEIB) including executive coaching, strategic planning, facilitation, and crisis recovery. She advises tech startups from concept to staffing, facilitates strategic workshops, coaches leaders, and speaks at various engagements. Dr. Cadet knows the only way to achieve the goal of true inclusiveness in the workplace is to work with, coach, and speak to as many companies and individuals as possible. She wants Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to know they have something special, for companies to truly recognize the value of their employees, and well, to change the face of the stereotypical leader so that no one would feel how she felt most of her career.
Dr. Cadet has 15+ years in management and building successful projects, teams, and leaders in the public and private sectors. She is a 2021 Forbes Next 1000 Honoree and honored as one of Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Influencers. Forbes and the Wall Street Journal Diversity and Business Newsletter have featured her work. She has worked on federal, state, and privately funded multimillion-dollar projects ranging from public health/healthcare to education. She has spent an extensive part of her career designing training, coaching executives, and informing systematic change to improve the workforce experience for large organizations. Dr. Cadet holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Education in Community Based Public Health, a Master of Public Health, and a Doctorate of Health Sciences in Leadership and Organizational Behavior. But more importantly, she lives in/loves Oakland, has an incredible shoe game, and is a proud Beyoncé advocate.
Maryam Ahmed was recognized by Wine Enthusiast as one of the Future 40 Tastemakers and Innovators of 2022. She’s been leading the charge to create a more diverse and inclusive wine industry, partnering with Elaine Chukan Brown to form the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum in 2020, which now includes 30+ member organizations. Maryam has partnered with Dr. Akilah Cadet to offer the Do The Work workshop series, for those “who want to do the work of becoming accomplices and learn how to integrate anti-racism work into every aspect of their personal and professional lives.” At Maryam + Company she supports purpose-driven food and wine brands in their goals to deepen impact in diversity, sustainability, and community-based education. Maryam’s work gives us practical tools and aspirational examples of how we can all live more purpose-driven lives.
Stevie Stacionis | Co-Owner at Bay Grape
The RISE Leadership Award will be presented to the winery, vineyard, or industry operation that has made outstanding strides in caring for employees and building a more diverse and inclusive team over the past year. The Awardee will give a 5-7 minute “TED Talk” on their results and impact.
Part of sustainability leadership is thinking about ROI in new ways, including the bottom-line benefits of building and retaining powerful teams. This means building internal community where employees feel not only cared for, but listened to and empowered. This also means getting involved in broader community challenges like affordable housing.
During this Salon, Priyanka French, Winemaker at Signorello Estate, will lead a discussion where we’ll hear from Herman Hernandez, Executive Director of Los Cien, on how they’ve created a platform that enables volunteers to organize events and dialogues about a range of issues important to farmworkers and others in the community, and their goals to expand their reach in Napa County; Arnulfo Solorio, Partner and Vice President of Operations at Silverado Farming Company and Founder of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation on how to attract and retain employees by providing education opportunities and upward mobility through professional development; and Larry Florin, CEO of Burbank Housing, about his extensive experience with the challenges and methods to get affordable housing built in North Bay communities.
Priyanka French | Winemaker at Signorello Estate
At just 34 years old, Priyanka French is a fierce champion of diversity in the wine industry; she’s not only one of the youngest female winemakers to take the helm at a Napa Valley winery, but also one of just a handful of Indian winemakers in California.
French grew up in Mumbai and acquired her Bachelor of Technology in Food Science and Technology from the University of Mumbai and went on to work for several companies, including Nestle. But a field trip during her senior year to India’s wine country nagged at her for years until finally, she moved to California to pursue a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from University of California, Davis and was the first Indian national to do so at the prestigious university.
She cut her teeth in wine regions all over the world, from the iconic Louis M. Martini Winery in Napa Valley to Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, Cognac, and New Zealand before returning to California where she worked at Stags’ Leap Winery and then the preeminent Dalla Valle. There, French spent five years working in both the cellar and vineyard, learning first-hand from three of Napa Valley’s greatest winemaking talents: Andy Erickson, Michel Rolland, and Steve Matthiasson.
Her experience in estate winemaking and crafting luxury Cabernet Sauvignon led her to Signorello Estate, where she joined as winemaker in 2019 and was tasked with helping to not only rebuild the winery, but also fine tune winemaking and take the vaunted brand to the next level.
French is one of the industry’s leading fighting for more diversity in wine. She serves on the board of Wine Unify, which provides scholarship programs for WSET certifications to people of color and was an initiator in the Batonnage Forum’s mentorship program that supports women in the wine industry. She is rarely seen without her trusted side kick, Chloe a 3.5 year old Australian Shephard. When not making or drinking wine, French can be found gardening, cooking and exploring the outdoors.
Arnulfo Solorio | Partner and Vice President of Operations at Silverado Farming Company & Founder of Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation
Nufo was born in Patzimaro, Michoacan, Mexico. From a young age, he dreamed of going to school, but his family were ranchers in Mexico, and he was told: “Books do not feed you; animals and land do.” Following his dreams, Nufo travelled to Napa at the age of 14, but quickly realized in order to get an education, he needed money. He began working at Charles Krug as a field worker and mechanic’s assistant while following crops through Arizona, California, and Washington. He eventually worked his way through school and was able to enroll in Napa Valley College in 1984. Since he began at the college, he has completed enough courses to receive three Associates Degrees – while working full-time and raising a family. That he had energy left to volunteer through the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and make such a difference in our community is testament to his work ethic and strong sense of self.
Solorio was the first person in his family to become documented, become a citizen, and go to school. He has worked as a vineyard manager for some of the most storied of Napa’s properties, including Franciscan, Domaine Chandon, Mondavi, Charles Krug, and Tonella Family.
He strongly believes education is the key to success and that learning never stops. Beyond managing operations and personnel at Silverado Farming Company, he is part of the team that develops training, education, personal growth, and reward programs for employees. He believes that empathy and compassion are the key to successful leadership.
Larry Florin | CEO at Burbank Housing
Larry Florin is CEO and President of Burbank Housing. Burbank is a non profit affordable housing developer and property manager based in Sonoma and Napa. Since its inception in 1980 Burbank has developed over 5,000 units of affordable housing including over 800 units focused on farmworkers.
Larry brings over thirty years of experience in real estate, community and economic development in both the public and private sector to Burbank Housing. Most recently Larry served as the Director of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs for Napa County. He managed Napa County’s affordable housing programs as well as the county’s Housing Authority and community and economic development activities.
Prior to joining Napa County Larry spent over ten years in the private sector, co-founding a development company specializing in adaptive reuse of underutilized industrial property and overseeing some of the company’s largest development projects in the San Francisco Bay Area including the redevelopment of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Treasure Island. While in the Northeast Mr. Florin oversaw a 2,000 unit urban mixed-use development project along the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan.
Larry has a Master in Urban Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Purchase State College.
Herman Hernandez | Executive Director at Los Cien
Born and raised in a bilingual household in Guerneville, Herman G. Hernandez attended Guerneville School, El Molino High School, Santa Rosa Junior College and graduated from San Diego State University. Herman G. is the Executive Director of Los Cien Sonoma County, a local Latino Leadership organization focused on engaging, educating, and elevating our Latinx community. Herman G. has had the privilege and honor of serving his community since 2014 as the Area 5 Trustee for the Sonoma County Office of Education School Board. He also serves on the Sonoma County Family YMCA Board of Directors and the Made in Santa Rosa Foundation Board. He lives by the Rotary motto, “service above self,” and is a champion for community volunteerism. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, wife Ariana, and adult puppy Moose, reading books, running, biking all over beautiful Sonoma County; and most recently, golfing.
Napa Valley Vintners | Michelle Novi
The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is a champion for an open and inclusive community and industry that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds. To help achieve this, the NVV has partnered with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to establish a new scholarship program worth $1 million for people of color who wish to pursue degrees in wine industry subjects such as grape growing, winemaking, marketing, business, and more. The organization demonstrates its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity through its efforts to amplify the voices of diverse vintners and through educational and marketing campaigns. The NVV is dedicated to continuous learning, reflection, and action, and it holds itself accountable for expanding its internal policies and actions. Through this work and that of its member wineries, the NVV is commitment to be responsible stewards and leaders in social responsibility within the Napa Valley community.
280 Project | Chris Renfro
We envision a world where every member of San Francisco can reach their full potential — by participating in local viticulture and building sustainable lifestyles through it. Together, we’re revitalizing the city as a diverse and equitable epicenter for locally-grown food, wine, and culture — and inviting everyone to contribute to lifting their community.
CoFermented | Darwin Acosta
Co-Fermented is an organization dedicated to creating awareness and facilitating representation for the LGBTQIA+ community within the wine industry.
As a community that has experienced historical barriers of acceptance, identity, and representation, Co-Fermented seeks to create inclusive and safe spaces, as well as challenge the status quo that limits our self-being and expression through the use of educational tools, representation, and community building. Co-Fermented is committed to using wine as a conduit for narratives within gender and sexual diversity while elevating LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals and embrace the queer experience.
Heather Paulsen Consulting | Heather Paulsen
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. Specializing in B Corp and Zero Waste certifications, sustainability-related strategic planning and facilitation – and increasingly leaning into regenerative business design – HPC has catalyzed initiatives to reduce carbon footprints, engage employees and suppliers, and ensure that business serves all stakeholders, not just shareholders. A Certified B Corp and member of 1% for the Planet since 2015, HPC has earned recognition for “Growing the B Corp Movement” (2016) and as “Best for the World: Changemaker” (2018).
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.
The Hue Society | Shay Wells
The Hue Society, founded in 2017 by Tahiirah Habibi, is a trailblazing organization increasing Black, brown, and Indigenous representation and access in the wine industry. By connecting a prominent community of innovators, sommeliers, and winemakers, with a rapidly growing population of Black wine enthusiasts, The Hue Society is bridging the gap in economic inclusion and representation for communities of color.
Farmworker Foundation | Jill Durfee
The mission of the NV Farmworker Foundation is to support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers through education and professional development.
The Farmworker Education Committee has been active in the community, hosting the Spanish Brown Bag Series and Napa County Pruning Contest, since 2001. The organization realized its full potential when founder, Arnulfo Solorio, presented his dream of creating a foundation to provide educational opportunities for farmworkers year-round. With overwhelming support, his vision became a reality, and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation was established in 2011, the first grower-supported organization of its kind in the United States. Today, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation provides a wide range of annual programs that focus on developing skills in the areas of adult literacy, vineyard operations & safety, leadership & management, mentorship, and family life. The farmworker community is critical to the success of the wine industry and the foundation is dedicated to creating a better future for all Napa County farmworkers and their families.
Arnulfo Solorio is a partner at Silverado Farming Company and recognized as NVG Grower of the Year in 2022. He continues to serve as the Vice President of the Farmworker Foundation Board and Chair of the Education Committee.
Wine Unify | Alicia Towns Franken
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.
Redwood Credit Union | Paige Ettin
Redwood Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative whose mission is to passionately serve the best interests of our Members, team members, and communities. We provide exceptional service and the best overall value in financial services to help our Member- Owners achieve their financial goals and dreams. RCU is highly committed to giving back to the communities we serve, and to the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” We are committed to our communities, to environmental sustainability, and to free financial education.
Napa Green | Megan Scott
Napa Green is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates systematic soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the resources, tools and connections to continuously level up leadership. In 2021, Napa Green was the first sustainable winegrowing program in the world to redevelop Vineyard certification standards to focus on climate action, regenerative carbon farming, and social equity. In 2022, Napa Green and community partners launched a first of its kind, six-event Climate & Wine Symposium (Napa THRIVES now RISE) with over 65 speakers and 600 total guests.
