Images Courtesy of Kathryn Elsesser / Kelly Puleio / Getty Images
Hype for female entrepreneurs continues to reach new heights, but a glaring funding gap keeps many from thriving in the wine industry and beyond. Without investment to stimulate growth, the hype rings hollow.
In 2018, I founded Woman-Owned Wineries to help female vintners connect with new audiences and one another. We built the industry’s most comprehensive directory of women winery owners, and then we launched an accompanying club delivery program. When I sat down with designer Lisa Hobro to create our company logo, the result was a coin, meant to convey the worth of women, wine and community.
Its symbolism still feels close to my heart. Women are told, in subtle and overt ways, that we’re worthless. Society’s devaluation of women’s contributions to the workforce is well-documented. In wine, funding affects who gets to be a wine entrepreneur, what winds up in your glass and the industry’s culture.
