Speakeasy Spotlight: WOTV's Deborah Brenner

Meet Deborah Brenner, the founder and CEO of Women of the Vine and Spirits. Deborah shares her experience as a woman in male-dominated industries and the importance of advocating for minorities in corporate environments.

About Deborah: Prior to entering the wine industry, Deborah spent 20 years in the male-dominated television and film technology industry. It wasn’t until a fortuitous trip to Napa and Sonoma, that Deborah discovered another male-dominated industry, one where women were under-recognized. In March 2015, Deborah organized the Inaugural Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium, bringing women and male allies together to focus on actions the beverage alcohol industry could make to change the status quo. Women of the Vine & Spirits has become a catalyst for creating a positive impact in the alcohol beverage industry by giving women worldwide a platform and a voice to thrive. To further foster education and increase pathways for more women to enter or excel in the industry, Deborah launched the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation 501(c)3 in 2017.

Q&A: Josh Jacobs and Michael Bowen of Speakeasy Co. with Deborah Brenner of WOTV.

MB: Deborah, what is your favorite off-hours beverage?

DB: I love a paper plane! A simple paper plane is bourbon, Aperol, liqueur and a squeeze of lemon.

MB: Tell us how you got into the beverage alcohol category.

DB: Most of my career had?been spent working in the traditionally male-dominated industry of high-end technology where women had to fight adversity and conquer gender stereotypes with?very few role models and male?sponsors. After 20 years in the tech industry, I took a trip to Napa and Sonoma and discovered that many women in the wine industry were under-recognized?– just like I had experienced in tech.?Compelled to tell the stories of these women and tapping into my love of research and journalism, I authored a bestselling collection of profiles,?Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste and Enjoy Wine, which?Wine Spectator?named a Critical Read of 2007. I was bitten by the wine bug — I was ready to immerse myself into the world of wine.

I was inspired to enter the wine business myself, releasing wine from a first-of-its-kind collective of seven artisan women winemakers from Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Ultimately, however,?the wine brand was not?profitable,?and I realized?it was not?fostering?women in the wine industry the way I had?envisioned, which led me to dissolve the brand and led to the inaugural Women of the Vine & Spirits Global Symposium one year later, which was a sold-out hit. In 2023 I launched a separate company to directly address the importance of sourcing from diverse suppliers which in turn supports economic empowerment and inclusion, building strong economics and communities, Diverse Powered Brands.

MB: What are some of your favorite parts of what you do day-to-day?

DB: I love getting the chance to meet so many innovators in the industry. Through both Women of the Vine & Spirits and Diverse Powered Brands, I am constantly inspired by the creativity, passion and drive of the individuals that make up our industry. Getting the chance to work with so many Founders and Entrepreneurs continues to light me up and helps reinvigorate me as a social entrepreneur myself.

MB: What is your proudest moment in your career thus far?

DB: Women of the Vine & Spirits is very proud to have just launched 86 Harassment , a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. It serves as a collaborative effort to provide resources, support, and education to create safer work environments for all employees and customers. The initiative includes free Industry-specific Bystander Intervention Training on creating a safer beverage alcohol and hospitality industry, a Resource Hub with toolkits, training documents, downloadable graphics and more, as well as an Industry-Specific 24/7 Crisis Intervention Hotline in English and Spanish managed by RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

To learn more about Deborah's initiatives, visit Women of the Vine and Spirits, Diverse Powered brands, and www.86harassment.com to learn more.

JJ: Who was your greatest mentor, and what is the most valuable lesson(s) you learned from them?

DB: Mentorship has been so formative throughout my career, and I have been so lucky to connect with professionals in the industry who have provided not only mentorship, but also sponsorship. Steve Slater and Mel Dick at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits are two male allies who have been incredibly supportive of my career, providing guidance and advice as I have launched new companies, programs, and initiatives. I have also received outstanding mentorship from Cynthia Lohr, J. Lohr Vineyards, Béatrice Cointreau, byBC Ventures and Maggie Henriquez, Krug Champagne. Having these women as part of my own personal “board of directors” has had an immense impact on my career trajectory and success as an entrepreneur. I believe it is imperative for women to have multiple mentors, some for inspiration and encouragement, and others to lean on for professional advice and expertise.

JJ: What are some of the challenges you face as part of your line of work?

As I mentioned, I have often been the only woman in the room throughout my career. This was true both in my tech days and in the beverage alcohol industry. In both industries, I experienced being overlooked, spoken over, and dismissed. I experienced and witnessed so many challenges, to name a few - unconscious bias, sexual harassment, gender pay inequality, lack of leadership training and succession planning for women, microaggressions, unfair expectations for work/family balance. Unfortunately, the list goes on, and for women of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and other marginalized groups, barriers are even more significant.

These experiences were what initially motivated me to leave the tech industry and transition to wine, so I was incredibly disappointed when the realities of representation, inclusion and diversity were not very different in beverage alcohol. While I was disillusioned by yet another male-dominated industry, this time I was determined to change it from the inside out. I was reinvigorated to take action, creating Women of the Vine & Spirits, the Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation, and now, Diverse Powered Brands. Over the last 15+ years as a social entrepreneur I have witnessed incredible progress, though we still have a long way to go. I am so proud to be part of the change.

JJ: What do you see as the future of the industry in 2024 and beyond?

I believe that socially conscious consumerism will continue to grow. As Gen Z enters the drinking category, I anticipate them demanding more transparency and greater diversity of representation in beer, wine and spirits. Statistics demonstrate we are already seeing these trends:

• By 2025, companies expect more than a 50% increase in their diversity spend goals (The Hackett Group)
• Women-owned businesses are currently the top diversity category globally (The Hackett Group)
• 58% of Americans consider themselves conscious consumers, and shoppers are becoming increasingly mindful of their purchases.

As these statistics demonstrate, the market has changed, and socially conscious consumers are now dominating the market. ?It is now up to the responsibility of our industry to respond to this consumer demand and fasten the pace toward equity. I don’t believe that our industry has “cracked the code” yet, but I do think there is a major business imperative here — not only is supporting diverse brands the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business.

JJ: What is one trend you wish never returns?

I hope that we never see the return of ad campaigns featuring women that are overly sexualized to sell a product. I remember attending trade shows in the early years of my career and being surrounded by these types of ad campaigns and messages. We have seen a huge shift away from this, although there are still campaigns that unfortunately really miss the mark.

Thank you, Deborah, for educating us on the adversity women face in the industry and how we can continue to improve on diversity, inclusion, and equity in our business practices.

Get in touch with Women of The Vine and Spirits

Women of the Vine & Spirits [email protected]

Diverse Powered Brands [email protected]

Follow us on social: @womenofthevine @diversepoweredbrands

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