Weaver , Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey launched in 2017 . In a moment that marked progress on multiple fronts , Weaver became the first African American woman heading a major spirits brand , while the company was the first American spirit brand with an all-female executive team . That includes chief business officer Katharine Jerkens . “ DEI has been important for a long , long time ,” she says , “ it ’ s just that in the last few years it ’ s come more to the forefront , with everyone sitting still during 2019 and reflecting more on things . Then 2020 came to a boil with so many things happening with civil rights , especially in May and June . A lot of companies woke up and said , we need to show support for BLM . A lot of companies are paying attention for longer .”
In the question of which companies are checking a box versus making a difference , there ’ s no doubt about Uncle Nearest ’ s intentions . Weaver , her husband and the company have launched the Nearest Green Foundation , a nonprofit that upholds Green ’ s legacy and supports his many ancestors , including through college scholarships .
“ Fawn brought together all of his descendants and said , ‘ You come from this legacy of excellence , and should hold your heads up high and continue that excellence ’,” Jerkens says .
Jerkens addressed one of the criticisms sometimes levied against DEI initiatives : that they promote certain groups of people at the disadvantage of others .
“ White males shouldn ’ t be excluded , they need to be part of the system , but women , Blacks , Hispanics and other groups need more representation ,” she says . “ We ’ re trying to create something that really looks like the diversity of real life .”
To help accomplish this , Uncle Nearest partnered with Jack Daniel ’ s in 2020 to launch the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative . The companies pledged $ 5 million to develop the Nearest Green School of Distilling , create the Leadership Acceleration Program for apprenticeships and establish the Business Incubation Program . The latter focuses on providing expertise and resources to African Americans entering the spirits industry as entrepreneurs . This joint initiative is guided by an advisory board with members from both organizations .
The first graduate from this program was Du Nord Spirits , a black-owned distillery damaged in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis . Du Nord worked with industry experts to transform the company ’ s branding and packaging , and received mentorship from leaders at both Uncle Nearest and Brown-Forman . Additionally , the distillery increased its distribution footprint , which now includes 10 states across the U . S .
Beyond the program , Uncle Nearest assists in other ways . “ We ’ ve created a Black business booster ,” Jerkens says , wherein new entrepreneurs can contact the company for advice . “ We ’ ve helped 15 or 16 brands . It ’ s like a ‘ phone a friend ’. Questions like , ‘ How do you get an investor ? How do you get a distributor ?’
PROGRESSIVE WINE Another company that has made significant efforts and investment towards improving DEI in the industry is Urban Grape . This leading wine retailer in Boston — and top-10 member of our 2022 Top 100 Retailers — in 2020 launched the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color at Boston University . This supports members of the Black , Indigenous , and People of Color ( BIPOC ) communities interested in careers in the wine industry .
“ In our industry there is a lack of diversity in ethnic background and race ,” says TJ Douglas , who owns the company with his wife , Hadley . “ We created the scholarship to help make that change .”
“ From a business side , if you have a more diverse set of employees , it makes you look at your business from many different ways ,” he adds . “ From the customer side , if you have a more diverse company , and DEI is important to your company in the products you sell , then you ’ re going to widen your customer base .”
Douglas believes his store has one of if not the largest selection of BPOC brands in New England . But he clarifies , “ We don ’ t just bring in a product to check off a box because the founder is Black . There ’ s lots of SKUs that we don ’ t carry because they don ’ t fit our program in style or price point . They have to be great products that also stay true to our story .”
The Urban Grape Cofounders TJ and Hadley Douglas .
Echoing Jerkens , Douglas urges people to “ understand that DEI is greater than just black and white . Are you a veteran ? Someone with a disability ? It ’ s about bringing in people who are LGBTQ +. Female-owned alcohol brands . Yannick Benjamin is a sommelier in a wheelchair who started a restaurant that accounts for people who have disabilities .”
The Urban Grape scholarship has also led to the Progressive Wine Company . As students travel to California and other wine regions on paid internships , they help create branded wines sold through the Progressive Wine Company . Proceeds from these sales go towards the next year ’ s scholarships .
“ We ’ re creating a whole ecosystem of students who change the wine industry , one vintage at a time ,” Douglas says . “ One of the biggest issues behind a lack of diversity in this industry is that a pipeline barely exists . We ’ re creating that pipeline .”
“ I don ’ t know if these kinds of opportunities existed three years ago ,” he adds . “ Everything that has happened in recent years has put a spotlight on DEI . There are a lot more opportunities now .”
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