Supporting the professional development of women in the food and beverage industries is the primary program focus for the McBride Sisters She Can Fund for 2022, the charitable arm of McBride Sisters Wine Co. announced.
The McBride Sisters She Can Fund has invested more than $3 million since it was launched in 2019 in the professional advancement and career growth of high-potential, professional women, with a particular focus on women of color. Via monetary grants, advertising credits, scholarship funding and mentorship programs, the She Can Fund has received support from corporate partners such as Facebook (Meta), Silicon Valley Bank, Morgan Stanley and Brand Now, plus organizations including the Wine Institute, as well as the support of individual seed impact investors.
The decision to focus this year’s investment on professional women in the food and wine industry is based on category statistics, which shine a spotlight on the lack of women in leadership positions within America’s hospitality industry. In a National Restaurant Association study, while women account for more than half of all restaurant workers and 71% of servers, only 19% of chef positions are held by women. African American women are paid the least amount of all subset of restaurant workers.
With this year’s focus, the She Can Fund will award WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) courses and certification or Sommelier certification courses and exam scholarships to high-potential women in the wine & spirits and culinary fields, to enhance their skill sets and to aid in the advancement of their professions.
Understanding that an essential driver of true change is determined by the success of the next generation of leaders, the She Can Fund expanded its reach and impact by launching its first-ever HBCU Initiative and Academic Scholarship Program in partnership with SU Ag. Launched to create a pipeline of HBCU students to lead the wine industry’s future of diverse winemakers, grape growers, and industry professionals, the $50,000 awarded to the program in 2021 was dedicated specifically to the school’s top female undergraduate prospects’ career growth through professional development and research studies.
From the Fall 2021 semester to January 2022, SU Ag Center has grown its student population who enrolled in viticulture and oenology courses from 8 to 133 students. This promotion of young talent is boosted by more than $100,000 in funds raised with the support of the Wine Institute, whose mission is to promote American winemaking in all its forms, as well as to advance diversity in the industry now and for generations to come. These first actions by the She Can Fund with SU Ag are but the first in what the McBride Sisters and their partners envision as a robust, multi-year investment in young Black talent at HBCUs.
“Wine culture and culinary culture are deeply entwined, not just because the final products enhance each other so magically, but also because of the people who pour their hearts into creating an experience,” says Robin McBride, Co-Founder and President of the McBride Sisters Wine Company and Chair of the McBride Sisters She Can Fund. “This year’s professional development focus is our Sisters in food and wine who chose to pursue their passion through a culinary career.”
Professional development scholarships are open to all women currently employed or self-employed in food and wine. Recent graduates from an accredited culinary school are encouraged to apply.