If there is one theme that unites this year’s Future 40 honorees across their many categories, it is advocacy—in every sense of the word. Advocacy for including people of all backgrounds in an industry that is struggling to find its footing in appealing beyond a traditional base as well as advocacy for the environment, advocacy for each other and advocacy for workers in the hospitality industry on which they all, in one way or another, depend.
The wine industry has a reputation for being snooty and exclusive. Now, like so many other predominantly white business sectors, it's reckoning with a widespread lack of diversity. But the owners of a small wine shop in Boston are planting seeds for systematic change in the beverage business – one scholarship at a time.
(August 2020)
“For years, I was frustrated with only having white applicants for floor manager and applicants of color for delivery or stock positions,” says TJ. So together with Boston University, the couple launched a four-level wine certificate course for people of color, along with mentorship and internships.