Over 100 Attend the Dream Big Darling Dreamer Summit in January
Paso Robles, CA – March 6, 2024 – Over 100 national Dream Big Darling community members gathered in Paso Robles on January 9th for the nonprofit’s inaugural Dreamer Summit, a day of panel discussions, insights, networking, workshops and wine tastings.
The day was part of a broader, two-day Dreamer Summit & Exploration Tour program that awarded 21 scholarships to emerging women professionals in wine and spirits. Recipients, who came from throughout the country, were generously provided travel and accommodations by Hope Family Wines. The events included...
Dream Big Darling Announces 2024 Dreamer Exploration Summit and Dream Tour Scholarship Winners
Recipients Represent a Broad Array of Professional and Geographic Spheres in the Wine and Spirits Industry
PASO ROBLES, CA, December 19, 2023 — Dream Big Darling announces the scholarship winners for its inaugural two-day professional summit and exclusive Paso Robles AVA winery site tours to take place on January 9-10, 2024. Scholarships include both days of events, a one-night hotel stay, and a $250 travel stipend, with the hotel and stipend provided by Paso-based Hope Family Wines. The professional summit on January 9 is open to the public with tickets still available at dreambigdarling.org.
Winners (listed below) were selected among a pool of emerging women professionals…
Dream Big Darling Announces 2024 Dreamer Exploration Summit and Dream Tour
Twenty scholarships to be awarded for attendance at the Paso Robles-based
PASO ROBLES, CA, November 8, 2023 — Dream Big Darling announced today an inaugural two-day professional summit and exclusive Paso Robles AVA winery site tours to take place on January 9-10, 2024. The January 9 Exploration summit is open to emerging women wine professionals, the broader Dreamer community and 20 scholarship winners; the winery tours program will be solely reserved for 20 scholarship recipients. Cost is $50 for emerging professionals, and $100 for additional guests.
FLOurish Mentoring Program Expands, Welcomes Most Recipients Ever in 2023
In its 3rd Year, Dream Big Darling and Millinger Group's One-on-One Business Scholarship Program Grows to 25 Recipients From All Wine and Spirits Industry Sectors
PASO ROBLES, CA, August 22, 2023 — FLOurish, a six-month professional coaching series featuring free career sessions for emerging women leaders in the wine and spirits industry, has announced its largest recipient group ever for this year’s season.
Co-created in 2021 by Dream Big Darling founder Amanda Wittstrom Higgins and Rona Millinger of The Millinger Group, the funded program—whose current activations run from July 2023 to February 2024—assists and mentors recipients…
Ancient Peaks & One Stone Deliver Annual Donation to Dream Big Darling
SANTA MARGARTIA, CA, March 16, 2016 — Ancient Peaks Winery today delivered a $44,000 donation to Dream Big Darling, a sum generated by sales of its specialty "One Stone" wines throughout the calendar year of 2022.
A portion of each One Stone bottle sold supports Dream Big Darling, a nonprofit that provides mentorship programs for the next generation of women leaders in the wine and spirits industry. The annual donation supports a multitude of initiatives developed by Dream Big Darling, including educational seminars and scholarships, professional workshops, leadership panels, networking opportunities and more.
How — and Why — Wine Brands Are Working to Grow a More Diverse Workforce
March 3, 2023 — At this point, the fact that the wine industry needs a fresh perspective is old news.
The only growth segment in the industry is the 60+ segment and, for the second year in a row, overall consumption declined — the first time that has happened in 40 years, according to the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank State of the Wine Industry Report. The 59 and under set is simply no longer connecting with the world of wine.
Women Who Raised the Bar: Dreaming Big
May 2022 — Engaging, inspiring, and helping to guide the next generation of leaders in the wine and spirits industry is no small feat. Nonetheless, this is the mission of Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, president and founder of Dream Big Darling, an organization focused on fostering the success of women in the industry through mentorship and education.
The idea to launch the nonprofit came to her in 2018 as she identified a need among young female professionals in the alcohol space. Reflecting her love for the women who influenced her as a child and young woman, the namesake phrase speaks to the core of the foundation…
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Dream Big Darling Unveils New Events & Initiatives for 2022
PASO ROBLES, CA, March 8, 2022 — Dream Big Darling today unveiled its latest initiatives designed to mentor up-and coming women in the wine and spirits industry throughout 2022, including a seminar titled “Waves of Change” on March 21 and a virtual panel tasting with legendary Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon on March 28.
Dream Big Darling’s 2022 initiatives also include the continuation of two new successful mentorship programs—Fresh Voices in partnership with SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel; and FLOurish in partnership with The Millinger Group and Mast-Jägermeister US.
Examining Industry Efforts to Elevate Women in Wine and Spirits
February 28, 2022 — In recent years, more attention has been paid to the challenges women face in the beverage alcohol industry. Reviewing the progress women have made—and why there’s more work to be done.
Women have a long history of working in wine, spirits, and beer, but only recently have the vast contributions of women—and the difficulties they face—become a prominent part of the dialogue within the beverage alcohol industry. Events such as the #MeToo movement drove women’s issues into the national spotlight—and drove home the specific challenges women face in the particularly male-dominated beverage alcohol industry.
Mast-Jägermeister Gives Dream Big Darling & The Millinger Group's 'FLOurish' Scholarship Multi-Year Boost
PASO ROBLES, CA, August 10, 2021 — Mast-Jägermeister US announced they will invest $340,000 over the next six years to bolster a new scholarship, FLOurish. The brainchild of Dream Big Darling and The Millinger Group, FLOurish will mentor emerging women leaders in wine and spirits through personalized assessments, insights, coaching, and mentorship.
Dream Big Darling brings women to fore of local wine and spirits industry
October 4, 2018 — When country superstar Loretta Lynn crooned the tongue-in-cheek tune "Wine, Women, and Song" back in the 1970s, she was bristling against a misogynistic society that, for the most part, saw both "wine" and "women" as objects to attain. Back then, the two words spoken together rarely produced an empowering notion…
Inaugural Dream Big Darling Dinner & Auction Raises More Than 100k
PASO ROBLES, CA, October 25, 2018 — The inaugural Dream Big Dinner, Auction & Concert lived up to its name last Friday night, raising more than $100,000 for Dream Big Darling—a new nonprofit whose mission is to foster the success of women in the wine and spirits industry through mentorship, education, life enhancement and professional retreats.
“It was truly inspiring to see the community come together in such a big and powerful way to support the growth and development of the future leaders of our industry,” said Maeve Pesquera, senior vice president of DAOU Vineyards & Winery and one of the evening’s featured speakers….
New Nonprofit Mentors Women in Wine & Spirits Industry
CENTRAL COAST, CA, August 22, 2018 — A new nonprofit—Dream Big Darling—is aiming to make a difference for aspiring professional women in the wine and spirits industry.
Launched this week in the Paso Robles wine country, Dream Big Darling is on a mission to foster the success of women in the wine and spirits industry through mentorship, education, life enhancement and professional retreats.
To fulfill its mission, Dream Big Darling will host its inaugural Dream Big Dinner, Auction and Concert on October 19, 2018 at Oyster Ridge on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch to raise funds for its 2019 professional events and retreat. Women from Alta Colina Vineyard and Winery, Ancient Peaks Winery, Clesi Wines, DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Epoch Estate Wines, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines and Ranchero Cellars will host an epic night of wine, food and camaraderie. Visit DreamBigDarling.org for tickets and information…