Doing the Work of Change w/ Ikimi Dubose, The Roots Fund XChateau Wine Podcast

Creating inclusivity and change is not changing current structures. It’s about creating new spaces. Ikimi Dubose of The Roots Fund is pushing change for diversity and inclusion of the BIPOC community in wine through passion, accountability, and transparency. She tells us how The Roots Fund is more than scholarships, has been able to change lives, and is expanding its impact with a high school enrichment program, a job board, and a language program. Dynamic only marginally describes Ikimi and The Roots Fund and the impact this nascent non-profit organization is having with only a year under its belt.  
This episode is sponsored by Repour, the simple, effective way to preserve your wine...without planning ahead.  Extensively used by top sommeliers, wineries, and wine students, Repour prevents wasted wine and saves money.  Find out more at repour.com and listen to Episode 24, where CEO Tom Lutz gives us all the details on Repour.  
Detailed Show Notes: 
The Roots Fund supports Black, Indigenous, and LatinX in wineFounded by Ikimi, Carlton McCoy (CEO of Lawrence Family Wineries), and Tahiirah Habibi (owner of Hue Society)Ikimi and Carlton met as scholars of the CCAP programBoard includes the 3 founders currently, expanding with 2 more in 2021Mission: to empower BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in wine through scholarships, mentorship, and job placementSome definitions:POC = people of colorHBCU = historically black colleges & universitiesDEI = diversity, equity, and inclusionsDiversity in wineWine is Hospitality more diverse than wine in general - more chefs are POCMany people forget the ownership part of inclusivityDiversity is growingSupport from NBA players - the Roots Fund doing some work with Dwayne WadePOC make up ~11% of wine consumers, a big customer baseCreating changeStart with changing hiring practicesHave HR people with DEI trainingThe Roots Fund differentiation“No glass ceiling” - not just scholarships for tuition/fees, but funding can include the wines and other elements needed to pursue a career in wineIt doesn’t stop at scholarships - mentorship is mandatory, building a communitySend funders synopsis and videos of stories of scholars with the impact their scholarships are having on their livesThe lean organization, efficient operating structure - a lot of volunteer-based work, transparent (financial statements will be available end of March), 70% of funding goes directly to scholarships (vs. ~50-60% at other non-profits), no office spaceScholarshipsTypesLocation-based (e.g., Rooted in Napa, Rooted in France) - work and study in a locationStay Rooted in Education - wine business focusedRooted in Education - for wine certificationsRooted in Culture - for joining membership organizationsRooted in Wine, a Vintner’s Story - a partnership with Naked Wines, creating a wine and product, keep ownership of the wine and brand, Naked Wines distributes 1st round of productScholarships open quarterly, targeting 20 scholars/quarter in 2021, but have ~70 applicants todayHow to helpJobs - reach out with internships, jobsMentorship - people of all backgrounds desired, mentors and scholars are matched with purpose, want mentors who can create a safe space for people with different experiences, build them up, and share their networkFundraising - 2021 goal - $500k, but hoping to exceed $1M2020 AccomplishmentsHad a $100k fundraising target (for 10 scholars), raised ~$300k30 scholars in the program workingDomaine Dujac and Naked Wine sponsorships2021 ProgramsHigh School enrichment programTake students to community colleges and universities with wine programsSpend time at some wineriesConduct tastings with the parents - educating them on wine and the opportunities in the wine industry for their childrenLaunching with 2 cities in 2021Job BoardIt should be open at the end of MarchThe Roots Fund pre-vets candidates, only passing along the best fitsIt requires follow up and feedback to improve candidatesLangu