Non-profit empowering women in food & beverage around workplace protections, racial/gender equity, personal growth, & career development.
Project Description
What is Assemblage?
Assemblage is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aimed at the advancement, empowerment, and education of women and diverse communities in the wine industry. We are gathering in January 2020 at the first annual Assemblage Symposium and we need help to ensure that as many women can benefit from its two days of programming, community building, and networking as possible!
How Will My Donation Help?
Simply put, donations will make this event happen. Event ticket sales will support our logistics, but dollars raised on iFundWomen will help us make the event accessible to all those who could benefit from the Symposium. Help us build scholarships for young women and women of color, a mother’s room complete with running water, diaper change stations, snacks, and resources for breatsfeeding moms, and movement and self-care features at the event that will care for and rejuvenate the hardworking women that will attend the Symposium. Help us recruit experienced speakers that will address big problems and will offer equally significant solutions. Our donors will enable us to empower the women in our industry who face innumerable challenges in achieving equal pay and representation with tangible, actionable means for change.
Whether you decide to purchase a rewards package for yourself, your company or team, or to gift to a woman in your life who could benefit from attending the Symposium and accessing the professional development opportunities here, 100% of your donation will be used to further enrich and support women's careers in wine.
Ways to Give
1. Gift of Money
I know that it takes dollars to make change. I believe in this worthy cause and want to see women in all aspects of the wine industry thriving and advancing.
Donations of any size will go to work advocating for, educating, supporting, and empowering women in your community.
2. Gift of Growth
I want to give a lift to a woman in my community via professional development and education.
Gift professional growth to yourself or another. Consider Assemblage rewards packages that include tickets to the Symposium, professional coaching with experts, and access to deeper connections and networks.
3. Gift of Experience
I'm a wine and wine experience lover and want to help lift women in the business while enjoying all it has to offer!
That's awesome! We have plenty of rewards that will unlock exclusive and one-of-a-kind wine experiences here. While you clink glasses of Oregon Pinot noir in some of the most exciting and luxurious surroundings, your contribution will continue to give back to the women that will make your experience so wonderful.
Why is Assemblage Needed?
The wine industry prides itself on creating unforgettable wines and experiences for travelers, collectors, tasters, and diners all over the world. The importance of the health of our vineyards and farms, the quality of the wines we lovingly make, and the commitment to the relationships we build over clinked glasses are, in essence, what makes us who we are. We are passionate stewards--of the land, of each other, of a zest for life. When you open a bottle of wine, hundreds of our hands went into its creation from the person that planted the vines to the pro that recommended it for your meal. We are winemakers, vineyard managers and sommeliers, tasting room associates, journalists and servers, vineyard workers, salespeople, marketers, delivery drivers, professional tasters, and reviewers.
And we have a problem. For too long, the wine industry has neglected to meaningfully track, celebrate, and improve the advancement of the women and diverse communities among us. People of diverse cultures, backgrounds and demographics, particularly women of color, LGBTQ+ identified, and non-native English speakers have been too frequently excluded from positions of executive leadership, from the public dialogue about wine, and from the pages of the publications we trust to tell us what to taste and what to buy.
The result? Attention and praise, bottle placements, and positions in top leadership have preferentially celebrated the achievements and contributions of those that fit a traditional mold, and you, the wider drinking public, miss out on the incredible projects, viewpoints, and experience of those that don't.
Author Jon Bonné: "the failure of the wine business to diversify its very makeup by prioritizing the inclusion of women and other minoritized communities continues an unfair tradition of preferring maleness and whiteness, and it has an even harder time than food acknowledging its gender chasms and sexism, its pay gaps, and its heavy reliance on low wage agricultural positions that are disproportionately filled by people of color."
In order to address these chasms, there are systematic issues that need to be raised into the conscious of the international wine industry and openly discussed.
Assemblage was created to spark deep and meaningful conversations around the specific challenges women and diverse communities in our industry face, with particular focus on magnifying the voices of those traditionally spoken over or omitted. Together, we strive to create holistic solutions to current problems that lay a foundation for a more inclusive and productive wine industry that benefits all.
We envision cellars where the number of women working is equal to the number of men, tasting rooms filled with people of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities, wines from black or LGBTQ+ winemakers on the pages of top wine publications, and new wines from new voices in your collections and on your table. We envision throwing the doors to the wine industry open as wide as they can go to include everyone, anyone, who shares our love for this planet, for the gifts it gives us, and for the people who bring it all together in your glass.
It is with deep respect and gratitude that we thank you for joining us in this journey of discovery.
Cheers from all of us at Assemblage!
Updates
The Project FAQs
I understand that dollars make change happen. I support this worthy cause and want to see women in every aspect of the wine industry thriving and advancing.
$20 covers note-taking and networking supplies for one Assemblage attendee
$50 feeds one Assemblage attendee and keeps their body fueled so their mind can go to work
$125 covers a one-day ticket for a woman in our community to attend Assemblage via scholarship
$250 or more allows a woman in our community to access the full Assemblage experience - two days of programming, networking evening events, and more
Thank you for giving what you can!
Receive a personal thank you from the Assemblage team + a rad sticker!
Contribute $25 and receive a personal thank you from the Assemblage team, a rad sticker, and a digital download for our Girl Power Playlist on Spotify
Receive the Supporter and GRL PWR Playlist rewards plus a one-of-a-kind Assemblage bandanna.
$100 donors receive the Assemblage SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards plus the Assemblage bandanna and tote.
$250 donors receive the GRL BOSS Package - includes Supporter and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, PLUS one ticket to the Assemblage Symposium ($249 value) and a one-hour professional headshot session with celebrity photographer, Chris Weeks.
Chris Weeks spent over a decade shooting editorial content in Los Angeles for clients like Stella McCartney, the Oscars, actresses Whitney Cummings and Amy Adams, and more.
$250 GRL BOSS PACKAGE II donors receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, PLUS one ticket to the Assemblage Symposium ($249 value) and a signed copy of wine expert and author Katherine Cole's "How to Fake Your Way Through a Wine List."
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Carrie Welch, Owner of Little Green Pickle PR Agency and Co-Founder of Feast Portland ($300 value).
Carrie Welch is Co-Owner of Little Green Pickle and Co-Founder of Bon Appetit Presents Feast Portland in Portland, Oregon. Little Green Pickle provides public relations, marketing, social media and web services for some of the most electric restaurants and artisans in the Portland food and drink scene, as well as national chefs and brands. When Carrie and wife Jannie moved from New York City in 2010 to work in Portland's ingenious food industry, Little Green Pickle originally began as a precursor to their dream restaurant. One service job and many spilled water glasses later, she decided she was better talking about restaurants, beverages, and artisan and Little Green Pickle was born. Little Green Pickle and Feast Portland draw on the past experience of a 10- year career at Food Network as Vice President of Public Relations, overseeing all consumer press, talent relations, digital PR, social media, charitable efforts, and launching successful shows for now ubiquitous celebrity chefs Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, Alton Brown, and Duff Goldman.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Carrie Kalsheuer, Director of Sales & Education for REX HILL Vineyards and A to Z Wineworks.
Carrie began her career in the restaurant industry and decided to make wine her focus after an influential bottle of Amarone while living in Italy. She abandoned a promising future in Philosophy and today is a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Beckoned by the Pacific Northwest and its wines, she boldly moved to Oregon having never visited and fell in love with the outdoors where she hikes, camps, kayaks and paddleboards as often as she can.
Carrie is an expert in brand development, navigating the world of wine certifications and accreditations, direct to consumer sales strategy and implementation, and wine business management.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Bree Stock, Master of Wine.
Bree Stock is a Master of Wine and independent wine industry management consultant, providing advice on wine business development, brand building, and portfolio management. She specialises in wine education developement and consultants on winemaking, blending, marketing and vineyard development. Working with regional vigneron and winemaker associations on issues of quality and style. An independent wine industry management consultant since 2008 specialising in education program development and sensory training for on-trade and oenologists consulting to some of Australia's finest independant retailers and wine education program offerers. She has provided market analysis for wineries and importers, brand analysis and wine business management consulting. An experienced international wine judge since 2008. She has held harvest consulting positions in Australia, Austria, Portugal and the US. She also provides content as a freelance wine writer and speaker for international wine symposiums and publications.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Leigh Bartholomew, Owner and Winegrower for Dominio IV Wines.
Leigh has worked in wine regions around the world, meeting a host of people from a variety of cultures along the way. She gained experience at such respected properties as Domaine Denis Mortet in Gevrey Chambertin; Seresin Estate, Marlborough New Zealand; Robert Mondavi Winery, California; Cain Vineyard and Winery, California; Caliterra/Vina Errazuriz in Chile and Andrew Will Winery in Washington. After nearly fourteen years as Director of Vineyard Operations at Archery Summit Winery, her and her winemaker husband, Patrick Reuter, started Dominio IV Winery in McMinnville. Her vineyard management style is a blend of scientific knowledge and experienced instinct, stemming from years of experimenting with pruning techniques, vine spacing, trellising, cover crop and clonal selection. Well-versed in organic and biodynamic farming practices, Leigh’s philosophy is simple “I feel that beyond respecting the land, these methods also yield healthier and more expressive fruit.”
$750 donors will receive the OREGON WINE-O PACKAGE - including the SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and a voucher redeemable for a mixed case (12, 750ml bottles) of Oregon wines made by, from wineries led by, or from grapes grown by women in the wine industry.
Each bottle is reserve-level, retailing for more than $40 each.
$1000 donors will receive the ASSEMBLAGE IN STYLE PACKAGE - including the SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, PLUS 5 tickets to the Assemblage Symposium ($996 value) and expanded swag bag for each attendee presented at check-in. Expanded swag bags include everything your attendees will need to take advantage of each professional development opportunity and every session at the Symposium plus gifts, goodies, and more!
Perfect for companies!
$2,500 donors will receive the OREGON WINE ESCAPE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and an Oregon wine escape!
Oregon Wine Escape includes:
- Two-night stay for 4 people in the private Archery Summit Winery Guest House
- Exclusive, VIP wine tasting experience for 4 at Archery Summit Winery sampling reserve and single-vineyard bottlings (average bottle price $75), with cave tour and locally sourced cheese and charcuterie
- Professional chef dinner for 4 prepared in-residence at the Archery Summit Winery Guest House
Be a holiday hero(ine)! One $5000 donor will receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, plus the HOLIDAY PARTY HERO PACKAGE.
HOLIDAY HERO PACKAGE includes:
- Private holiday party for 20 at Author and National Wine Celebrity Katherine Cole's Portland, Oregon residence
- Waterfront property with ideal viewing of the Portland Christmas Ships Parade
- Gourmet appetizers, women-made wines, and appearances by prominent Oregon women winemakers
- Guest party favors including signed copies of Katherine Cole's "Fake Your Way Through a Wine List," Assemblage swag, and more..
Purchaser must be able to accommodate a party date of December 17, 2019.
One $10k donor will receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and the ULTIMATE OREGON WINE TRIP PACKAGE.
Package Includes:
- Two night stay in a balcony suite at the luxury boutique Atticus Hotel in McMinnville, OR
- Custom weekend wine tasting itinerary planned according to your interests with private, VIP tastings and tours only with luxury transport
- Private Willamette Valley AVA Exploration Cesna Aircraft Flight with Pilot and Winery Owner Scott Neal of Coeur de Terre Vineyard
- Dinner for two at Tina's gourmet wine country restaurant
- In-room breakfast on the morning of check-out from local provisions hot spot Red Hills Kitchen
- Commemorative bottle of reserve Pinot Noir
Rewards
I understand that dollars make change happen. I support this worthy cause and want to see women in every aspect of the wine industry thriving and advancing.
$20 covers note-taking and networking supplies for one Assemblage attendee
$50 feeds one Assemblage attendee and keeps their body fueled so their mind can go to work
$125 covers a one-day ticket for a woman in our community to attend Assemblage via scholarship
$250 or more allows a woman in our community to access the full Assemblage experience - two days of programming, networking evening events, and more
Thank you for giving what you can!
Receive a personal thank you from the Assemblage team + a rad sticker!
Contribute $25 and receive a personal thank you from the Assemblage team, a rad sticker, and a digital download for our Girl Power Playlist on Spotify
Receive the Supporter and GRL PWR Playlist rewards plus a one-of-a-kind Assemblage bandanna.
$100 donors receive the Assemblage SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards plus the Assemblage bandanna and tote.
$250 donors receive the GRL BOSS Package - includes Supporter and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, PLUS one ticket to the Assemblage Symposium ($249 value) and a one-hour professional headshot session with celebrity photographer, Chris Weeks.
Chris Weeks spent over a decade shooting editorial content in Los Angeles for clients like Stella McCartney, the Oscars, actresses Whitney Cummings and Amy Adams, and more.
$250 GRL BOSS PACKAGE II donors receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, PLUS one ticket to the Assemblage Symposium ($249 value) and a signed copy of wine expert and author Katherine Cole's "How to Fake Your Way Through a Wine List."
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Carrie Welch, Owner of Little Green Pickle PR Agency and Co-Founder of Feast Portland ($300 value).
Carrie Welch is Co-Owner of Little Green Pickle and Co-Founder of Bon Appetit Presents Feast Portland in Portland, Oregon. Little Green Pickle provides public relations, marketing, social media and web services for some of the most electric restaurants and artisans in the Portland food and drink scene, as well as national chefs and brands. When Carrie and wife Jannie moved from New York City in 2010 to work in Portland's ingenious food industry, Little Green Pickle originally began as a precursor to their dream restaurant. One service job and many spilled water glasses later, she decided she was better talking about restaurants, beverages, and artisan and Little Green Pickle was born. Little Green Pickle and Feast Portland draw on the past experience of a 10- year career at Food Network as Vice President of Public Relations, overseeing all consumer press, talent relations, digital PR, social media, charitable efforts, and launching successful shows for now ubiquitous celebrity chefs Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, Alton Brown, and Duff Goldman.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Carrie Kalsheuer, Director of Sales & Education for REX HILL Vineyards and A to Z Wineworks.
Carrie began her career in the restaurant industry and decided to make wine her focus after an influential bottle of Amarone while living in Italy. She abandoned a promising future in Philosophy and today is a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Beckoned by the Pacific Northwest and its wines, she boldly moved to Oregon having never visited and fell in love with the outdoors where she hikes, camps, kayaks and paddleboards as often as she can.
Carrie is an expert in brand development, navigating the world of wine certifications and accreditations, direct to consumer sales strategy and implementation, and wine business management.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Bree Stock, Master of Wine.
Bree Stock is a Master of Wine and independent wine industry management consultant, providing advice on wine business development, brand building, and portfolio management. She specialises in wine education developement and consultants on winemaking, blending, marketing and vineyard development. Working with regional vigneron and winemaker associations on issues of quality and style. An independent wine industry management consultant since 2008 specialising in education program development and sensory training for on-trade and oenologists consulting to some of Australia's finest independant retailers and wine education program offerers. She has provided market analysis for wineries and importers, brand analysis and wine business management consulting. An experienced international wine judge since 2008. She has held harvest consulting positions in Australia, Austria, Portugal and the US. She also provides content as a freelance wine writer and speaker for international wine symposiums and publications.
$500 donors will receive the HER HUSTLE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote ($50 value), one ticket to Assemblage ($249 value) and one hour of professional coaching with Leigh Bartholomew, Owner and Winegrower for Dominio IV Wines.
Leigh has worked in wine regions around the world, meeting a host of people from a variety of cultures along the way. She gained experience at such respected properties as Domaine Denis Mortet in Gevrey Chambertin; Seresin Estate, Marlborough New Zealand; Robert Mondavi Winery, California; Cain Vineyard and Winery, California; Caliterra/Vina Errazuriz in Chile and Andrew Will Winery in Washington. After nearly fourteen years as Director of Vineyard Operations at Archery Summit Winery, her and her winemaker husband, Patrick Reuter, started Dominio IV Winery in McMinnville. Her vineyard management style is a blend of scientific knowledge and experienced instinct, stemming from years of experimenting with pruning techniques, vine spacing, trellising, cover crop and clonal selection. Well-versed in organic and biodynamic farming practices, Leigh’s philosophy is simple “I feel that beyond respecting the land, these methods also yield healthier and more expressive fruit.”
$750 donors will receive the OREGON WINE-O PACKAGE - including the SUPPORTER and GRL PWR awards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and a voucher redeemable for a mixed case (12, 750ml bottles) of Oregon wines made by, from wineries led by, or from grapes grown by women in the wine industry.
Each bottle is reserve-level, retailing for more than $40 each.
$1000 donors will receive the ASSEMBLAGE IN STYLE PACKAGE - including the SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, PLUS 5 tickets to the Assemblage Symposium ($996 value) and expanded swag bag for each attendee presented at check-in. Expanded swag bags include everything your attendees will need to take advantage of each professional development opportunity and every session at the Symposium plus gifts, goodies, and more!
Perfect for companies!
$2,500 donors will receive the OREGON WINE ESCAPE PACKAGE - includes SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and an Oregon wine escape!
Oregon Wine Escape includes:
- Two-night stay for 4 people in the private Archery Summit Winery Guest House
- Exclusive, VIP wine tasting experience for 4 at Archery Summit Winery sampling reserve and single-vineyard bottlings (average bottle price $75), with cave tour and locally sourced cheese and charcuterie
- Professional chef dinner for 4 prepared in-residence at the Archery Summit Winery Guest House
Be a holiday hero(ine)! One $5000 donor will receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, plus the HOLIDAY PARTY HERO PACKAGE.
HOLIDAY HERO PACKAGE includes:
- Private holiday party for 20 at Author and National Wine Celebrity Katherine Cole's Portland, Oregon residence
- Waterfront property with ideal viewing of the Portland Christmas Ships Parade
- Gourmet appetizers, women-made wines, and appearances by prominent Oregon women winemakers
- Guest party favors including signed copies of Katherine Cole's "Fake Your Way Through a Wine List," Assemblage swag, and more..
Purchaser must be able to accommodate a party date of December 17, 2019.
One $10k donor will receive SUPPORTER and GRL PWR rewards, Assemblage bandanna and tote, and the ULTIMATE OREGON WINE TRIP PACKAGE.
Package Includes:
- Two night stay in a balcony suite at the luxury boutique Atticus Hotel in McMinnville, OR
- Custom weekend wine tasting itinerary planned according to your interests with private, VIP tastings and tours only with luxury transport
- Private Willamette Valley AVA Exploration Cesna Aircraft Flight with Pilot and Winery Owner Scott Neal of Coeur de Terre Vineyard
- Dinner for two at Tina's gourmet wine country restaurant
- In-room breakfast on the morning of check-out from local provisions hot spot Red Hills Kitchen
- Commemorative bottle of reserve Pinot Noir