Wooh! This panel dives in at the deep end!

I had the great pleasure of moderating the panel on Women in Management and Leadership, and as one might guess, there were strong convictions and opinions amongst this group: Jena Domingue, vice president of global sales, WineDirect; Molly Madden, CEO and Founder, RedHen Collective; Jill Klein Matthiasson, Vintner, Matthiasson Wines; Debbie Zachareas, partner and wine buyer, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Napa’s Oxbow Wine & Cheese Merchant; Debby Zygelbaum, farm and vineyard consultant.

In our conversations going into this panel it became clear that this group wanted to tackle some difficult and pressing subjects ranging widely from ideas of narrative and how we present ourselves, providing channels for mentorship, issues of inclusivity and breaking glass ceilings as well as floors, and tackling systemic problems. As you will hear–we don’t always agree. There are moments when things get feisty. (A shout-out here to audience member Clare for her eloquent and unifying words at a heated moment.)

If anything, this shows how important having these conversations are. I had audience members approach me afterwards regarding each of the topics to say how glad they were they’d been touched upon–particularly the difficult ones. There is clearly a need to discuss tricky topics openly, but with respect -- Finger pointing leads to conversations devolving quickly. Certainly, any one of the topics we touched on could have had an hour (AT LEAST) devoted to it on it’s own, so these are just jumping off points. There’s easily fodder for many future discussions.

Comically, you’ll hear some commotion in the background as a sanitation truck rolls into fix the port-a-potties. It’s a loud, but perhaps apt, metaphor. We’ve gotta fix this sh*t.

- Nicole

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Featured

Debbie Zachareas, retailer & judge

Debbie Zachareas is a highly regarded wine expert, international judge, and lecturer. Her passion is on display at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Napa’s Oxbow Wine & Cheese Merchant, where she is both owner and managing partner. Over her career, she has helped shape San Francisco’s wine culture through innovative wine programs, emphasizing small-production and sustainably farmed wines. She has developed wine programs at bacar, Ashbury Market, and EOS. Her expertise has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Food & Wine and Saveur.

Debby Zygielbaum, farm & vineyard consultant

Debby Zygielbaum is a farm and vineyard consultant with over two decades of experience farming for regenerative organics and biodynamics, with an extensive background in premium organic wine grapes. She’s an experienced shepherd, has managed olive, fruit, and truffle (yes, truffle!) orchards, and designed and installed edible landscapes as well as hedgerows. She’s also a naturalist with a background in California native plants and horticulture. She copyedits and makes websites in her free time.

Jill Klein Matthiasson, vintner

Jill Klein Matthiasson started making wine with her husband, Steve, in their backyard a month after they started dating. Jill and Steve have since become internationally acclaimed vintners, with their wines being featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, Bon Appétit magazine, In-Style, Decanter, Food & Wine, and The Wine Spectator, to name a few. When Jill isn’t managing the family wine business, she is picking and selling fresh fruit from her orchards, preserving the fruits and vegetables that she grows in her garden, and raising her two amazing sons.

Molly Madden, ceo & founder

CEO and Founder of RedHen Collective, Molly Madden is a passionate businesswoman and community organizer with over 10 years experience in wine importing and distribution across the US and abroad. After working to establish an ambitious wine importer in New York, Molly moved to the Bay Area to develop a new business model that embodies feminist values. Over the past three years, she has worked with a talented team of cooperative business advisors and wine industry specialists to launch RedHen Collective and build the foundation for a new wine economy, with a passion for social impact.

Jena Domingue, vice president of global sales

A San Francisco Bay Area native with over 20 years’ experience in sales, Jena Domingue leads the sales team of WineDirect, which helps wineries sell directly to consumers in the way that works best for them, providing clients with end-to-end sales solutions—from e-commerce to fulfillment—as well as educational materials designed to help them grow. With a passion for wine, especially sparkling, Jena brings best practices to direct-to-consumer sales. Jena loves sports and was a professional cheerleader for Oakland Raiders.