#83 Rania Zayyat, founder of Wonder Women of Wine

Rania Zayyat is the Founder of Wonder Women of Wine (W.W.O.W.) -- a non-profit organization advocating gender equality in the wine industry. Her inspiration? Joining an all male team in her first wine job. Women in the wine industry face a lot of the same challenges we see in financial services, high-tech and other male dominated fields. The W.W.O.W.annual conference focuses on solution-based discussions, networking, and scholarship opportunities to equip women to rise in their expertise. Rania says, "We empower women to adopt leadership roles in all facets of the wine industry, and advocate men to be equal voices for, and activators of, gender equality in wine in both professional and social settings. We foster mentorship between men and women alike in order to change the status quo." Her own business as a wonder woman is called Vintel -- a multi-faceted wine education company driven by creating unique and affordable experiences for our clients through customized wine programs, package design, and focused educational classes. They provide consumers tools needed to further their wine knowledge and help businesses maximize profits in a modern marketplace; all the while, supporting quality-conscious and sustainably produced wines. Curious about the Loire Valley Gamay she talked about? Read up here. Or were you captivated by the light, pepper Spanish Barbera wines she described? Wine-Searcher.comoffers a little education for you…or for me I should say. Read up on how Rania is changing the world of wine for women in the Austin Chronicle. Naturally, the Wonder Women of Wine annual event is postponed to keep us safe from the pandemic, but stay tuned at http://wonderwomenofwine.com/ to find out when it will happen.