Oregon Nonprofit Announces First Class of Interns from Across the Country for Flagship Internship Program
PORTLAND, Ore. (June 13, 2022) – Our Legacy Harvested (OLH), a nonprofit founded in 2020 dedicated to educating, advancing and empowering the BIPOC community at any career level within the wine industry, has announced its first class of five interns for the 2022 season.
The four-month internship program focuses on BIPOC individuals at any career level that want to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Interns will be placed with one to two Willamette Valley wineries in either Direct to Consumer (DTC) or wine production. Our Legacy Harvested will provide interns with a scholarship to cover certain basic needs as well as a supportive and safe community to explore the Willamette Valley and Oregon wine industry. The first OLH interns include Raven Blake, Marcela Alcantar-Marshall, Kenyan Carter, Dr. Kimberley Dockery and Denzel Green.
The Wine Production Internship launching in August 2022 focuses on vineyards and production at the winery. The hands-on experience ranges from viticulture and harvest activities to winemaking in the barrel room, teaching how the winery manages the vineyard, makes harvest decisions and production activities from bottling, blending, science of determining brix, testing when ready to pick, learning about cost and the many other decisions made at a smaller winery. Dr. Kimberley Dockery will intern at Compris Vineyard (previously Vidon Vineyard). Kenyan Carter will intern at Nicolas-Jay, Denzel Green will intern at WillaKenzie Estate, and Marcela Alcantar-Marshall and Raven Blake will intern at Adelsheim Vineyard.
The DTC Internship launching in May 2023 focuses on hospitality and front of house operations. The hands-on experience includes working under the DTC lead at the winery with exposure to many facets of the hospitality business and working with the team including front of house manager, wholesale business, event specialist, wine club manager, shipping, and general manager. Interns will learn budgeting, sales strategies, marketing, customer relations, inventory management, and all activities related to tasting room operation.
Founded in 2020 by Tiquette Bramlett, president of Compris Vineyard, previously Vidon Vineyard, and the first Black woman hired to oversee a winery in the country, OLH works to welcome and better represent the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. OLH interns will be welcomed into a hands-on mentorship experience throughout four months, from August through November 2022, including lodging, transportation and the ability to work in a desired field of the wine business. Outside of working hours, interns will experience educational programming, social outings and networking opportunities to foster a safe and supportive experience. Interns will have opportunities to connect with industry representatives and members of the BIPOC winemaking community to encourage strong, lasting relationships.
OLH is led by an all-female team: Tiquette Bramlett, Founder; Charlotte Bramlett, Chief Financial Officer, Diana Riggs, Associate Director, and Brittney Guthmiller, Development Director. The long-term goal of OLH is to build a permanent campus, used to host pop-up events, fundraisers, dinners, educational seminars, and to foster the growing and evolving BIPOC wine community, partnering with tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards.
“Bringing the vision of educating, advancing and empowering the BIPOC community in the wine industry to life through our internship program is exactly what we’ve been working towards,” said Bramlett. “Supporting entrepreneurship and education will help individuals at any career level advance in this industry and we’re looking forward to welcoming our first interns in August, just in time for harvest season.”
2022 Intern Bios:
DENZEL GREEN @_fasttimes_
My name is Denzel Green and I’m from Alexandria, Louisiana. I enjoy cooking, dirt bike/atv riding, gardening, horse handling, and of course all things wine. I also like to travel, which is how I discovered my love for wine and the wine making process. A trip to the Willamette Valley in 2017 cleared the way to a new path that was, otherwise, hazy before. I’ve been on a few career paths but now I believe I have finally found the one that serves me the best.
DR. KIMBERELY DOCKERY @drkdock
Dr. Kimberley Dockery is a licensed family therapist who focuses on helping women. When she is not working, she enjoys learning about wine, farming, and accessibility. Kimberley loves art, music, and creating plant based desserts.
KEYNAN CARTER @keynanlee2
Pittsburgh born, and Atlanta raised. I had a lot of interests from playing basketball, to writing terrible poetry/short stories, reading, and listening to music by the Mighty Mos Def to Mumford & Sons and everything in between, I discovered my desire for food and wine when I got my first restaurant job at an Italian restaurant, and I tasted Sangiovese for the first time. Over the last few years, I’ve been attempting to finish a degree in Communications, establish myself in a career, and further my wine knowledge through the WEST, now officially hold a Level 2 certification. I look forward to continuing to learn from this unique experience.
MARCELA ALCANTAR-MARSHALL @panther.creek.farm
Marcy has lived in Oregon for the large majority of her life and has recently moved a few miles west of Carlton, Oregon to live in the country. Marcy studied abroad, in England, for several years working towards and obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, from Leeds Beckett University. She worked in construction as a Project Engineer for six years and during that time, she worked on a number of high-profile projects including the expansion of the Max Light Rail Service in Portland. Marcy has a strong passion for nature which is one of the reasons her and her husband decided to move their family to the country. They have two children, two dogs and a cat that all enjoy the freedom that country living offers. They have built a hobby farm, that is sometimes confused as a small zoo, which includes chickens, goats and they are about to welcome two miniature donkeys to their growing homestead. Marcy is very excited to start a new educational journey in agriculture and looks forward to immersing herself in viticulture
RAVEN BLAKE @petitesommelier
Raven A. Blake (all pronouns) is a creative, cultural & community organizer, food justice activist, sommelier & hospitality professional who has worked in various parts of the food and wine industries, with their knowledge culminating from their work in various restaurants, wineries, food & beverage media, and retail between the NYC area & Connecticut. Raven comes from a long lineage of African American & Jamaican farmers and is inspired by the activism and love of their great-grandparents, grandmothers, and parents. Their food justice lens has been shaped by experiencing food apartheid for most of their life while working in the hospitality, food & beverage culinary media industries, where they noticed a harmful trend; the projection of false perfection and erasure of global majority culinarians, narratives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and recognition of BIPOC’s contributions to the culinary world. Raven’s commitment to their work, storytelling and food sovereignty are rooted in their core belief that our stories, real food, our healing, as well as safe, healthy environments and climate resiliency, are absolutely essential for all living beings and the earth. Raven is honored to be a part of the inaugural OLH harvest cru as they follow their passion for winemaking and using food & beverage to connect communities and inspire positive change.
ABOUT OUR LEGACY HARVESTED
Our Legacy Harvested mission is to educate, advance and empower the BIPOC community at any career level so that tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards may be welcoming to, and may better represent, the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. Founded in 2020, Our Legacy Harvested works with individuals to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Our Legacy Harvested values partnering with wineries to ensure tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards better reflect the diverse world of wine they represent.
