86 Harassment is a groundbreaking industry-wide initiative addressing sexual harassment within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries
New York, NY – August 27, 2024 – Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits and 86 Harassment Council Member, has been awarded the SevenFifty Daily 2024 Drinks Innovator Award for galvanizing the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries to address sexual harassment through the groundbreaking Women of the Vine & Spirits key initiative, 86 Harassment
Launched in March of this year, 86 Harassment (www.86harassment.com) offers education, customized training and confidential survivor support through a 24/7 confidential, crisis hotline in English and Spanish.
Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a safe and respectful workplace free of harm, 86 Harassment is an accessible resource to support employers, employees, and patrons alike at no cost.
86 Harassment aims to create a model that can be duplicated by other industries worldwide emphasizing a collective commitment to fostering safer environments and industries at-large.
SevenFifty Daily’s Drinks Innovators program honors individuals who are working to address issues in the drinks industry, such as creating more equitable workplaces and making positive change through collective effort. The 2024 class of honorees represents a diverse group of visionaries who are elevating our workplaces to create a more dynamic and diverse beverage alcohol industry.
Deborah Brenner is honored to have been selected as a 2024 Drinks Innovator alongside a powerhouse group of awardees. Deborah accepts the recognition on behalf of the entire 86 Harassment Council and Industry Sponsors, who has been instrumental in financially supporting the development and growth of 86 Harassment.
Receiving this recognition from SevenFifty Daily is a marker of the concerted effort of 86 Harassment, which has only been possible due to the ongoing generosity and support of industry sponsors, Brown-Forman (www.brown–forman.com), Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (www.distilledspirits.org), Pernod Ricard North America (www.pernod-ricard-usa.com), Republic National Distributing Company (www.rndc-usa.com), Spirits Canada (www.spiritscanada.ca), and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (www.wswa.org).
“I am incredibly humbled to have received this recognition and to accept it on behalf of everyone who worked so hard to make 86 Harassment a reality,” said Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits and 86 Harassment Council Member. “This recognition reflects the phenomenal support of our industry sponsors who have committed financial support, many hours, brain power, and innovation to the creation and evolution of 86 Harassment. I can’t thank the team at Brown Forman, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Pernod Ricard, Republic National Distributing Company, Spirits Canada, and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America enough — this recognition is for all of us.”
Thanks to the generous financial funding of 86 Harassment Sponsors, 86 Harassment provides employers and employees with the following free resources:
- Customized Trainingfor the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries on setting boundaries and bystander intervention, including “Creating A Safer Community,” developed and conducted by RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization (www.rainn.org), and “Active Bystander Intervention” and “De-Escalation Training” for hospitality staff developed and conducted by Safe Bars (www.safebars.org). Additional training to be announced.
- Industry-specific Dedicated Confidential Crisis Intervention Hotline operated by staff at RAINN. Telephone Crisis Intervention Services available in English and Spanish. The hotline staff are available 24/7 to support communities with industry-specific crisis intervention, empathetic listening, and warm handoffs to designated local service providers. The Hotline provides quality, anonymous, and confidential crisis intervention services in English and Spanish to support survivors within our industries.
- Centralized Resource Hub including glossary key terms and phrases, articles, reports, newsletters, and educational resources for anyone in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.Handouts, toolkits, postcards, flyers, stickers, posters, available to download, print and post on walls on-premise, off-premise, offices and use at conferences, and events.
Become an Industry Sponsor of 86 Harassment
Industry Sponsors are invited to join 86 Harassment by committing to financial support, gaining industry-wide recognition, and participating in the initiative’s council. If you are interested in becoming an Industry Sponsor, please contact Elizabeth Boyd, elizabeth@womenofthevine.com
To learn more about 86 Harassment visit www.86harassment.com
About Women of the Vine & Spirits
Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS) is the only global membership organization dedicated to empowering and advancing women across every industry sector and all three-tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. Women of the Vine & Spirits is an organization for members to connect through our global and diverse network and collaborate across all industry sectors. Providing members with resources and opportunities to thrive is the cornerstone of our organization’s success. We offer steadfast support to equip women at every position in the field with membership benefits that include education, training, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and networking as well as tools, services, and resources for personal and professional development. We use storytelling to cast a light on experiences common to women and highlight the successful career paths of the women currently driving our industry to a more inclusive and equitable future. Together, we are a committed community, taking action, and making a positive impact on the beverage alcohol industry, through business development & innovation (BDI), worldwide. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.
Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members include Charter Member: Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Diamond Members: Breakthru Beverage Group; Pernod Ricard USA; and Republic National Distributing Company; Platinum Members: Constellation Brands; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; O’Neill Vintners & Distillers; and Suntory Global Spirits. For a full list of Corporate Members including those at the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Associate level, visit the Corporate Members tab at womenofthevine.com
About 86 Harassment – A Women of the Vine & Spirits Initiative
86 Harassment is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. It serves as a collaborative effort to provide resources, support, and education to create safer work environments for all employees and customers. 86 Harassment is led by Women of the Vine & Spirits, in thanks to the generous financial support of our Sponsors, who hold a seat on the 86 Harassment Council: Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO, Women of the Vine & Spirits, Elizabeth Boyd, Vice President, Women of the Vine & Spirits, Francis Creighton, President & CEO, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Michelle Cubbon, Associate General Counsel, Pernod Ricard North America, Catherine Eaton, Vice President, Finance and Operations at Spirits Canada, Sarah Fitzmaurice, Chief of Staff, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Leah Kelly, Manager, Global Alcohol Responsibility, Brown-Forman, Melissa Linehan, Region President, Republic National Distributing Company. Industry Sponsors: Brown-Forman, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Pernod Ricard North America, Republic National Distributing Company, Spirits Canada, Pernod Ricard North America and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. For more information, please visit www.86harassment.com.
