Diversity & Inclusion
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Oct
26
SciSoc
Working with Crafted For All
Diversity & Inclusion
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Dr. J (J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham)

Dr. J is an equity and inclusion strategist who provides consulting and training to individuals and organizations in the craft beverage industries.

Pink Boots Society works to Assist, Inspire, and Encourage Women in the Fermented Alcohol Beverage industry to advance their careers through Education. We strive to welcome and include ALL women into our membership and serve them in an equitable way. Pink Boots Society was inspired to partner with Crafted for All when we realized that we needed to know more about the intersectional identities of our members in order to meet their needs. Crafted for All’s Educational focus, combined with a responsive structure that utilizes data matches the needs and values of Pink Boots Society.

Working with Crafted for All means Pink Boots Society is creating and sustaining a more Inclusive and Equitable organization for all women. We are beginning with a survey which will lead into the process of discovering how we can build a stronger sense of belonging and support for our 2400+ current and potential members. We’ve had to ask ourselves some challenging questions and be open to continual adaptation and change.

Pink Boots Society believes that working with Crafted for All will challenge us to become more responsive to the diverse needs of our membership. We will do this by identifying gaps in accessibility and equity in our programs, and we will create solutions to support those who have been underserved. Pink Boots Society understands that there is no singular outcome of this process, and that we are committed to ongoing action. This work never ends, but we know it facilitates the positive transformation, and resilience of our industry.

Jun
19
SciSoc
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Update
Diversity & Inclusion
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Pink Boots Society
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Update
June 19, 2020

The Pink Boots Society Board of Directors has been actively discussing how we can make a meaningful impact on the inclusivity and diversity of our membership and our industry in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. To add action to our support of this movement, we are charting a long-term diversity plan that will extend far into the future.

It is no secret that the beer industry lacks diversity. Pink Boots Society exists to promote and inspire industry women through education, but we’ve been tackling the challenge of how to reach a more diverse membership when the industry itself lacks diversity. In order to proactively address obstacles such as these, we plan to identify ways that we can support Black women and other disenfranchised groups in our industry with the goal of helping to break down the blatant  ̶  and often hidden  ̶  barriers that exclude so many people from enjoying the best that the beer industry has to offer.

As we speak, our Board is reaching out to professional diversity consultants and speakers who can inform PBS on our long-term strategic plans for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We are also launching a Diversity Task Force and developing a budget for our DEI efforts. We are dedicated to taking concrete action toward social justice and to continue to support change within our industry. If you are interested in being a member of our new Diversity Task Force, please reach out to us today at membership@pinkbootssociety.org.

As many of you may know, PBS has recently opened up membership eligibility to include women in all fermented beverages. We genuinely hope this expansion is just one step in helping to create a more diverse membership.

While the Board continues to move forward in the aforementioned efforts behind the scenes, we invite all of our members to join us in taking action on the frontlines as well. Reach out to your local chapter, your fellow members or your co-workers to find ways you can be part of the solution. Ask yourself how you can get involved and help increase diversity within Pink Boots and the industry as a whole. Pink Boots Society is a non-profit organization. Our efforts are driven by member volunteers who dedicate our spare time to serving all of our members. Your needs  ̶  and the needs of all women in our industry  ̶  are truly the focus of our society.

We invite you to get involved today through one of the below action items:

• Support the voices of Black women through nominations to our monthly membership spotlight that add more visibility to the industry experiences of all of our members.
• Contribute to our blog by sharing your personal experiences. Blog posts can be submitted to socialmedia@pinkbootssociety.org.
• Keep the conversation going by engaging with members nationwide on Instagram and Facebook.
• Expand the circle of those you reach out to with leadership and volunteer opportunities by nominating women of color, older members, new members and more reserved members of your Chapter, among other groups that are less likely to be heard in our industry.
• Ensure you encourage a range of member feedback and insight from everyone that attends your meetings, instead of relying on only those that typically offer input.
• Help us in creating a more inclusive society. If you notice a barrier to Pink Boots membership based on personal characteristics, including, but not limited to race, sexual orientation, physical ability or age, let us know at membership@pinkbootssociety.org.

The voice of the Pink Boots Society belongs to you – our members. We welcome hearing any and all of your concerns or suggestions as we move toward a more inclusive and diverse organization. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Chapter Leader or the Board at any time. We want to hear from you!! We will keep you updated with our progress in our blog.

Jun
9
SciSoc
Black Lives Matter
Diversity & Inclusion
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We at Pink Boots Society support our members, we support those who are not our members, and we pledge to continue to work towards ending the systemic racial injustice that has put our Black sisters and brothers at risk every day. We believe Black Lives Matter. We will actively work to better our organization to become more supportive of people of color. We will become a better ally. We hear you, we support you, and we believe CHANGE needs to happen right now.

We would like to think that beer brings people together, and provides a common ground of communication, understanding, and joy, but this is not the reality. PBS understands that the beer industry, like too many others, perpetuates and upholds barriers that prevent Black people, people of color, and other disenfranchised people from capitalizing on the benefits of the beer industry. This is absolutely not acceptable, and we are committed to breaking down the barriers that make our industry so pointed, shallow, and narrow.

We will ensure that PBS is a safe place, which means that we expect our members to state their ideas, keep asking questions, and pushing the limits of who we serve, while all the time being treated with respect from our sister members. We plan to maintain an open forum that will lead to needed change. There should be no question that Black women and all other women of color will always have our support.

If there are organizations local to you to help to make a change in your neighborhood, we encourage you to get involved and grow these partnerships. Partners that reach beyond beer and seek social justice are our allies. Please reach out to us. We need to be better!

To our women of color, there is power in your voice and we will work with you to make sure it is heard.

With respect from your Pink Boots Society Board of Directors,

Laura Ulrich
President

Jen Jordan
Vice President

Jennifer Erickson
Treasurer

Cat Wiest
Board of Director

Anita Riley
Board of Director

Ellen Sherrill
Board of Director

Megan Parisi
Board of Director

Carli Smith
Board of Director

Mary Anderson-Leichty
Board of Director