Cofounders of Maker Wine—Sarah Hoffman, Zoe Victor and Kendra Kawala.

It’s been a long day at work. Dinner is on the table. You sit down to unwind, pouring a glass of your favorite wine. It hasn’t crossed your mind lately about the type of wine you purchase, where it comes from, or how the wine bottles impact the environment. All you care about is that it’s pleasing to the palate.

But what if knowing more about your wine made it taste better? What if there was a company making strides and disrupting an age-old industry? Would you take notice?

Zippia reports that only 17.8% of winemakers are women, and out of that percentage, only 1% are Black. Sarah Hoffman, Kendra Kawala and Zoe Victor, cofounders of Maker Wine, made it their mission to improve these statistics while pushing boundaries within the industry.

The premium canned wine brand focuses on elevating the profiles and products of wineries led by women and minorities. They’ve managed to secure $2.3 million in funding from key investors and stakeholders such as Pear VC, Marcy VP and the Chainsmokers. Dominating the online domain for canned wine sales, the DTC company has a robust online community with over 40,000 members and a Can Club of 2,000 members, all thriving through a unique tech experience. As a testament to their quality, Maker has 12 wines with 90+ point scores and 43 gold medals from renowned competitions like the SF Chronicle Int’l Wine Competition, Sunset Int’l Wine Competition, Sommelier’s Challenge etc.

Moreover, the company has achieved over $5 million in total sales since its inception, sold over 350,000 cans in the previous year and is regarded as the top online retailer of canned wine.

Hoffman, during a Zoom interview, emphasized the importance of profiling diverse winemakers and not simply talking about diversity. She stressed upon their commitment to make wine culture more inclusive, considering all aspects from the mode of drinking to patronage. She highlighted the fact that only a miniscule percentage of winemakers are women, among which an even smaller fraction are women of colour. Their business thereby conferred opportunities to a wider range of producers by virtue of its approach.

Prior to her current role, Hoffman was responsible for managing user acquisition and multimillion-dollar marketing budgets for several companies, right from their inception up to their IPOs. She has vast experience in this domain, having worked with Eventbrite and Right Side Up, a growth marketing consultancy empowering brands like StitchFix, Masterclass etc.

Maker Wine is revolutionizing the market with their trendy canned wine.

After deciding to pursue her master’s degree, Hoffman met Kawala at Stanford Business School. The pair instantly hit it off thanks to their shared enthusiasm for the food and beverage sector.

Before delving into the world of wine, Kawala staged an impressive career as a healthcare management consultant at Huron Consulting Group. She greatly contributed in the areas of operations, innovation and B2B sales, even spearheading Huron’s highest-ever consulting project involving over $100 million. Upon relocating to California for Business School, she was introduced to the intricate industry of wine and realized she wanted to be a part of it.

Kawala speaks fondly of her first experiences within the world of wine: ‘I was completely enchanted by the authentic process of winemaking and the global role it holds. I thought, ‘There’s so much about the wider world of wine and its creators that the public should be educated on.’”

While engaged in market analysis, Hoffman and Kawala enrolled in a course named “Global Dynamics of the Wine Industry”. Their lecturer eventually became one of Maker’s earliest angel investors. Victor, having established a successful career in consumer technology, joined the team after meeting the other founders through Stanford connections. She has previously spearheaded corporate strategy and operations for entities such as Xbox and others.

The founders began the company with a commitment to distribute superior quality wine in an innovative, disruptive way that also uplifts neglected segments of the market. One primary hurdle was to overcome the societal bias against canned wine.

Describing the scenario, Kawala said, “”Essentially, the feedback we got was, “It’s unfeasible. You’re being unrealistic.” We had to convince people that cans can be associated with premium goods rather than just soft drinks and inexpensive products. We proposed that individual wineries would allow us to use their wines, their expertise, their brand identity, and their narratives. We further proposed that consumers were prepared to purchase wine in a novel way and through an online platform.

Hoffman and Kawala stationed themselves outside high-end stores with soda cans enveloped in high-quality wrapping paper. They collected customer feedback to validate their concept. Following this market research, they started creating their brand and reaching out to wine producers. The makers wanted to see innovative packaging. The team at Maker focused on delivering a can that does not allow light exposure or oxidation and doesn’t spoil the wine’s taste due to corking. In addition to being fully recyclable and free from corks, these cans also have a minor environmental footprint when compared to bottles.

Terah Bajjelieh, owner & winemaker of Terah Wine Co

The cofounders considered it crucial to highlight underrepresented creators like Terah Bajjelieh, the owner & winemaker of Terah Wine Co. The fundamental purpose of Maker’s mission was to support fellow female winemakers by promoting their brands and accounts on a wider scale through direct sales.

“Witnessing a female-led start-up such as this one growing rapidly in the beverage industry and achieving commendable milestones in a relatively short time is exhilarating,” shares Bajjelieh. She mentioned the Battonage Forum’s statistics that only 30% of U.S. businesses are women-owned, while a mere 14% of wineries have a woman at the helm as a lead winemaker. The notion of potential empowerment through collective growth and support is a powerful one.

Since its initiation in 2020, Maker has demonstrated massive growth and disrupted the existing market, thereby offering consumers superior options. The cofounders’ key strategies as they continue to grow their brand include:

“I love, as a marketer, the magic moments with your product,” Hoffman concludes. “Everyone remembers that first moment they have when they have a glass of wine that you’re like, ‘Oh, I really like this. I understand how wine can be this art and special thing.’ I think a second moment when you realize that you can have a really great glass of wine not just from a couple of established brands you know, but from these craft producers that have a story that has something special there.”