Ingrid Best of iBest Wines: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society

We must hold ourselves accountable — we should always be asking ourselves, “what am I doing to help make change?” If your answer is nothing, take the time to look at yourself and your situation and maybe even ask others if you need inspiration. There is ALWAYS room for us to be learning and progressing and the more we’re doing these things, the more we’re headed in the right direction.

As part of our series about ‘5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society’ I had the pleasure to interview

Ingrid Best is the Founder, CEO and Wine Negociant for her namesake wine brand iBest Wines, which will launch with South African wines. Best is a Black and Latina entrepreneur raised in the Bay Area with over 20 years of marketing and sales experience working for the world’s leading wine and spirits companies including Diageo, Moët Hennessy, Bacardi, and Combs Enterprises, and is the only marketing executive who has managed the joint venture spirits partnerships for business moguls Sean “Diddy” Combs and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, with Diageo and BACARDI, respectively. Best is unapologetically challenging the industry’s status quo and has spent her illustrious career vocally pushing for equity and a more diverse industry at every touchpoint in the business.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I was born in New York City and raised in San Francisco by my Puerto Rican mother in a primarily Latino community until I was ten. My sister and I spent a lot of time alone when I was growing up because my mom worked multiple jobs. I graduated high school in Oakland, CA and launched my own music promotions company at 21.

I owe a lot of what I’ve learned in the marketing world to being thrown into the mix and executing guerilla-style marketing when street teams were still a thing. I was able to take what I learned in the music industry and apply it to my work in the wine & spirits industry, which I’ve been doing for over 20 years. I got my start in the wine & spirits industry at Diageo before I spent considerable time at Moët Hennessy on the Hennessy and Belvedere businesses. I then worked at BACARDI managing their partnership with Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s Cognac brand, D’USSE. From there, I became the EVP, Head of Global Marketing, Spirits at Combs Enterprises and oversaw the relationship between Diageo and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ spirits brands CIROC Ultra-Premium Vodka and DeLeon Tequila. I am proud of the fact that I am the only marketing executive who has managed the joint venture spirits partnerships for Sean “Diddy” Combs and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

After working in corporate for nearly 20 years, last year, I set out to fulfill a longtime dream of mine by launching my own wine brand — iBest Wines! I credit much of my success in my career to the hands-on knowledge I gained early in my career, my fearlessness to speak my mind, my openness to learn from others and the world and the grit and determination I learned from my mother growing up.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

“The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne made a profound impact on my life. Reading this book helped me understand the power of manifestation and making your dreams a reality. I dreamed of building of an all-Black-women marketing team, and I brought it to fruition. I dreamed of some day starting my own wine brand, and I’m doing that right now.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

“All good things take time.” Be patient with your life and career journey. My path is a prime example — in 2022, I announced the creation of my own wine brand, iBest Wines. Creating and owning a wine brand has been a dream of mine for a long time. I was patient, worked hard and now I’m in a place where I can make that dream a reality.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

I think of leadership as being of service to others. As a leader, you have many roles, but one of the most important in my opinion is providing mentorship to younger generations who are looking for guidance as they navigate their careers. Leadership is also about trust and respect — in order to be an effective leader, you have to lead in a way that allows others to respect and trust that you will lead them down the right path, whether that be in business or in life.

In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?

Smiling exercises and fresh air really help me relieve stress. Every morning when I wake up, I lay in bed with a smile on my face and it helps set the tone for the day. You would be amazed at the affect thinking positively has on your mindset and attitude.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. In the summer of 2020, the United States faced a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This is of course a huge topic. But briefly, can you share your view on what made the events of 2020 different from racial reckonings in the past?

Murders like George Floyd have been happening forever and they continue to happen still — this simply was the moment in time when people decided it was in their face enough to respond with protest and a stance.

After George Floyd’s murder, a lot of brands made promises and commitments to the Black community, entrepreneurs, and business owners. It’s important that they follow through with those commitments in order to make true, lasting change. I specifically am asking the wine and spirits industry, 1) What are you doing to create a more equitable industry from talent pipelines, hiring practices and shelf placements at retailers? And 2) What brands did you invest in and how are you supporting them otherwise? I am making it a point to hold these businesses accountable for what they promised by checking in with their executive team, asking them to reach across the aisle and dig a bit deeper to see what they can be doing to support the community. We’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to promote Diversity and Inclusion? Can you share a story with us?

I have made it a point in every position I’ve had to find opportunities to uplift and put women, Black women especially, in places of power. While at Combs Enterprises, I hired an all-Black, all-female marketing team — the only one in the spirits industry. I’m continuing that momentum and building a team of talented businesspeople and marketers to lead iBest Wines. It’s important to note that it’s not about showing preferential treatment to Black candidates but it’s about casting a wide net, so Black people are equally represented in the consideration pool along with all other prospects.

Additionally, I was also very purposeful about where iBest Wines would source its wine from. A few years ago, I took a trip to South Africa, and I fell in love with the wine, the culture, the art and the people. The South African wine region has a lower market share compared to some other areas in the world like Napa or Italy, and so I’ve made it my mission to spread the word about the quality of wine and the beauty of the wine region in South Africa. The people who are cultivating the product and telling the stories of the culture need to be celebrated and recognized by the rest of the industry and world.

This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

It’s important to represent the world we live in and the consumers we are hoping to touch, and to be able to celebrate the many cultures and types of people in this world. It’s even more important for that representation to start at the top of a company to not only lead by example, but to show the younger generation that there is room for them to have a seat at the table.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. You are an influential business leader. Can you please share your “5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”. Kindly share a story or example for each.

1. Ensure leaders with a moral compass and ethics are in the right positions — it’s important to have likeminded individuals and those who are looking for positive change to be in places of power. Those who aren’t making diversity and inclusion a priority or those who don’t consider DEI in their business decisions will not help advance your company or the greater community.
2. We must VOTE — change doesn’t happen without action. This goes on the national and local level. The people who are changing and updating laws impact more than we can imagine.
3. We must hold ourselves accountable — we should always be asking ourselves, “what am I doing to help make change?” If your answer is nothing, take the time to look at yourself and your situation and maybe even ask others if you need inspiration. There is ALWAYS room for us to be learning and progressing and the more we’re doing these things, the more we’re headed in the right direction.
4. We must make time for the younger generation and lead by example — the younger generation is the future of our world and it is our duty to mentor and coach them. Whether you’re a parent or a boss or an older sibling, we’re looked up to for guidance to create a more equitable and tolerant society and we need to teach them what it means to be tolerant and accepting of others who look different from you. That is how I’ve raised my son and how I hope everyone raises their children.
5. We must lean into the proven wisdom and leadership of women — I look up to strong women throughout my entire life and have seen them accomplish so many things. That drive and persistence is what has inspired me and my career and is what I hope to pass along to younger women.

We are going through a rough period now. What makes you optimistic about the future of the US? Can you please explain?

I look at this as a learning opportunity and chance to grow, less a rough period. As a Black Woman, I must remain optimistic — my ancestors and the young people of our future are counting on me to be an agent of change. I believe the world is filled with good, hard-working people who want the same things I do and I’m optimistic that in time, change will come.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Michelle Obama. She is the personification of Black excellence. When Barack Obama was elected into office and Michelle became the first Black First Lady, she faced backlash and cruelty. However, that didn’t stop her from being authentic to who she was, even in the face of adversity and scrutiny.

How can our readers follow you online?

LinkedIn: Ingrid Best; Instagram: @ms_Ibest

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!