Maryam Ahmed

Maryam Ahmed is making waves one glass of wine at a time. After a successful hands-on career in the food and wine industry, Maryam decided to take her knowledge and share it with others through her brainchild, Maryam and Company. Based in Napa, her creative consulting company centers diversity at the forefront of its work, and Maryam makes certain that prospective clients are effectively committed to diversity, helping marginalized communities, and focused on sustainability. Working to bring innovative and high-impact brand initiatives to her clients through community building, strategic programs, and project management for food and wine brands, her work takes place at the intersection of chefs, sommeliers, activists, sustainability experts, creatives, and visionary organizations.

Breaking the glass ceiling everyday, Maryam is consistently working on being the change she wants to see in the food and wine industry. Maryam’s multitude of accomplishments include: Creator and Co-founder of The Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum (with fellow Hall of Femme nominee Elaine Chukan Brown), Advisor of Black Wine Professionals, Advisor of Bâtonnage Forum, Les Dames d’Escoffier SF Chapter, and Board of Directors member for The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers.

As a leader, Maryam actively works towards diversity and inclusion at all levels of the corporate world, sharing her view on the food and wine industry and how growth in the industry, rather than entry, is a key drive of the lack of diversity. There aren’t enough mechanisms in place to elevate people of color into leadership positions, and Maryam wants to change that. Cheers to you, Maryam.