Breaking Barriers in Wine with Stephanie Franklin of Fly Wines Club | Culture X Conversations Ep 1
Release Date: 09/09/2025
In this inaugural episode of Culture X Conversations, hosts Anuroop Kumar and Lionell Ball sit down with Stephanie Franklin, founder & CEO of Fly Wines Club — a woman-owned wine platform redefining how we experience wine. Stephanie shares her remarkable journey: leaving behind a 15-year career in advertising and tech, navigating personal loss, and leaping into an industry where less than 1% of leaders are minorities. Against the odds, she built Fly Wines Club, an importer and distributor that champions underrepresented winemakers and regions — from Turkish to Moroccan to local hidden gems like Gilroy, CA. This conversation dives into:
- Turning grief into purpose: the catalyst behind Fly Wines Club
- Breaking into the “gate-kept” wine industry as a Black woman founder
- Why inclusivity and cultural celebration are at the heart of Fly Wines
- The challenges of licensing, distribution, and scaling in an exclusive industry
- Building resilience, balance, and joy as a founder
- Fly Wines is more than wine. It’s a movement to make wine approachable, inclusive, and a celebration of global cultures. 🍷✨