The Roots Fund
The Roots Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that provides scholarships, mentorship, harvest internships, career placement, and educational programs to BIPOC individuals pursuing careers in the U.S. and international wine and spirits industry, funded through donations and an annual charity auction with Zachys.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersStamford, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Roots Fund does
The Roots Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the United States and founded in 2020 by Executive Director Ikimi Dubose-Woodson, Hue Society founder Tahiirah Habibi, and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. Headquartered in Stamford, CT (mailing) with a Brooklyn, NY office, it operates an integrated portfolio of programs serving underrepresented (BIPOC) individuals pursuing careers in the wine and spirits industry: scholarship funding (including WSET certifications and degree support), a paid Harvest Internship Program placing scholars at partner wineries domestically and internationally, a mandatory Mentorship Program using a reverse-mentorship model, Career Placement Services, the Fermenting The Future high school outreach program, the Rooted In France graduate scholarship (with Domaine Dujac and Burgundy School of Business), enrichment trips to international wine regions, and the Rooted Together Wine Tasting Guide educational content product. It maintains regional programs including the HBCU Wine Tour and Rooted In Lodi.
The organization has no traditional product technology stack beyond a Squarespace-hosted website (therootsfund.org) and Givebutter-based donation processing; its core "platform" is a coordinated set of human-delivered education, mentorship, and placement services, supported by a network of educational institution partners (UC Davis, Cornell, Washington State, Sonoma State, Napa Valley College, Finger Lakes Community College, Linfield University) and employer partners (Heitz Cellar, DeLille Cellars, Chateau Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Grand Cru Selections, Louis Roederer).
The Roots Fund generates no commercial revenue; it is funded entirely by charitable donations, organizational sponsorships, and auction proceeds. Its primary fundraising vehicle is the Annual Charity Auction Gala, held since 2022 in partnership with auction house Zachys and hosted at venues including Tribeca Rooftop (2023) and the Crown Club at Barclays Center (2024-2025), with BSE Global as a multi-year donor and venue partner. Programs are provided at no cost to beneficiaries. Since 2020 the organization reports having raised over half a million dollars, created 100+ scholarships, and supported 200+ scholars.
The Roots Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Roots Fund
- Legal name
- The Roots Fund Incorporated
- Website
- https://therootsfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Roots Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that provides scholarships, mentorship, harvest internships, career placement, and educational programs to BIPOC individuals pursuing careers in the U.S. and international wine and spirits industry, funded through donations and an annual charity auction with Zachys.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Roots Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Industry Education and Career Development
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)
Keywords
Where The Roots Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stamford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Roots Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: The Roots Fund operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by charitable donations from individuals, organizations, wineries, and educational institutions. Primary fundraising events include annual charity auction galas.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Roots Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Roots Fund provides scholarships, harvest internships, mentorship pairing, career placement services, and international enrichment trips to underrepresented communities (BIPOC) seeking to build careers in the wine and spirits industry. It also runs the Fermenting The Future high school enrichment program and the Rooted In France graduate scholarship in partnership with Domaine Dujac and the Burgundy School of Business. All programs are offered free of charge to scholars and are funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual charity auction gala held with Zachys.
Product overview
The Roots Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a unified platform providing end-to-end support for underrepresented communities pursuing careers in the wine and spirits industry. The organization operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product: its core offerings include Scholarship Programs for tuition and WSET certifications, the Harvest Internship Program for hands-on winemaking experience, Mentorship Program for industry guidance, and Career Placement Services for job placement. Supporting programs include Fermenting The Future for high school outreach, Rooted In France for international education, Enrichment Trips for cultural exposure, the Rooted Together Wine Tasting Guide for wine education, and the Annual Charity Auction Gala for fundraising. All programs work together to provide financial support, education, mentorship, and career development, fostering long-term success in the beverage industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scholarship Programs Financial support for underrepresented communities to pursue education in wine and spirits, including WSET certifications, HBCU programs, and university degrees in enology, viticulture, and related fields. Available free of charge to selected scholars.
- Harvest Internship Program Immersive, hands-on harvest experience placing interns at partner wineries for practical winemaking training, with housing assistance, transportation support, and compensation provided by host wineries.
- Mentorship Program Mandatory mentorship pairing for all scholars, featuring reverse mentorship processes where industry professionals share wine knowledge while learning about scholars' life experiences, with monthly conversations and happy hours.
- Career Placement Services Job placement support connecting scholars with wineries, retailers, restaurants, and distributors, including resume repair, interview training, and alignment with inclusive businesses.
- Fermenting The Future Career and technical high school enrichment program exposing underrepresented youth to educational and career opportunities in the wine and beverage industry, including campus visits, winery tours, and parent informational sessions.
- Rooted In France Scholarship Partnership with Domaine Dujac and Burgundy School of Business offering HBCU or college graduates a Master's degree in Wine & Spirits Business, studying in Dijon, France for 14 months.
- Enrichment Trips International and domestic wine region visits including France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and New Zealand, with passport assistance, travel, meals, and transportation fully covered.
- HBCU Wine Tour Program bringing wine industry education and opportunities to Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the United States.
- Rooted In Lodi Regional scholarship and education program focused on the Lodi wine region, providing pathways into the wine industry for underrepresented communities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ scholars supported since 2020
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Roots Fund
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Roots Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Roots Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and major.
- ZachysflagshipZachys auction house has partnered with The Roots Fund for annual charity auction galas since 2022. Zachys hosts live and virtual auctions of wines and experiences donated by world-renowned estates, with proceeds supporting The Roots Fund mission.
- Domaine DujaccoreJeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac approached The Roots Fund to create the Rooted In France scholarship, building a bridge across the pond for wine education. Domaine Dujac co-sponsors the scholarship program with the Burgundy School of Business.
- Burgundy School of BusinesscorePartner institution for the Rooted In France scholarship, offering MBA of Wine & Spirits Business or Master of Science in Wine Management. Led by Dr. Jérôme Gallo, the School of Wine & Spirits Business is in top 1% of business schools worldwide.
- UC DavisminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program, exposing students to wine and hospitality related programs.
- Napa Valley CollegeminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Washington State UniversityminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Sonoma State UniversityminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Cornell UniversityminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Finger Lakes Community CollegeminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Linfield UniversityminorEducational partner for campus visits as part of the Fermenting The Future program.
- Grand Cru SelectionsmajorFinancial supporter and major connector in wine. Provided significant support for the 2024 and 2025 auction events.
- Louis RoedererminorSponsor for auction events supporting The Roots Fund mission.
- Heitz CellarcoreWinery partner that has hired Roots Fund scholars for harvest internships and full-time positions. CEO Carlton McCoy Jr. is President and CEO of Heitz Cellar and co-founder of The Roots Fund.
- DeLille CellarsminorWashington state winery that hosted Roots Fund harvest intern Magdalena Morales.
- Chateau Ste Michelle Wine EstatesminorWashington state winery where Roots Fund scholar Lindsey Von der Weppen represents as a wine pioneer.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Roots Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Roots Fund social profiles
Digital presenceThe Roots Fund compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Roots Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Roots Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Roots Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Roots Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Roots Fund
What does The Roots Fund do?
The Roots Fund provides scholarships, harvest internships, mentorship pairing, career placement services, and international enrichment trips to underrepresented communities (BIPOC) seeking to build careers in the wine and spirits industry. It also runs the Fermenting The Future high school enrichment program and the Rooted In France graduate scholarship in partnership with Domaine Dujac and the Burgundy School of Business. All programs are offered free of charge to scholars and are funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual charity auction gala held with Zachys.
Is The Roots Fund a public or private company?
The Roots Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Roots Fund founded?
The Roots Fund was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Roots Fund based?
The Roots Fund is headquartered in Stamford, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Roots Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.
Does The Roots Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Roots Fund.
What industry is The Roots Fund in?
The Roots Fund's product category is Wine Industry Education and Career Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.