Jen Pelka is a co-Founder and CEO with a passion for empowering women. Featuring world-class wines made by women, Jen has used values-based branding to build her business, Une Femme Wines, into the fastest growing sparkling wine brand in the US.
After finishing college, Jen began her career working for a hedge fund in New York and thought that was the start of a long-term career. However, she found herself completely taken with restaurants, chefs, and cooking, leading her to accept an internship at a Michelin-rated restaurant. This opened her up to the world of hospitality and restaurants that completely changed her career path.
Jen opened her first restaurant, a champagne bar called The Riddler, with capital she raised from 100% female investors in 2 locations - New York and San Francisco. Jen infused her passion for empowering women into her restaurants by attracting top-level female chefs and sommeliers and creating a pro-female atmosphere that they eventually became known for. As a result, she was able to build an incredible community of women.
Jen talks about how she originally started her current business, Une Femme Wines, as a side hustle that she and her brother decided to turn into a full-time venture. At Une Femme, Jen seized on an untapped niche that her customers were increasingly asking for - wines from female producers. That led to partnerships with female winemakers as well as giving back to female charities, all of which are aligned with Jen’s big passion for empowering women to start businesses and get better access to capital.
Jen opens up about the very difficult decision to close The Riddler restaurants, as a result of the pandemic, and how she uses what she learned from that experience to inform her approach running Une Femme, including prioritizing balance and self-care to help her be the best leader she can be in her business.
Jen discusses landing a national partnership with a major airline that she says put Une Femme on the map and the demand she sees for value-based brands. She goes on to discuss the biggest challenge for smaller wine brands who want to break into business and how brands like hers are helping to clear the way for small or unusual founders to get into the wine industry.
Jen describes how she was able to raise capital from all female investors for her businesses as well as her more recent Series A fundraising for Une Femme. She goes on to share her goals for the future of Une Femme such as expanding internationally, new product offerings in development, finding new ways to work with a community of women, and her exciting Hall of Femme program which recognizes women who are shattering the glass ceiling.
Finally, Jen reveals the difference between what we hear out in the business world compared to what’s real and provides valuable insights for other entrepreneurs. Break out your favorite glass of bubbly and prepare to be inspired by Jen’s passion for sparkling wine and empowering other women.
View episode details at https://podcast.stephaniehayes.biz/episode-72/
Find Jen at:
Website: https://unefemmewines.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unefemmewines/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unefemmewines/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/unefemmewines
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unefemmewines/
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