Greater Boston Chamber Of Commerce: The Urban Grape Wins U.S. Chamber 2021 Small Business Of The Year Award

Press release from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce:

October 22, 2021

Boston, MA - The Urban Grape, a Black-owned, woman-owned small business, and Boston Chamber member, was named the 2021 ‘Dream Big’ Small Business of the Year during an awards ceremony at the U.S. Chamber’s Big Week for Small Business virtual summit. The Small Business of the Year Award, which includes a $25,000 prize, recognizes a small business that exemplifies the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and individual initiative. Urban Grape’s innovative business strategy, rapid growth, and commitment to community development helped them to win amongst 1,000 other applicants from across the United States.

The company’s co-founder and CEO TJ Douglas, along with co-founder and CMO Hadley Douglas, created the Urban Grape Wine Studies Awards program in 2020, which offers a scholarship for a year of courses at Boston University, internships in the beverage industry, and year-round mentoring with world-renowned winemakers, distributors, sommeliers, and chefs. With the creation of this scholarship, TJ and Hadley are leading change and increasing diversity in the beverage industry, which they note is one of their lifelong goals.

The Urban Grape has become one of the most successful independently owned wine stores in the country due to Hadley and TJ’s leadership, innovation, and vision for the future of their business and their community.

This press release was produced by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.