We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyia Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Once I became a level 2 sommelier in January 2019, I knew that I wanted to build a foundation of bringing more notoriety by representing the black population of sommeliers. With only about 12% of us in this field, I was inclined to be open-minded to seek the many possibilities of working in the wine industry. Hence I created my business Wine Kulture with a “K” in August 2020 to emphasize my ideology of what a sommelier is to me. My business, Wine Kulture, is a method of educating individuals on the basis of wines/spirits through the means of wine tastings/pairings, traveling, and lifestyle. Fast-forward to 2023, I utilized my sommelier skills by becoming a digital content creator to share with my audience a relatable experience in showing the lifestyle of a sommelier.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What helps me to stand out in this business is by expressing myself through social media. My growth on diverse platforms like Instagram/Tiktok has allowed me to provide a personable connection with my audience to attract more individuals into learning about wine, traveling, and lifestyle! I’m so proud that many other black wine professionals on social media like me are growing to educate the new generation about wine. What I’m mainly proud of is that I recently received a wine scholarship through the Roots Fund which is a nonprofit organization focused on securing a pathway for the BIPOC community in wine. To have recently received such an esteemed scholarship will eventually open up more opportunities for me to into being a full-time traveling sommelier and to further my wine certifications. Many people may think that tasting wine is easy, but for the last 6 years that I have been on my wine journey, it has been extremely hard. I have fought to build the recognition that is deserved and the notoriety of what life is like being a black sommelier. In addition, I want the world to know that my business Wine Kulture isn’t just about tasting wine, it’s a lifestyle. The importance of business to is always strive for the best by always knowing your worth for yourself and in society.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best thing about being a Houston Digital Content Creator is that we know ALL the spots in Htown! Also, I love trying new things/places, and that allows a genuine ambiance to show you how Texas folks really get down. One of my favorite brunch spots is The Warwick, you can’t ever go wrong with $20 mimosa carafes. For dinner, I love the vibe of The Bungalow which sits close to the downtown bars & speakeasies creating a fun & unique ambiance right after a delicious meal. For activities, you gotta check out Habibi Bazaar Lebanese rug tufting class or Breaklife Houston where you get to relieve some stress and literally break WHATEVER you want!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of my biggest supporters would easily be my family but especially my mother, Charlotte Thomas. Growing up in Texas with a Mother from the South taught me the levels of respect for others. Her continuous teachings of “never giving up” and “having faith”, made me grow to love and have respect for chasing after my dreams by being a wine entrepreneur. She is always ready to hear my ideas and give positive constructive feedback to assist me in growing my business. The old saying is that there is no better teacher than your parents, and she has shaped me to always be knowledgeable on even the most minor things in life. In addition, I would also like to give credit to my Psychology mentor Christine Awad. Although she assisted me in preparing for my career in medical research, she taught me the use of actually utilizing my psychology background to strengthen my mastery in my world field and my wine profession. Also, she’s heavily into wine like me so we are perfectly paired!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/alyiaashley_?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyia-thomas-06271254

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alyiaashley_?_t=8d5aP8XKI94&_r=1

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