Diageo North America announces Pronghorn, a diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiative

24 May, 2021

Diageo North America has announced Pronghorn, an economic initiative to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion in the spirits industry.

The drinks group has teamed up with industry veterans, Dia Simms and Erin Harris with the goal of promoting equal representation of the Black community in the industry by stimulating entrepreneurship, recruitment and retention.

“Diversifying the industry accelerates innovation and competitiveness, and our strategic approach to recruit, retain and advance the Black community and communities of colour within the industry alongside Diageo North America couldn’t be more necessary and timely,” said Pronghorn co-founder, Erin Harris.

“We understand first-hand the importance of being motivated and the critical need for ownership and participation at every level of the category.”

The Black community, which accounts for 12% of US consumers, is underrepresented within the drinks industry. Pronghorn will seek to address this inequality by identifying and nurturing  new brands while supporting emerging businesses with capital investment.

“It's important that the Black community is represented on both sides of the bar, from brand creation to boardrooms and everywhere in between,” said Dia Simms, Pronghorn co-founder.

“We're proud to partner with Diageo to make sure that the Black community has a seat at the table. And anywhere there isn't enough room at the table we’ll build a bigger table.”





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