DTCWS – WISE Rising Star Symposium Scholarships
Are you ambitious, driven, and ready to accelerate your career or your team’s performance in the DTC wine marketplace? With support from industry partners, WISE is proud to offer THREE Rising Star Scholarships designed to build practical, applied skills — at zero cost to the recipient — in recognition of promising professionals and leaders.
Why WISE?
At WISE, we specialize exclusively in winery-relevant education: sales, operations, finance, leadership, customer experience, and performance measurement. Our programs are developed by people who’ve been there — tasting rooms, wine clubs, outbound sales, metrics, and management — and who know which skills actually move the needle.
Classes are delivered live via Zoom (never pre-recorded), making them accessible from anywhere — yet deeply interactive and collaborative. We believe in learning by doing, so WISE creates a safe, hands-on environment where questions, experimentation, role play, peer exchange, and real-world scenarios are part of every course. You’ll leave not just with concepts, but with confidence, actionable tools, and leadership readiness.
Available Scholarships
1. Rising Star Professional Scholarship (Value: $1,275) – one available:
Ideal for: front-line team members, sales support staff, wine club associates, customer experience roles, or anyone focused on DTC revenue generation who wants to build advanced skills.
What’s included:
• Choose either WISE #111 Tasting Room Professional OR WISE #113 Wine Club Professional
• WISE #116 Outbound Phone Sales Professional
• WISE #117 Outbound DTC Texting Professional
A total of 30 hours of foundational, skill-building training focused on guest experience, communication, and sales confidence.
2. Rising Star Manager Scholarship (Value: $2,050 each) – two available:
Ideal for: new or emerging managers, assistant managers, team leads, wine club or tasting room supervisors, or those aspiring to oversee teams and contribute to strategy.
What’s included:
• WISE #201 – Management Core
• Choose either WISE #211 Tasting Room Management OR #213 Wine Club Management
• WISE #205 DTC Metrics Intensive
A total of 45 hours of advanced leadership, team performance, and cross-channel strategy.
Why This Is an Excellent Opportunity
• Full scholarship: recipients pay nothing — all course fees covered through our sponsorship support.
• High ROI: real-world training that supports measurable improvements in sales, retention, guest satisfaction, staff performance and profitability.
• Flexible paths: choose the track and course combination that best matches your current role or desired next step.
• Networking & peer learning: join a cohort of other enthusiastic, growth-oriented wine professionals. Share ideas, compare best practices, and build your network.
• Immediate application: tools, scripts, metrics, coaching frameworks and leadership practices you can put into action right away.
Who Should Apply
You should consider applying if you:
• work in or are moving toward a role in DTC customer engagement, sales, marketing, management or operations;
• have a desire to improve guest experience, grow club membership, strengthen conversion and retention, or raise team performance;
• can commit to active participation: attending live sessions, contributing to discussions, completing assignments or role plays, and applying what you learn;
• want to grow your skill set, your professional credibility, and your ability to shape bottom-line results.
Key Dates
• Applications Open: November 10, 2025
• Applications Close: December 1, 2025
• Recipients Announced: December 15, 2025
• Scholarships Presented: During the 2026 Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
1. Complete Online Application Form
2. Attach Resume
3. Attach One Letter of Recommendation (from a manager, mentor, or industry peer)
4. Essay Responses (within application form)
Selection Process
• Applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee consisting of:
· One representative from WISE
· One representative from DTCWS
· One representative from WineBusiness
• Criteria include:
· Passion for the DTC wine industry and commitment to professional growth
· Thoughtful and articulate essay responses
· Alignment with the scholarship’s intent to foster excellence and innovation
· Demonstrated need or potential for impact within their organization or region