S.A.C.R.E.D.: Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development

Would you please support SACRED with your vote? When I started raising money in 2013-ish to help support projects in rural Mexico, I was honestly touched by the number of people willing to contribute. It was mainly people working in the hospitality industry and drinkers who'd read about Mezcal and wanted to know more. Then the gang at Dark Matter Coffee showed up. Their generosity forced me to formalize S.A.C.R.E.D.: Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development as a 501c3 not-for-profit. Then spirits brands started asking to contribute. What I'd found touching had grown to overwhelming. Then I got a call from 1% for the Planet. They said an anonymous Tequila company was interested in making SACRED the beneficiary of their commitment to contribute 1% of their gross annual revenues to causes that had been vetted as being good for the planet. Would we be willing to go through the vetting process? Of course! Clearing that process, I was told that 818 Spirits was that anonymous company -- and, with that call, our ability to support projects in rural Mexico grew literally by 1,000%. This little hobby I started, I was hoping it was doing some amount of good. Now ... it's beyond humbling to see what SACRED has become. That partnership with 818 Tequila has enabled us to fund a library in rural Jalisco, the re-wilding of an agave field in that same community, the rebuild of a small family distillery in another part of that state, and the build-out of a community plaza in Michoacan. Earlier this year, 818 funded a mountain community in Guerrero to dig a well, to mitigate their water insecurity. And there are still more projects in the works. Seeing these milestones is all the award I need. But I’d sure like to be able to help my friends at 818 Tequila receive the recognition from 1% for the Planet for which we've been nominated. We’re up for the 1% for the Planet Summit Partnership Award. Should we win, I’ll be invited on stage to spread the word about 818’s kindness and generosity. And I’ll also get the opportunity to talk about the real partnership. SACRED is just the connecting point between communities willing to welcome us to support them in their efforts to fix problems and the people and companies who want to provide that support. Talking about those communities — who I think hold some answers to the problems we face as a global community — that’s the real win. So please vote, at https://lnkd.in/ggB8cV-V -- voting closes September 2, 2024

We were honored to be included in this conversation. Thanks, Davines Group | Certified B Corp, for the invitation, and 1% for the Planet and 818 Spirits for the introduction!

Very kind coverage in Mexico News Daily by Lydia Carey last week -- read the story at https://lnkd.in/gDYJR7f8

SACRED Board member Connie Bank will be joining a global crew of adventurous minds this February 20–22 at see.change session Building bridges across perspectives, industries, and cultures is a major key to innovation. Join Connie and her fellow See Change-ers for enriching days brimming with talks, labs, and outdoor activities that aim to foster a greater understanding of our interconnectedness. Explore how contemplative practices can empower you to overcome challenges and thrive. Unlock new strengths and insights in your work and life by inviting in your own contemplative practice. Six themes guide curated sessions with diverse leaders, fostering resolutions, relationships, and new perspectives. Topics include applying ancestral wisdom into modern contexts; a multimedia approach to optimize storytelling in your brand; bridging perception gaps in the evolving space industry, designing built environments that better serve people, industry, and the planet; the art of transforming conflict; the potential of aquaculture products and the reality of slow-moving supply chains and environmental obstacles, and so much more. Reach out at https://lnkd.in/ebWhJFuG to learn more and register