Executive Director

Alicia Towns Franken began her career as the Wine Director for Boston’s famed Grill 23 & Bar, where she worked for over a decade to build one of the city’s most respected wine programs. During her tenure as Wine Director, she earned numerous accolades from organizations and magazines including Boston Magazine, The Boston Globe, Les Dames d’Escoffier and Wine Spectator.

Ultimately, though, her passion for building community, working to champion a more diverse wine industry, and innate talent for mentoring young wine professionals led her to take on the role of Executive Director for Wine Unify, an organization who’s mission is to welcome, elevate, and amplify the voices of underrepresented minorities in the wine industry. In her current role as the Executive Director of Wine Unify, Alicia's dedication to driving positive change shines through. As a champion for diversity in the wine industry, she actively advocates for greater representation and inclusivity. Through Wine Unify, Alicia is fostering a more equitable and welcoming environment, creating opportunities for underrepresented voices and celebrating the diversity of cultures and experiences that enrich the world of wine.

As a personal extension of her work with Wine Unify, Alicia Cofounded Towns Wine Co, with her husband Michael Franken. Towns Wine Co. is a wine company that aims to amplify underrepresented voices in the wine industry. They partner with female winemakers of color to help tell their stories and showcase their talent and regions. They reinvest the profits back into their partner winemakers to not only promote diversity and representation but also: economic empowerment, encourage entrepreneurship, cultural diversity in winemaking, changing industry norms, customer preferences.

Alicia lives in Boston with her husband and their two children. She is actively engaged in her community serving on the boards of The Esplanade Association, Board of Advisors of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Leadership Council of The Posse Foundation.