A philanthropic purpose is priceless. With her entire life dedicated to serving her county and her community, Destiny’s advice for entrepreneurs is to not only focus on the bottom line but to bring something into your business that brings you joy. 

CLE Urban Winery has formed partnerships with local organizations including Dobama Theater, Graffiti HeArt, Greater Cleveland Foodbank, Hunger Network and The Cleveland Vegan Society. For Destiny, these partnerships recharge and keep her going. 

“That’s what feeds my soul. It’s the reason why I became an entrepreneur in the first place.”

Small businesses need flexibility with products and services. While CLE Urban Winery was shut down at the start of the global pandemic, they had to find new ways to connect and sell. They accomplished this through the creation of wine tasting boxes, which include five samples of wine and a small pairing of food—as well as instructions and wine descriptions. It was important to Destiny for the wine tasting experience to continue while her customers were safe at home—and to remain part of the experience by personally delivering the boxes herself.

They also set up an online shopping platform—CLE Urban Winery now ships anywhere in Ohio. 

A good brand is always looking for new ways to be creative. In a market that has its ups and downs, creativity is key for survival. One way that CLE Urban Winery maintains a competitive edge is through its ability to cross over different consumer segments. In recognition of the steadfast popularity of cocktails, Destiny and Dave developed wine cocktails. A favorite wine cocktail among patrons is called the Cleveland Manhattan and is made with blueberry Merlot. The winery also appeals to craft beer drinkers through its creation of Hopped in the Heights—a dry-hopped combination of Sauvignon Blanc and beer.

Destiny has also created a CLE Urban Winery wine club—currently comprised of approximately 145 members—who she refers to as her VIPs. The red-carpet treatment for these VIPs includes special perks such as access to wines created just for club members, behind-the-scenes access to festivals, and other unique opportunities for wine exploration and education.