Somm-antic Drift
Rania Zayyat (she/her/hers) is the founder of Lift Collective, a non-profit organization advocating equity and inclusion in the wine industry. Her experiences in a male-dominated wine culture during her formative years motivated her to create change in the wine industry by elevating marginalized groups and developing a platform to level the professional playing field. An esteemed sommelier, wine educator, consultant, and gender equality advocate, Zayyat is passionate about creating equity in the wine industry via Lift Collective and its respective programming.
Rania is also the Managing Partner and Wine Director at Bufalina, a Neapolitan pizza and natural wine destination in East Austin. Rania has spent 10 years in the wine industry and nearly two decades in hospitality, where she is now a leader in equity and inclusion initiatives–including Lift Collective’s activities.
Rania has been recognized for her work in Zagat 30 Under 30 2015, Forbes, VinePair, The Somm Journal, Wine Enthusiast, The Vintner Project, Wine & Spirits, Sprudge, Eater, Texas Wine Lover, The Doctors, By The Glass Podcast, and The Alexi Cashen Podcast. She was named one of “The Most Inspiring People in Wine” by Wine Industry Network in 2021, listed in Imbibe’s “75 People to Watch in 2021”, named as a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40, and featured in Austin Monthly’s “12 Women Shaping the Future of Austin” in 2021. In August 2022, Rania was named Executive of the Year by The Hue Society at the Wine + Culture Fest in Atlanta, Georgia. Rania is also a co-founder of Be The Change, the wine industry’s first virtual job fair with a focus on diversity and inclusion.