Tonya’s charitable work has a widespread effect across the industry. While at One Market Restaurant, she curated an impressive wine list with a bold style and flavor profile, which included increasing the offerings to feature wines made by women, Black and Latino winemakers and producers. When the restaurant expanded to include retail and art gallery space, Tonya established Women in Wine, a group by and for women to improve representation in the industry. That led to the launch of Tonya’s Summer Wine School featuring varietals made by women.
Her outreach continued with the annual LightHouse for the Blind event—a blind wine tasting held at One Market Restaurant every day in the month of November. Featuring wines generously donated by the wine community, all tasting proceeds go directly to the charity.
In 2020, Tonya joined Wine Unify, a conscious movement located in Napa Valley, to mentor people in the Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) community, as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community who are pursuing education and careers in the wine industry.
A product of mentorship herself, Tonya pays tribute by mentoring young people and especially giving women and people of color a seat at the table. Some mentees are cooks and pastry chefs looking to transition to front-of-house roles as hosts, maître-d’s or wine directors. In 2016, she began a professorship with the University of San Francisco Hospitality Department, working with students on food and wine pairings. As part of Wine Unify, Tonya is a mentor, ambassador and advisory board member.