Pronghorn, co-founded by Erin J. Corridor, Dia Simms, and Dan Sanborn, is a stand-alone enterprise devoted to making a template for the best way to successfully diversify any business for any underrepresented group, beginning with the spirits business and the Black neighborhood.
Pronghorn goals to revolutionize the beverage alcohol business by fostering range and supporting Black entrepreneurs via capital funding, enterprise incubation, and profession growth. Dedicated to bridging systemic gaps, Pronghorn’s technique accommodates three major pillars: Funding, Supercharging, and Bridge Constructing, which incorporates investing in Black-owned spirits manufacturers, providing tailor-made mentorship, and creating alternatives throughout all profession ranges.
Pronghorn’s partnership with Ten To One Rum embodies these ideas. Based by Marc Farrell, Ten To One goals to re-imagine rum by mixing pan-Caribbean heritage with a unprecedented product. Farrell, a Trinidadian native, created the model to problem conventions and elevate rum’s repute within the U.S., the place it’s typically misunderstood.
“All through the Caribbean, rum is a revered spirit with a centuries-long historical past and heritage, whereas in America a number of that tradition finally ends up getting misplaced in trope-ish rum narratives of pirates and plantations, spring break, and so on. Launching Ten To One within the U.S., we noticed an infinite alternative to remodel perceptions of rum, and champion a narrative of unity, neighborhood, and progress that’s on the very coronary heart of genuine Caribbean tradition.”
Ten To One’s blends, crafted from rums throughout Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, and Guyana, are fully additive-free, versatile, and have been acknowledged with over 100 awards.
The title “Ten To One” displays Caribbean unity, impressed by the, “One from ten leaves zero.” This spirit of neighborhood extends to its branding, storytelling, and occasions, such because the “Kindred Spirits” cocktail guide that includes Black bartenders, in addition to frequent collaborations with Black and Caribbean artists and creatives. Farrell wished to encourage customers to rethink what rum can ship and its broader significance throughout cultures.
Ciara, Ten To One’s co-owner, brings her inventive imaginative and prescient and entrepreneurial insights to the model. “I beloved Marc’s mission to reimagine rum,” she shares, recalling her first rum expertise at 21. She notes parallels between crafting music and constructing a model, each requiring collaboration and creativity. Ciara emphasizes Ten To One’s sense of neighborhood, celebrating its position in nurturing connection and delight.
“After spending time with the model and getting to know the various ways in which Ten To One can flex and carry out inside a few of your favourite cocktail mixtures, I can actually say to all different spirits, something you are able to do, rum can do higher.”
The place do bartenders slot in, it’s possible you’ll ask? Bartenders play a pivotal position in amplifying Ten To One’s story, which Pronghorn helps via collaboration and training. “Bartenders are the gatekeepers of spirits tradition,” says Sanborn, and Ten To One’s heritage and high quality resonate with their craft. Farrell is intrigued by the quantity of creativity and innovation the model has skilled in a brief period of time.
“I hear bartenders say that they will create virtually something utilizing our rums, whether or not it’s a riff on an quaint or Negroni, an espresso martini or one thing completely totally different. In actual fact, we’ve had an unimaginable run of “Daiq-Off” competitions this 12 months with our bartending communities throughout New York State and Chicago, which have yielded a number of the most spectacular, surprising cocktails I’ve tried to this point. In the end, we would like our product to encourage customers to open the aperture of what they assume rum can ship. If I had a greenback for each particular person, who after making an attempt Ten To One, mentioned – ‘I by no means anticipated that’ or ‘who knew that rum might be this superb/good/versatile?’ — properly… I’d have a number of {dollars} at this level!”
Pronghorn’s experience has enhanced Ten To One’s development, making it one of many fastest-growing super-premium rums within the nation. Sanborn credit their strategy, as they provide strategic perception, from provide to advertising and marketing, empowering founders to scale their companies. Pronghorn’s broader mission is equally bold, in keeping with Sanborn.
“Our intention is to ship $2.4B in financial affect, improve various founder and govt illustration within the business, and doing so to proceed to assist this vibrant business rooted within the notion of celebration. I consider the mannequin we have now constructed for Pronghorn actually shall be a template for the best way to diversify any business.”
The expansion of the premium rum class displays a broader shopper need for genuine tales and high quality craftsmanship. Ten To One is a shining instance of how custom and innovation can intersect, providing a contemporary perspective on Caribbean rum. With a dedication to illustration, the model isn’t solely reshaping the rum narrative but additionally making a path to significant cultural affect via its partnership with Pronghorn.
