Alicia Towns Franken

Alicia Towns Franken is a wine industry veteran, nonprofit executive, and co-founder of Towns Wine Co., a mission-driven wine company. She spent over a decade as Wine Director at Boston’s Grill 23 & Bar, building one of the city’s most respected wine programs.

Ultimately, though, her passion for building community and working to champion a more diverse wine industry led her to take on the role of Executive Director for Wine Unify, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding access, education, and opportunity for underrepresented voices in the wine industry. Since 2020, Wine Unify has awarded hundreds of scholarships nationwide, creating meaningful access to professional wine education and fostering a more inclusive industry pipeline. In 2025, for this work, she was named a Food & Wine Magazine Game Changer.

Alicia co-founded Towns Wine Co. with her husband, Michael, partnering with women winemakers of color and reinvesting profits back into those partnerships. Her work centers on community, equity, and the belief that the wine industry is stronger when more voices are included. Across education, entrepreneurship, and advocacy, Alicia’s work is rooted in the belief that not only is wine both cultural and communal, it is also naturally inclusive.