Taleeka Franklin was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to two teenage parents in the 1980s. Their sacrifices offered her opportunities of culture and diversity which led to her playing the trumpet in the 4th grade. Her band performances led to her falling in love with hotel venues by the tinder age of 11 years old. She went on to study Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at this nation’s first H.istorical B.lack C.ollege/U.niveristy, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree, she worked for some of the top hospitality management companies and hotel chains in the world. Starting as a Front Desk Agent out of college growing to be an Area Director of Revenue overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets for several hotels throughout the East Coast from Boston to Key West. This journey sophisticated her palate through corporate functions, wine tasting events, and vineyard visits. Taleeka also volunteered her time throughout her college and professional career, giving to charities, to then initiating her own communal programs in Philadelphia and New Jersey. She has since left the corporate field due to the Covid-19 Pandemic but was able to use her quarantine time to focus on her wine venture and execute her vision.

Her roots are by way of Madison, Georgia where she relocated in 2019 to be close to family, pursue her entrepreneurial goals, and build communal efforts throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area. Taleeka created Wine4Culture manifested by her passion for both wine and revolutionary change in a social climate in which minorities are striving to be more aware of those who paved the way for them. Her labels bring our leaders to life using augmented technology starting with Harriet Tubman as her first prototype. Starting off ordering international grape juice for home brewing, she is now developing her great grandfather’s old club into Franklin Winery in Madison, sourcing grapes from local Georgia farmers. After she launches and cultivates the land over time, her goal is to harvest a grape vineyard here as well. Records currently place her as the 2nd Black Owned Winery in the state of Georgia after TTB (Tax& Tobacco Bureau) approval.

Not losing sight of giving back, 10% of profits feed directly into Lydia’s Promise non-profit which provides culinary and hospitality mentorship for at risk youth www.lydiaspromise.org.