About

Toast to Humanity® emerged from a promotional concept conceived by Bonnie Skop and Kenneth Chase. It combines their passion for the wine and entertainment industries with their commitment of contributing to humanitarian causes. The concept has now become a worldwide campaign that is one of the most unique and ambitious cause-branding promotions in the wine industry. Toast to Humanity’s mission is to raise funds and awareness for non-profit organizations while creating consumer confidence and loyalty for their client's products.

The sharing of goodwill is our core purpose. Proceeds from Toast initiatives support causes our brand partners feel strongly about— the arts, the eradication of AIDS, peace-building, the welfare of women and children— all causes striving for the betterment and enrichment of humanity.

The Service Organization

  • Toast to Humanity works at the center of a value chain - leveraging the purchasing power of consumers and the marketing power of brands to raise support for humanitarian causes. Service is a cornerstone of the Toast to Humanity model. Toast is organizing itself as an expert resource for its brand partners in the field of socially-responsible branding and marketing.
  • In many respects, our not-for-profit business model shares similarities with a for-profit advertising agency,however the critical difference being that Toast to Humanity is a registered charity, and all profit generated by these services directly benefits humanitarian causes. In addition, we work in tandem with existing advertising agencies to create a win/win with our partners.

Board of Advisors

Snapshots of Activities

kenchase

Kenneth Chase

Co-Founder, Toast to Humanity

Ken Chase is a classically trained wine merchant with an international reputation spanning the globe.

Ken Chase is a classically trained wine merchant with an international reputation spanning the globe. His formal education in Canada was at Loyola of Montreal and then the University of Freiburg in Germany. His wine studies focused in France, Germany and Italy where he lived and studied for eight years. These formative years in the vineyard gave Ken a yearning to see how the rest of the world made wine and through different apprenticeship programs he began to study throughout the classical wine growing regions of Europe.
Born and raised in Montreal, Ken is fluent in French, English and German. These three languages made his cultural adaptation very easy. Ken consults world wide on many wine projects and runs his business from his office in Oakville, Ontario Canada. His educational programs on wine are keeping him busy as he travels the world expounding on wine and how simplistic and fun it can be. It is his dream to take the mystery out of wine and share his passion with others.

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  • Wine consultant To Delta Airlines world wide
  • Created the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon in Canada.
  • Created the award winning wine program for Wardair & Canadian Airlines
  • Wine consultant for Canadian Airlines
  • Blends and creates wine for top restaurants and hotels
  • Developed three wineries in both viticultural and technical aspects
  • Active as committee chairperson for the wine trade in the push to privatization of the alcoholic beverage business in Canada
  • Created and consulted with the American Express Wine Club
  • Participants regularly as a judge in wine competitions world wide
  • Is a member of numerous wine brotherhood associations around the world including Chevalier de Tastevin
  • Consulted with the ICARA group of Luxembourg on viticultural projects in China
  • Lectures world wide on wine
  • Consults with wine producers on consumer tastes and market developments
  • Spokesperson for VINEXPO, the world’s largest wine fair

Toast To Humanity was created by Bonnie as a way to combine her passion for the wine and entertainment industries with her experience in helping charitable organizations via cause branding promotions and productions.

The concept of Toast To Humanity started when Bonnie missed her flight out of Toronto, Canada and met a manager who was talking up their wine consultant for their airline and that she should speak to him about a wine promotion. Upon her arrival home to South Florida, she quickly assembled a team of experts who could help make her concept a reality. Bonnie Skop
Toast To Humanity has now become one of the most unique and ambitious cause branding promotions in the wine industry.

Coupled with her Bachelors degree in Telecommunications (Television Studies) from Michigan State University with a minor in Film from the University of California Los Angeles (U.C.L.A) and an extensive background in marketing and advertising, Bonnie’s diverse experience has proven to be essential in the development of Toast To Humanity. Her career has led her into areas of production, promotion, publicity, all areas of advertising fromconceptualization to implementation and the development of cause-branding and event marketing opportunities that enhance her client’s overall integrated marketing campaigns.

Bonnie helped to develop new product launches for Brother International, Alamo International, Delta Dream Vacations International and Nantucket Nectars. She was also deeply involved in the development of an international music variety television series and licensed merchandising for Chicago-based sponsorKIDSProductions / sponsorKIDSCharities and handled publicity and promotions for a ten-city international theater production which also benefited children’s charities out of Miami, Florida. Other accounts and productions Bonnie has successfully handled include Stephen J. Cannell Productions, East of Doheny Productions, Cirque Ingenieux, Live From South Florida... It Is Saturday Night, Rock The Castle Concert Series, and Romance Writer’s Promotions.

Bonnie Skop

Co-Founder, Toast to Humanity

The world renowned Sommelier and Wine Educator Charlie Arturaola has an impressive palate. He continues to work with the best and most prestigious eno-gastronomic names.

He can be found at the most famous wine festivals, including the Boston Wine Experience, the NYC Wine Experience, the Slow Food Golden Glass Wine Competition in San Francisco, the Jackson Hole Wine Auction, and the Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

He has been featured as a speaker at FENAVIN in Spain, at Paladar do Brasil in Sao Paulo, at VinItaly in Verona and the Miami International Wine Fair. He is the founding Sommelier of the Masters of Food & Wine at the Park Hyatt Mendoza, Argentina.

He has been a judge at the London based International Wine and Spirit Challenge, the American Fine Wine Competition and the Argentine Wine Awards.

In addition to judging, teaching and speaking, Charlie has written articles for USA Weekend Wine Watch, the Art of The Times in Los Angeles, Wines From Spain, E-Catas in Spain and Diario del Vino, Mexico. He wrote the prologue and the preface of “Este Vino es Bueno?,” a book by Joaquin Parra, coming out in Spain in March 2011.

He also does wine cellar appraisals for Chubb Insurance, Fireman's Fund and for individuals.

Arturaola starred in the movie, El Camino del Vino. It is a fictionalized documentary based on his life, filmed in Mendoza, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. El Camino del Vino, The Ways of Wine, recently won the prestigious FIPRESCI (Federacion Internacional de la Prensa Cinematografica) at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in November 2010.

Charlie worked for Drew Nierporent's Myriad Restaurant Group, the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, the Gulf Hospitality Group in Marco Island Florida and subsequently opened Academia di Vino in NYC. He began his career with Cunard Cruise Lines.

He is the president of Grappolo Blu, Inc., a comprehensive wine consulting business started in 2007.

He is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.

Charlie Arturaola

Founding Board Member

Sold The Golfer’s Advantage (magazine only) to Frey Media in 1999 and became the publisher of the South Florida Golfer’s Guide.

Michael Launched the Golfer’s Advantage in 1997 which was a publication showcasing golf, entertainment and dining in the South Florida area

Played professional golf for two years after attending graduate school on various golf tours throughout the US

MBA from Nova Southeastern University with a specialty in Management Information Systems

Undergraduate - Two years at the University of South Carolina/two years at Nova Southeastern University

Michael Choma

National Sales Manager, Digiday

The entrepreneurial bug bit Greg Salmela early in his life— experimenting with a series of small business initiatives from as young as age ten. Following high school, Salmela pursued an avid interest in design, establishing a career as a graphic designer and working in senior capacity for a number of advertising agencies. However, in 1994 Salmela re-embraced his entrepreneurial tendencies by acquiring a design firm called Designmode, followed in 2000 by the acquisition of a second firm called Anno Domini, ultimately putting both companies under the single banner of Aegis.

Aegis represents Salmela’s desire to bring design into a more critical arena. A consultancy that takes its cues from anthropology more than from marketing, Aegis is helping clients achieve greater clarity in how they communicate and connect to their audiences. Since its acquisition, Aegis has won recognition for its work with an impressive list of international companies, including 3M Corporation, Fidelity Investments, The Thomson Corporation and Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Greg Salmela

Principal, Aegis

Tony Mitchell Bio 2019

Tony Mitchell is an entrepreneurial minded leader who brings a great diversity of experiences to the table. Currently, Tony serves as a Director and the Immediate President of the Michigan Spirits Association - a 50 year old organization working with the legislators and regulators in the state to improve the economic environment and growth of the spirits industry responsibility. Under Tony’s leadership, the MSA now publishes its own magazine called “Pure Spirits”, and holds consumer tasting and education events at interesting venues around the state such as the Detroit Historical Museum.

Tony is a leader of National Accounts Management for Infinium Spirits, working with brands like Templeton Rye, Seagram’s Vodka, Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Corralejo Tequilas, Kerrygold Irish Cream and others. Previously, Tony spent more than 12 years in positions of escalating responsibility with Brown-Forman working on great brands like Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Southern Comfort, Sonoma Cutrer, Korbel & others. Tony has also worked at the distributor level and has owned and or managed properties in the hospitality field including independent and chain restaurants, and served as the Food & Beverage Director at the famous Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.

Tony holds an MBA and an MS in Finance from Walsh College, as well as a BBA in Marketing from Walsh College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Tony was featured in the 2015 Forbes Investment Guide as “An Unknown All-Star” of Money Managers for his 28% average annual return over the previous 10 year period in a portfolio that he manages for Marketocracy.com. Tony’s portfolio continues to do well and is often written about on Forbes.com

Tony also founded and directs the “Skins and Pins for NAMI-Metro” charity golf outing, which he has grown for 14 straight years, and which is now the #1 fundraiser for this all volunteer organization providing advocacy, support & education to the families of, and those struggling with mental wellness.

Tony

Tony Mitchell

National Account Manager, Infinium Spirits

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

CEO, Thurgood, Marshall Foundation

Jonny Taylor

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

President, SHRM - Society of Human Resources Management

James Sichel

Proprietor, Maison Sichel

James Sichel

James Sichel

Proprietor, Maison Sichel and Chateau Palmer

Mark Esterman

Wine and Spirits Category Manager, Meijers

Mark Esterman

Mark Esterman

Full Beverage Alcohol Buyer, WinCo Foods

Richard Sowalsky

General Manager / Winemaker, Clos Pegase Winery

Richard Sowalsky

Richard Sowalsky

Manager of Procurement, Palm Bay International

James Brady

Founding Partner, Toast to Humanity International

James Brady

James Brady

Founding Partner, Toast to Humanity International

 

Peter Iglesias

COO, Royal Dutch Distillers

Peter Iglesias

COO, Royal Dutch Distillers

 

Peter Iglesias

COO, Royal Dutch Distillers

James (Jim) Cannavino

(Past) Senior Vice President, IBM

Past Board of Advisors

Steven Becker

Senior V.P. / Treasurer, Southern Wine & Spirits

Fabian Unterzaucher

General Manager & Partner, The Weston Poinsett Greenville (SC)

Vivien Gay

Advisor,
International sales director, Silver Oak Vineyards

Joseph M. Gill

Managing Partner, The Golf Consultancy

Barry Larvin, MW

President Wine Design