A phone call between two women during the pandemic morphed into an idea for an unscripted series. We were strangers then, but by April 15, 2021, we channeled our creativity and formed Fresh Glass Productions LLC to be the conduit to representation through storytelling, community engagement, and advocacy. A month later, we brought our vision to life with Fresh Glass.
In Theresa’s journey in the entertainment industry and my journey as an entrepreneur, we realized representation, particularly in storytelling was absent. Entrepreneurship supports infrastructure development for education, business training and mentorship, and other social needs. Most importantly, entrepreneurship creates community, particularly in underrepresented and underserved groups. Data shows that:
• Minority-owned businesses bring in $1.3 trillion in annual receipts. (SBA)
• 36.1% of all Black-owned businesses are owned by women—higher than any other racial group. (USA Facts)
• Minority-owned employer businesses account for over $280 billion in payroll. (SBA)
Considering these numbers, the stories of the individuals whose statistics were reflected in them were missing from the airwaves and thereby rendered invisible. The faces, the journeys, and the hard lessons learned; none of them were shown on any platform until Fresh Glass.
Season One debuted on KPBS on September 15, 2022. This 6-episode series introduced myself as a Host who traveled throughout California seeking adventure while bringing awareness and authenticity to viewing audiences. From the first Indigenous winemaker to the first Black woman to own a winery in the United States, Fresh Glass told the stories and spirits of trailblazers and pioneers in their fields
.Airing on 30 channels in 12 states and streaming on KPBS and PBS, we received two Emmy nominations and one win for Magazine Program. It was a surreal moment, and this achievement would not have been possible without the support of KPBS, our sponsors, and viewers.
Theresa and I are in production for Season Two, and need your support in continuing to create groundbreaking television. More than ever, diverse stories must continue to be told, and we look forward to continuing this journey with your help.
Sincerely,
Co-Creator
Co-Creator
Co-Founder
Cassandra Schaeg is an Emmy award-winning storyteller, advocate, and entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurial ventures emphasize the advocacy and storytelling around women and BIPOC communities in food, beverage, and entrepreneurship. As the Founder of SIP Wine & Beer, a tasting room in Escondido, CA, Cassandra utilizes community, culture, and conversation to bring awareness, garner support, and get the stories of underrepresented brands to audiences nationwide.
Cassandra holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science from California State University Chico and a master's degree in Public Administration from National University. She also serves as a Board of Trustee for Palomar College. Her mission is to equip women and BIPOC communities with tools to advance and navigate their personal and professional endeavors.
Co-Founder
Theresa is an Emmy award-winning writer and producer who believes people can be moved and inspired through storytelling. In her career as a storyteller, multimedia writer, and producer she has worked to highlight stories often underrepresented in media. Her credits include the 2017 KPBS series Re'flect, which chronicled the lives of aging adults.
Other clients include Disney Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Michael Young Media, Vogue, Bigfoot Productions, and the International Film and Television School. Theresa's published works include the non-fiction titles "Love, Luck and Lore" (2006 Conari Press) and "The Movie Uncyclopedia" (2012 Amazon Digital). Theresa has a Theatre Arts and Communications degree from Whittier College.
Viewership
Viewership is pivotal in shaping the modern world, directly impacting society, culture, and the economy. In media and entertainment, viewership drives the success and relevance of content. Whether it be television shows, films, or online streaming platforms, viewership determines the popularity and sustainability of programming.
Beyond the entertainment industry, viewership also influences the dissemination of information and the public's awareness of critical issues.
Season One's viewership reached over a million through public television and streaming outlets. With Season Two in production, both will reach national syndication through American Public Television (APT). APT distributes public television programs nationwide for PBS member stations, independent educational stations, and the Create and World television networks.
This collaboration ensures Fresh Glass reaches audiences nationwide. With an estimated reach of 30 million viewers in 2024/2025, our mission to be the conduit to representation through storytelling, community engagement, and advocacy thrives for generations.
44.7 million
General audience primetime viewers each month
15.3 million
Monthly unique users across PBS.org, and PBS Mobile App, and PBS OTT App
187.7 million
Annual full episode general audience streams
Ratings & Reach
Reached 44.9 M P18+ viewers (in 2019-2020)
Over-indexes the U.S. average with African Americans and other ethnicities Attracts viewers from all income ranges with 45% having HH income of $50,000 or more
Earns up to 76% of stations' main channel average rating, with average station at 33%
Create's U.S. coverage is comparable to the Cooking Channel and surpasses long-time cable
Importance of Diverse Programming
Focusing on industries such as food, beverage, and entrepreneurship entertains audiences while highlighting the many successes of underrepresented communities. Research from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reflects the continued work to normalize racial, ethnic, gender, and LGBTQ+ representation.
Wine, Beer, and Spirits Representation:
- Less than one percent of US wineries are Black-owned or have black winemakers-a statistic that parallels the number of black US farmers.
- Of the 4200+ bonded wineries in California, approximately 14% of them reported a woman as their lead winemaker in a 2020 study.
- 2% of breweries employed female brewmasters and only 3% were led by a female CEO
Racial and Ethnic Representation: Historically, television has been criticized for its lack of diverse representation, especially when it comes to racial and ethnic minorities. In recent years, there have been efforts to improve representation, with more diverse characters and storylines being featured in TV shows.
Gender Representation: Gender representation in television continues to be a topic of discussion. Women have often been underrepresented or portrayed in stereotypical roles, but there have been positive shifts toward more complex and diverse female characters in various TV shows.
LGBTQ+ Representation: The representation of LGBTQ+ characters and storylines in television has increased over the years, with more shows featuring openly LGBTQ+ characters and exploring LGBTQ+ issues.
Age Representation: TV shows have often focused on younger characters, but there has been growing awareness of the importance of portraying older adults in diverse and realistic ways.
Entrepreneurship: Black business growth was trendingJJRWard before the COVID-19 Randemic. From 2017 to 2020, the number of Black-owned businesses across the country increased by 13.64%-larger than all businesses in general, which increased by 0.53% over the same period. Black-owned firms brought in an estimated $141.1 billion in gross revenue in 2020-an 11% increase since 2017.
Season Two Sponsorship Opportunities
Project Format
Length
9 Episodes
Genre
Lifestyle
Innovator-$100,000
- Brand video to be played during each episode (nine episodes total) on local and national syndication
- Two (2) 15-second content videos for marketing and promotional use on social media outlets
- Branded activation and catered lunch with Fresh Glass Host
- Curated tasting for up to 15 people
- On-set experience during Season Two production
- Five (5) minutes of stage time for Season two activations
- VIP attendance for up to 15 people at Fresh Glass events
- Sponsorship videos and logo featured on the Fresh Glass website and social media outlets throughout the season
- Fresh Glass merch for 25 people
Adventurer-$50,000
- Brand video to be played during each episode (nine episodes total) on local and national syndication
- Curated Fresh Glass tasting for up to 10 people
- On-set experience during Season two production
- VIP attendance for up to 10 people at Fresh Glass events
- Sponsorship video and logo featured on the Fresh Glass website and social media outlets throughout the season
- 10 Fresh Glass merch sets
Enthusiast-$25,000- Logo featured on each episode and Fresh Glass website social media outlets throughout the season
- Curated Fresh Glass tasting for up to five people
- VIP attendance for up to five people at Fresh Glass events
- Five Fresh Glass merch sets
- Five commemorative Fresh Glass beverages
- Five sets of Fresh Glass stemware
Entrepreneur-$10,000- Logo featured on each episode and Fresh Glass website social media outlets throughout the season
- VIP attendance for up to 2 people at Fresh Glass events
- Two Fresh Glass merch sets
- Two commemorative Fresh Glass beverages
- Two sets of Fresh Glass stemware
Fresh Glass Contributor $300-$9,999
Support Fresh Glass by being a contributor at a level that suits you. Contributions are made through the IFundWomen crowdfunding website with donation levels that suit you. To make a nominal contribution, visit our IFundWomen page
