Entrepreneur, philanthropy expert and lover of food and drink – especially the Southern variety – Dominique Love has built a career on her passions from working in community and founding the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival to her latest role leading The IWSC Group North America.

A passion for community and giving back, led Love to a career in philanthropy, which included work as a fundraising consultant generating more than $70M for nonprofit organizations and leading corporate contributions and employee engagement for The Coca-Cola Company.

In 2003, Love created Corporate Community Outsourcing (CCO), a philanthropic consultancy that helped dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including The CocaCola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, Turner Broadcasting System, and WellPoint, build strategic community investment programs. Love and the CCO team also worked with notable local and national nonprofit organizations to help them achieve fundraising success and stronger, more engaged board members.

Through the creation of the Grow for Good campaign to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, Love was inspired by the idea of people coming together for a weekend to eat, drink and learn.

Inspiration turned into action when Love and her business partner, Elizabeth Feichter, founded the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.  The Festival debuted in 2011 as the first culinary weekend in the nation dedicated to shining an international spotlight on the rich food and beverage traditions of the South from Texas to D.C.

Since its start, AF&WF has received rave review from media, guests and industry leaders calling it the best run, most instructive and only indispensable food weekend in the country. Proceeds from the Festival are invested in the AFWF Foundation, which was created to support nonprofit organizations working to strengthen the hospitality industry, promote Southern history and culture, and increase consumer access to locally- and sustainably-grown foods.

In March 2015, UK-based The IWSC Group, owner of the illustrious International Wine & Spirit Competition, entered into a joint-venture with the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and acquired the operations of Corporate Community Outsourcing to establish a base for the group in North America. Following the acquisition, Love assumed the role of CEO of the newly formed IWSC Group North America.

Love’s accolades include being named one of the top 40 Under 40 rising leaders in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and a YWCA Women of Achievement for The Coca-Cola Company.