We recently connected with Trent D. and have shared our conversation below.

Trent, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I hope to be remembered for how I make people feel. My desire is to make people feel seen and cared for and… important and loved. I hope to be remembered as someone who lived a juicy and delicious life… someone who live freely and inspired others to do the same.

I grew up in a home where food, fellowship and community gathering were just a part of who we were. I was raised by my grandparents and my mother, all of whom were ministers who cared deeply about people and raised me to be the same. Every major holiday, my grandmother would cook a huge meal and open the doors of our home to the community. My grandmother’s ministry went far beyond the church and the pulpit, she drove the city bus and on her days off, she spent time visiting nursing homes and rescue missions (with me in tow). So, for the holidays, she would invite folks from her bus route, nursing homes, rescue missions… really, anyone who didn’t have a place to go or family to be with for the holidays, was welcome in our home. We’d host anywhere from 50-100 folks and it was such a special time. Growing up like this, I came to understand food as communal, and gathering and feeding people to be a love language. This has now transcended my childhood and I’ve carried it with me into adulthood, incorporating elements of these gatherings into my work, whenever possible. My grandmother had a way of making people feel loved and cared for. The gatherings at our house were literally “creating space” for people who needed a space to be… people who’d felt discarded, unimportant, forgotten. I hope to keep my grandmother’s legacy alive with mine. I pray everyday that I am making her proud.

Trent, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up gathering and feeding people. Shortly after my grandmother passed in 2017, I started The Holding Space to carry on her legacy. Through The Holding Space, I hosted intimately curated, food and fellowship experiences, centering Black + POC folks. My interest in beverage started with The Holding Space. I wanted to elevate the experiences I was curating with beverage, so I began learning about beverage pairings. In my learning, I became intentional about the beverages I chose, sourcing from Black-owned shops and/or prioritizing Black + POC owned bottles. In the summer of 2020, I started working at a Black-owned wine shop, where I officially began my career as a beverage professional, learning more about wine in general, but most importantly (to me), the stories behind the bottles. I ventured into education, hosting wine and spirits tastings and events for clients like Brooklyn Nets, Ernst & Young, MasterCard and T.D. Banks. During this time, I’d also started creating and sharing food and beverage content on Instagram. This caught the attention of Food Network producers, leading to the opportunity to compete on OutChef’d (S2, E1).

As my career in food and beverage progresses, my path has been enriched with new roles and adventures. I am the Co-Founder of BABE Wine Bar, a queer wine bar concept + pop-up out of Brooklyn, NY. BABE is a space for queer folks to feel safe, gather, enjoy and learn about wine. We currently operate as a pop-up as we are fundraising and accepting investors for brick & mortar.

Additionally, I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Comms (Social Media) for The Veraison Project, a vibrant and dynamic 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, passionately committed to reshaping the beverage industry. I also serve as a Board Advisor and Social Media Manager for The Hue Society’s NYC Chapter,a trailblazing organization increasing Black, brown, and Indigenous representation and access in the wine industry.

My work is always centered in people- inspiring people and creating experiences and spaces for people whose identities reflect and intersect with my own. I am committed to making change and shifting narratives through specialized, intentionally curated experiences, centering Black, Indigenous, POC, women, femmes, gnc, trans and queer folks.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve been doing events and gathering people for some years, often centering Black + POC folks. When I wanted to start center Queer Black + POC folks, I was advised against it. I was told that it was too narrow and limiting. I was discouraged from further specifying my audience because the people advising me didn’t see the “benefit” or need to do so. Sadly, I listened… for years. But in the last year, I felt called to release that fear. I felt called to be unafraid to specify and specialized. And in doing so with BABE, it has easily become one of the most well received and rapidly growing spaces I’ve ever created.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After three years in wine & spirits retail, I took a break from the beverage industry. As much as I loved it, I was feeling a bit discouraged and burned out. I was dissatisfied at work, my personal life, physical health and mental health were all out of sorts. In short- I was in big need of change.

I shifted my focus and pivoted into marketing and advertising. As a creative, I made a conscious choice to work on the administrative side, believing it would allow me to preserve my creative energy for my own endeavors. I learned a lot in my position, but I often found myself wondering and dreaming about the creative parts of the work.

Today, my work with BABE has allowed me to stretch and strengthen all of my muscles. As an entrepreneur and cofounder, my business partner and I divide and conquer while also wearing multiple hats. And since we both have experience and background in marketing, we’ve been able to steadily build and establish a solid brand and experience.

I was afraid to leave my retail job. I didn’t know if the next step was the right step, all I knew was that I needed change. And today, I’m thankful that I took that step because it has led me down an incredibly rewarding and adventurous path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://itstrentyall.com
• Instagram: @itstrentyall @babewinebar

Image Credits

red booth photo of trent: Alex Joseph Photography
“now entering a queer space”- Lin Tyrpien, BABE x Lyle Gallery, 11.13.2024
BABE: lovers edition- Alex Jospeh Photography, 2.17.2025
BABE temp tatt on trent- Alex Jospeh Photography, 9.10.2024
Queer Somms @ BABE: Pride Kick-Off- Alex Jospeh Photography, 6.25.2024