About the Founders
In 2005, Khary and Selena Cuffe married and subsequently founded Heritage Link Brands upon learning South Africa had a $3 billion wine industry, yet less than 2% of the industry was owned by people of color, who represent over 85% of the country’s population. From PBS to TIME, the company has been recognized for its innovation and acceleration of business ownership by people of African descent.
Selena S. Cuffe
Co-Founder & CEO
Is co-founder of Heritage Link Brands, globally recognized for dismantling economic barriers and opening commercial markets for black South African producers into Brazil, Canada, Japan, Nigeria, and the United States . She is also Chief Growth Officer for $700 million, 7,000-person international services firm, Blackstone Consulting, Inc. (BCI) and RJB Properties, Inc. (RJB).
Prior, as President of SodexoMagic, a $600M MBE and provider of quality-of-life services to corporations, governments, K-12 schools, and universities (including Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Ms. Cuffe established a 100% diverse executive leadership team, supporting 6,000 employees and doubled diverse supplier spend.
Selena Cuffe has a successful track record of diversifying and growing organizations. In 1997, Ms. Cuffe started her career at Merrill Lynch Asset Management before joining United Air Lines to lead united.com business development. Post graduate school, Selena oversaw the budget and flavor commercialization for Pringles (Procter & Gamble) in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America and marketing for global exchange agency CIEE (Council of International Educational Exchange).
Selena currently serves on the Harvard Business School Women Students Alumnae Board (NomGov chair). She also serves on the Federal Reserve Bank 12th District Economic Advisory Council, Stanford University Bing Overseas Advisory Council and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Ms. Cuffe earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with minors in Spanish & Portuguese from Stanford University and a Master of Science in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.
She is a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., certified mediator, avid meditator, and lover of food and diverse cultures.
800-360-WINE
Khary Cuffe
Co-Founder
Khary Cuffe is co-founder of Heritage Link Brands. Khary has also served as an Executive Director of Investor Relations at Manhattan West with responsibility for the firm’s Investor Relations strategy, developing, and growing partnerships with prospective and current investors for the Alternative Investments portfolio.
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With 20 years of experience, Khary's financial services knowledge within the venture capital, investment banking, private wealth, and financial technology markets has created wealth for communities in the U.S. and abroad. A serial entrepreneur, Khary has worked at Equitable Financial Advisors, a global financial services firm, SoLo Funds, a FinTech start-up company, where he ran the firm’s Investor Relations Group, Legacy Growth Partners, a family office headquartered in New York, where he co-managed the firm’s global marketing and communications. He began his career in marketing for financial services firms in Los Angeles and New York and honed his expertise at Procter & Gamble, serving in brand management on both the Pampers and Old Spice brands.
Khary received a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Social Studies from Wesleyan University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Khary was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is an avid basketball player, and resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three children. He is also a committed public servant to Culver City Parks and Recreation and serves on the board of directors for the New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCIDA).
800-360-WINE
