01
Sip
Experience three Boyd Cru wines selected to complement the themes and energy of the evening.
BLACK WOMANING AFTER HOURS™ PRESENTS
The First Pour
Three Boyd Cru wines. Seven rules from Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™. You make the connection before we reveal ours.
DATE
September 26, 2026
TIME
5:00–7:30 PM
LOCATION
Boyd Cru Wines · Savage, Maryland
$125
per guest
LIMITED TO 50 GUESTS
Includes wine, guided tasting and event experience.
Flexible payment options available at checkout.
All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.
PREVIEW
NO. 001
THE CONVERSATION DIDN’T START HERE
The First Pour may be new. The conversations behind it aren’t.
Nicole S. Palmer has been writing, speaking and hosting candid conversations about the realities Black women navigate at work, from the BWICA podcast and HuffPost to the Amazon #1 bestselling Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™.
In Conversation
See the kind of candid exchange Black Womaning After Hours™ brings into the room.
Watch the conversation →
Reached #1 on Amazon
A documented bestseller milestone for the book behind The First Pour.
View the book →
Featured in HuffPost
Nicole’s writing on the unspoken rules Black women navigate at work.
Read the article →
The Book Behind the Evening
The First Pour takes the conversation from the page into the room.
See it on Amazon →THE EXPERIENCE
This isn’t another networking event.
Black Womaning After Hours™ is an intimate space for Black women to exhale, connect and have the conversations that rarely make it into the conference room.
The First Pour brings the seven rules of Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™ off the page and into the room through wine, conversation and candid reflection.
02
Talk
Explore the seven rules through the stories, observations and lived experiences Black women rarely get to unpack together.
03
Reflect
Decide what you’re taking with you, what you’re leaving behind and what you may choose to do differently when Monday comes.
CREATOR & HOST
Nicole S. Palmer
Author of Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America
Creator and host of Black Womaning After Hours
Meet Nicole →GUIDED WINE TASTING
Eden Hansom
Due Femmes. Guiding guests through the three featured wines of The First Pour.
No panels. No elevator pitches. No performing.
Just good wine, real conversation and room to be.THE TASTING
Seven rules.
Three wines.
You make the connection.
Three Boyd Cru wines. Seven rules. You make the connection before we reveal ours.
07
RULES
×
03
WINES
=
ONE
very good
conversation.
conversation.
TASTE
What do you notice?
Experience each wine without knowing which of the seven rules we’ve paired with it. Pay attention to what stands out and where the wine takes you.
PAIR
Which rule belongs here?
Put the wine and the rules together. Trust your read, make your selections and see whether your interpretation matches ours.
DEFEND
Make your case.
Compare notes, challenge a pairing and tell us why yours makes more sense. Then we’ll reveal the official First Pour pairings and see who read the room best.
AND YES,
we’re keeping score.
There might just be something in it for whoever gets the most right.
There may not be a wrong answer.
But you better be ready to defend yours. Reserve Your SeatSISTERBRIDGE A SEAT™
Can’t take
your seat?
SisterBridge
someone else’s.
Black Womaning After Hours™ was created to make room for the conversations Black women rarely get to have together. SisterBridge a Seat™ makes room for one more.
MAKE ROOM FOR ONE MORE
If you can’t attend,
If you can’t attend,
or can do a little more.
Contribute toward a ticket for a woman who otherwise might not be able to attend. Sponsored seats will be made available through The SisterBridge Fund.
$125
ONE SEAT
One more woman
in the room.
in the room.
TWO WAYS TO MAKE ROOM
Take your seat.
Or make one possible.
SisterBridge a Seat contributions support access to Black Womaning After Hours experiences and are not charitable contributions.
FEATURED PARTNER
Black Girl PR®
Media & PR Partner · SisterBridge a Seat™ Sponsor
Black Girl PR is helping amplify The First Pour while also participating as a SisterBridge a Seat Sponsor, extending the reach of the evening and helping make room for one more woman to attend.
Visit Black Girl PRINTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE FIRST POUR?
Help make the evening possible.
Black Girl PR® is helping lead the way. Additional sponsorship opportunities remain available for organizations and brands interested in supporting The First Pour and aligned with the Black Womaning After Hours™ experience.
Ask About Sponsorship
We’d love to hear from you.
BEFORE YOU RESERVE
A few things to know.
What if I don’t drink wine or have dietary needs?
The First Pour is built around three wine pairings, with each wine paired to one of the seven rules from Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™. Guests are welcome to participate at their own comfort level, but the tasting itself is an intentional part of the experience.
Vegetarian and vegan options will be available. We’ll do our best to accommodate gluten-free needs, but cannot guarantee a fully gluten-free environment.
Can I bring a plus-one?
Absolutely. Each guest must reserve their own $125 seat.
What should I wear?
Come in whatever makes you feel beautiful, comfortable and like yourself.
Where do I park?
Free parking is available in two lots at Savage Mill. The smaller front lot is accessible from Foundry Street and Washington Street. A larger rear lot is available by following Washington Street around the building; Terrapin Adventures is near that lot.
From the front lot, enter through the New Weave Building, turn right, and Boyd Cru is directly across from More Than Java Cafe. From the rear lot, enter, take the stairs to the Main Level, and Boyd Cru will be on the left after Candles by Candy.
What does “flexible payment” mean?
Eligible guests may see payment options such as Klarna or Afterpay at checkout, depending on availability through the payment provider.
What is the refund policy?
All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable. Final guest counts and food orders must be submitted in advance, so once your seat is reserved, we plan and pay for your attendance.