Our website uses cookies
Creating Wine with a Purpose
We partner with wineries to bring wine bottles to life while also donating part of the proceeds to humanitarian NGOs. Follow the directions on the bottle label and immerse yourself in augmented reality stories about the Ukrainian resistance!
Step 1:
Pick a cause
Step 2:
Tell your story through AR
Step 3:
Watch sales grow
Subscribe to our newsletter
Subscribe to receive all news and updates about Raise a Glass’s journey! Fill in your email below to join the email newsletter today.
Our Story
Background
Founded by USC students and alumni, Raise a Glass aims to bring innovative storytelling technology to raise awareness for the invisible heroes of global crises.
.JPG)
The Beginning
Our mission starts in Ukraine. As Americans have become increasingly desensitized to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Raise a Glass pairs heroic stories of Ukrainian civilian resistance with a bottle of wine.
The Product
We curate content from artists at the heart of the conflict to give them a platform to share these stories to consumers that purchase the bottle. Consumers are able to watch these powerful stories through a QR code on a hangtag or augmented reality on a wine label.
Future Plans
Ukraine is only the beginning. We plan to use our storytelling technology to bring awareness to more crises around the world. We are giving a voice to these unsung heroes. Check out our current projects to learn more.
Our Story
Background
Founded by USC students and alumni, Raise a Glass aims to bring innovative storytelling technology to raise awareness for the invisible heroes of global crises.
The Beginning
Our mission starts in Ukraine. As Americans have become increasingly desensitized to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Raise a Glass pairs heroic stories of Ukrainian civilian resistance with a bottle of wine.
The Product
We curate content from artists at the heart of the conflict to give them a platform to share these stories to consumers that purchase the bottle. Consumers are able to watch these powerful stories through a QR code on a hangtag or augmented reality on a wine label.
Future Plans
Ukraine is only the beginning. We plan to use our storytelling technology to bring awareness to more crises around the world. We are giving a voice to these unsung heroes. Check out our current projects to learn more.
Meet the Team
Meet the members of team who make this possible!
"driven & friendly"
Nicholas Conner
"passionate & creative"
Mellissa Zhang
"driven & friendly"
Olivia Glick
"driven & friendly"
Misha Kuznetsov
"driven & friendly"
Kamila Fomin
Daniel Druhora
Daniel Druhora is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. He has worked on the development and post-production of films for Warner Brothers Studios. His Emmy-winning documentary “Lives Not Grades” about the journey of a USC course can be found on. Daniel is directing and producing the feature length film “Cloudwalkers” about the history of the internet. His screenplay “Marjan,” about a girl living through the Syrian civil war, was shortlisted for the 2017 Academy Nicholl Fellowship. In addition to filmmaking and teaching, Daniel has led humanitarian relief projects with various NGOs and co-founded AgRenova, a startup in the agriculture space, in 2007.
David Gerber
David Gerber’s professional experience includes working in architectural, engineering, research, and technology practices in the United States, Europe, India, and Asia. His research has won multiple awards from industry, fellowships, and the National Science Foundation and is focused on the development of innovative systems, tools, methods for the design of the built environment. He currently advises, and co-advises multi-disciplinary student teams on topics that integrate design, architecture, engineering, and computation in pursuit of design and engineering solutions to global crises.
Brad Cracchiola
Brad Cracchiola started his career with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, transitioned into the product design/development industry with Richard Holbrook Design, and then joined BMW Designworks in 2004. In his career, Brad has led the development of products across various industries including consumer electronics, wearable technology, medical devices, sporting equipment, furniture, and more. Brad has also developed his own app “Green Genie” which was named a top 10 sustainability app by Techcrunch, Forbes among other publications, and Apple named it an “App Store Essential”. He led the team that designed the US Paralympic racing wheelchair, which debuted at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympics and is currently on display at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Meet the Team
Meet the members of team who make this possible!
"driven & friendly"
Nicholas Conner
Dallas, Texas
"passionate & creative"
Mellissa Zhang
Chicago, Illinois
"driven & friendly"
Olivia Glick
San Francisco, California
"driven & friendly"
Misha Kuznetsov
Kharkiv, Ukraine
"driven & friendly"
Kamila Fomin
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Daniel Druhora
Daniel Druhora is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. He has worked on the development and post-production of films for Warner Brothers Studios. His Emmy-winning documentary “Lives Not Grades” about the journey of a USC course can be found on. Daniel is directing and producing the feature length film “Cloudwalkers” about the history of the internet. His screenplay “Climbers” about Rwanda’s first cycling team was optioned by Paris-based Forecast Features. He is currently writing “Miracles In War” about the fight to bring ISIS to justice for the genocide committed in Iraq. His screenplay “Marjan,” about a girl living through the Syrian civil war, was shortlisted for the 2017 Academy Nicholl Fellowship. In addition to filmmaking and teaching, Daniel has led humanitarian relief projects with various NGOs and co-founded AgRenova, a startup in the agriculture space, in 2007.
David Gerber
David Gerber’s professional experience includes working in architectural, engineering, research, and technology practices in the United States, Europe, India, and Asia. His research has won multiple awards from industry, fellowships, and the National Science Foundation and is focused on the development of innovative systems, tools, methods for the design of the built environment. He currently advises, and co-advises multi-disciplinary student teams on topics that integrate design, architecture, engineering, and computation in pursuit of design and engineering solutions to global crises.
Brad Cracchiola
Brad Cracchiola started his career with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, transitioned into the product design/development industry with Richard Holbrook Design, and then joined BMW Designworks in 2004. In his career, Brad has led the development of products across various industries including consumer electronics, wearable technology, medical devices, sporting equipment, furniture, and more. Brad has also developed his own app “Green Genie” which was named a top 10 sustainability app by Techcrunch, Forbes among other publications, and Apple named it an “App Store Essential”. He led the team that designed the US Paralympic racing wheelchair, which debuted at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympics and is currently on display at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mission of Raise a Glass?
Raise a Glass's mission is to raise awareness of the incredible heroes of Ukraine. We aim to bring consumers an augmented reality story of a true Ukrainian resistance story made by a Ukrainian and a delicious glass of wine to drink while watching the story.
Whose stories are you sharing?
We are elevating the stories of the extraordinary civilians who are going above and beyond their day-to-day to stand up for their freedom and sovereignty. As such, we work to highlight heroism within the civilian resistance.
What kind of businesses has Raise a Glass worked with before?
Raise a Glass works with domestic and international wineries of any size.
What is Raise a Glass's turnaround time for projects?
Turnaround time varies depending on the project's scope and requirements. We provide an estimated timeframe during the initial consultation and keep clients updated throughout the process.
Have more questions?
Just reach out, we’re always around to answer any questions.
contact usGet Started
Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch.
Copyright © 2023 Raise a Glass - All Rights Reserved.
on Raise a Glass's impact