Hey Mama Wines

Lance Stokes is a lifelong entrepreneur and tech connoisseur with over a decade of experience as a business leader, innovator & operator. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in 2009 with his bachelor’s in business management he enrolled in the University’s MBA program while pursuing a full-time career in technology with Hewlett Packard. Lance also started his first business during this time by developing and launching a small apparel company as a side hustle; a derivative of a class project. That small company evolved into a sunglass accessories startup that achieved nearly a million in sales in 18 months via online and traditional retail channels. Lance sold his interest in that company in 2012, and he and his wife Lauren started a women’s apparel company that achieved a great amount of success in a short amount of time. Lance was integral in scaling the operations of the business that grew from a quarter million in sales to over 13 million in annual revenue in just under three years that landed the company at number 53 on the Forbes 500 for 2017. He built and supervised a multi-state sales operation, and he formed a digital team of 8 employees responsible for 4.5M of annual online revenue. This company eventually sold to an international manufacturing group in late 2018. Lance led the complex financial and legal restructuring that led to the closing of the acquisition. Today, Lance and his wife are working on a new entrepreneurial endeavor in the wine and sparkling space. Hey Mama Wines is expanding rapidly via direct to consumer consumption and wholesale account growth! The business is projected to surpass 1M in revenue in its first 18 months of business. When Lance isn’t building, creating or consulting, he’s spending time with his family including his wife Lauren and three children; Lofton, Linden & Miss Livingston.

Lauren Stokes is a nurse turned Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur, mother of three, apparel designer & CEO of Hey Mama Wines. After graduating from Baptist Nursing School in Little Rock in 2011, Lauren spent the next year as a practicing nurse. During this tenure, Lauren began designing dresses in her spare time whilst pregnant with her first son. Those sketches would eventually lead to a business that grew from a quarter million in sales to over 13 million in annual revenue in just under three years landing it at number 53 on the Forbes 500 in 2017. Lauren spent her time as the CEO and head designer managing a team of over 130 employees at its peak. Today, Lauren is hard at work again on her newest endeavor in the wine and sparkling space. She founded Hey Mama Wines in late 2019, and since then has been building a brand that produces great wine and gives back to a community of women all over the country. The brand is rapidly expanding its presence across multiple states and retailers! When Lauren isn’t designing, creating or dreaming up the next big marketing campaign, she’s spending time with her family including her husband Lance and three children; Lofton, Linden & Livingston.