Through his nonprofit advocacy organization, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF), deBary tackles the industry’s “quality-of-life crisis” that includes low wages and racial injustice. Since March, RWCF has raised more than $6.4 million for hospitality worker relief related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The former bar director at New York City’s Momofuku, deBary published his first book, Drink What You Want, an empowering guide to making cocktails, and he continues to develop Proteau, the zero-proof drink brand he launched in 2019. “I wanted to prove that you don’t necessarily need an alcohol-based drink to have the same intellectually engaging, food-friendly experience that’s accessible to all,” he says.