Jake Kloberdanz ’05 hatched the idea for Hope Wine in December 2005, not long after earning his B.S. from the Haas School of Business. He had seen how for-profit companies benefited from supporting non-profit causes. “I wanted take it to the next step,” he recalls. “It’s easy to slap a pink ribbon on a product and increase sales for one month. I wanted to create a company that gives back to the community year-round.”
In June of this year, Kloberdanz and his partners launched Hope Wine (hopewine.com) — a company that donates 50% of its proceeds to charity.
The orders and the accolades have been pouring in ever since. Kloberdanz was recently named one of the “Top 25 US Entrepreneurs Under 25” by BusinessWeek, while Hope Wine’s chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet are enjoying ever-growing sales throughout southern California. In its first five months of operation, the company has sold more than 800 cases, donating approximately $10,000 to charities battling breast cancer, AIDS, and autism. The company’s goal is to raise more than $250,000 for its partner charities in the coming year.
Kloberdanz, who hails from Fremont, was very active at Cal, where he played football and rugby, served as philanthropy chair for his fraternity — overseeing the annual “Derby Days” and other events that raise money for Children’s Hospital Oakland — and even ran for ASUC president. “Something that really stuck with me [from my education at Haas] was the concept of ’intrinsic value,’” says Kloberdanz, “feeling good about the product you make and the work you do, not just sales results.”
By mid-2008, Kloberdanz foresees rolling out new varietals that benefit additional causes, and expanding distribution to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the West Coast. “It’s about giving back, ”he says. “Profit will follow, but the causes will always come first.”
