The HUB

We’re quite proud of our sustainability accomplishments here at Kendall-Jackson, but we’re only one part of all the amazing stuff happening here in Wine Country.  As a new part of our blog, we are going to occasionally visit and highlight some of the innovative sustainable organizations and companies that inspire us. 

This week the Sustainability Team at Kendall-Jackson traveled to San Francisco to bring wine to the Thanksgiving Dinner held at the HUB, a co-working space in the SOMA neighborhood.  We felt it was only right to give back to a place that has given us so much – and how much thanks can really be given without some great wine?

The HUB is a place that we’re pretty familiar with. My team and I will occasionally set up shop there for a day or two when we’re looking to shake things up; the co-working space injects a new energy and allows us to get out of the normal routines we fall into when we go to the same office environment day-in and day-out. Most recently we visited in order to work on our team vision and long-term strategic plan for the coming year.  The energy of the space and people who work there really inspires us.

And we’re not alone in feeling that way. With over 1,400 members, the HUB is a hotbed of innovation in the Bay Area, and it’s a real treat for us to visit. Just take a look at the HUB’s mission statement:

A collaborative space brings people and ideas together.  It creates a space for collisions, connections, and catalyzations. The HUB is a space to create, to leave all the rules behind.  Here you have to power of choice, and the freedom to create to your fullest potential. 

Sound exciting, doesn’t it?

But what is co-working?  Do the baristas at your local coffee shop roll their eyes and change the Wi-Fi password when they see you coming? Maybe you run a start-up that doesn’t have enough employees to justify an office space yet. Perhaps you work out of your home and need a conference room for a meeting with a client. Of course, it’s possible you just need an excuse to put on pants, get out of the house and talk to other people. A co-working space is likely right for you.

The HUB offers all of the office amenities like a kitchen with espresso machine, a full array of printing and copying services, bike parking, etc all in a modern space sure to suit you or your clients’ needs.

Of course, the HUB is more than a place to go and just set up a laptop and work for eight hours. Their mission is to create a place that connects people and ideas.   To that end, it’s also a community of social entrepreneurs, sustainability professionals, activists, and non-profits. It something that we feel it is important to be a part of.

And that explains why we piled into a car and made the drive down to San Francisco, bearing a couple cases of Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay and Syrah.

Over 100 entrepreneurs and innovators showed up to hang out and celebrate a great year together. It was gratifying for us when we were able to tell our sustainability story and see that our efforts resonated with this group of leaders and change-makers. I’m sure we’ll be working from the HUB again soon – maybe contributing some more wine to the Holiday part next month.