While Shaun Bishop and Michael Stajer
had different career paths to success, they
both shared a love of wine, so the two
founded WineCommune LLC, an online
wine network and retailer, in 1999.
They faced many barriers early on. They
both worked full time — Stajer as an attorney
and Bishop as a stockbroker — to support
their business and also used their credit
cards and savings accounts. They faced
other challenges, including the dot-com bust
and the fact that, at the time, wine could only
be sold and shipped between 18 states and
government regulations discouraged commerce between individuals. To overcome
these issues, they developed creative revenue streams in advertising and proprietary
technologies in order to grow.
From the beginning, they also believed
strongly in giving back to their employees. In
addition to the normal health, dental and
vision insurance, WineCommune also offers
to pay for employees’ education, even if it
doesn’t relate to their jobs. The company also
provides lunch every day and routinely provides ergonomics and fitness seminars. On
top of these perks, Stajer and Bishop look to
their current employees to fill the next layer
of management as new positions are created
as a result of their rapid growth.
TheireffortshavelandedthemtheNo.35spot
on the Inc. 500 list and No. 1 as the Bay Area’s
Fastest Growing Business. They’ve also earned
the distinction as a Top 10 Online Wine Retailer,
according to Food & Wine magazine.
HOW TO REACH: WineCommune LLC, (510) 632-5300 or
www.winecommune.com
