Wine Company Pairs Merlot, Charity

There are two forces gripping America: change and hope. Aside from politics, these are shaping business as well. One Southern California company is building a brand around hope and changing an industry in the process.

"It's an uphill battle getting a person to pull out their checkbook and make a donation in America, and it's getting harder and harder with the economy the way that it is," says 25-year-old Jake Kloberdanz, founder of Hope Wine, a wine brand that donates 50% of its profit to charitable causes. "What we're trying to create is a lifestyle brand where it's built into the product."

In 2006, Kloberdanz, a former wine industry sales manager, visited a friend who was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. The next day he formed Hope Wine. Seven other young entrepreneurs joined the business, believing commitment to a charitable cause should be in the DNA of business, not just a sticker on packaging for a single month to raise awareness. A year later, the first bottles were being poured. ...