OrgOrg

HR Transform is Coming up! Will we see you there?

2/19/2020

Dana Brown, Phoenix Chapter Head, and OrgOrg Member, Holly Hatlo

I’m Dana, a year-round OrgOrg volunteer, and the Phoenix community chapter head. In March 2019, I was lucky enough to attend HR Transform at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Joined by my coworker (and dear friend!), Holly, we flew to Vegas and set out discover what HR Transform could teach us about all things HR.

While it has been nearly a year since Holly and I excitedly (and somewhat nervously) rolled up to the MGM on that first day of the conference, I am regularly reminded of why HR Transform was and is such a special experience, and how it sets itself apart from the traditional conferences. If I could describe HRT and my biggest takeaways in a few of words, HRT is:

Authentic. What I valued most about my time at HRT 2019 was the authenticity and expertise that each presenter brought to their stage. I was confident that each speaker was an expert and a reliable, trustworthy resource from which I could learn so much. When I walk down the aisles of the vendor exhibition hall, I typically feel as though I’m ducking and dodging vendors who are trying to reel me in with a sticker or a raffle. Surprisingly (and thankfully), this was not the case at HR Transform. From Joonko, an automated diversity recruiting tool that integrates with your ATS, to Cleo, a family support system that helps employees navigate the joys and the journey of parenthood, each vendor felt handpicked for this community of HR professionals.
Relevant. Whether I was attending a session on the LifeLabs Playing Cards Method facilitated by Robleh D. Kirce or watching our very own OrgOrg co-founder/CEO, Kim Rohrer, speaking on a panel about how companies use data to design well-being programs, I was seamlessly toggling between topics that were not only relevant to today’s modern HR world, but also relevant to me in my own professional journey. I very quickly became frustrated with myself for not bringing a fresh notebook to jot everything down in one place. Once the conference was through, I traveled back to Phoenix with a backpack overflowing with looseleaf handouts covered in bullet points, asterisks, and exclamations, notes quickly taken in margins of the HRT program and on the back of MGM napkins.
Connected. While I deliberately made plans to travel to HRT with Holly, I also was able to meet up with other OrgOrg friends (hi, Kim and Leia!) and meet new ones through the OrgOrg connection (hi, Felicia and Rob!). Many of us are returning again for our second year at HRT and looking forward to reconnecting over meals and in between sessions. As you’ve read, HRT 2019 was a truly impactful experience for me. HRT 2020 is sure to be even better, bringing together upwards of 1,000 of the most dynamic and forward-thinking people leaders. This year’s goal is to amplify these empowering voices by showcasing leading-edge thinking and technology with the four themes: Digitization, Humanity, Transformation and Workplace of the Future.

Here’s a SNEAK PEAK(!) at what you can expect from the plenary stage on the morning of Tuesday, March 24th:

The Next Gen Organization
It is the question on every People Professional’s mind: What will the future look like for HR? Which is quickly followed by a million more questions regarding priorities, skills, planning. But you are not alone, the big trends, the opportunities and the challenges are all on the minds of your C-suite as well. Get a modern view of their thoughts, preparations and concerns as too are faced with the big trends for HR. Speakers include:

Lars Schmidt, Founder, Amplify
Steve Cadigan, Talent Hacker & Advisor, Cadigan Ventures
Zoe Harte, SVP of HR and Talent Innovation, Upwork
Mala Singh, EVP, Chief People Officer, Electronic Arts
Pat Wadors, Chief Talent Officer & CHRO, ServiceNow

See the full agenda here.

I’d love to meet you at this year’s HT Transform, so be sure to register now with our OrgOrg partner link to get a discounted rate.

See you in Vegas!

- Dana, OrgOrg Phoenix Chapter Head

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Top 4 Tips for Creating An Exceptional Coffee Program In Your Office

1/15/2020

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Hi OrgOrg Community,

Coffee is an indispensable part of your office’s kitchen. 64% of adults in America drink coffee every day (source), yet many offices miss the opportunity to transform their coffee program into an exciting perk.

We hope you can use these tips to up your coffee game!

Tip #1: Build A Good Foundation With Your Coffee Equipment
A high-quality coffee machine will consistently brew tasty coffee without hassle. Surprisingly, most of the equipment we see in offices have all the bells and whistles but comes up short on reliability. You’ll be a hero if you nail the basics by investing in a high-quality drip machine. Depending on the water hardness in your area, you may also need to filter your water to prevent scale buildup that damages your machine and imparts funky flavors. After all, 98% of your coffee is water!
Here is some insight into Bloom Ready trusted coffee machines:

Technivorm Machines For Small to Medium-Sized Offices
We love using Technivorm coffee brewers with thermal carafes. Most countertop coffee machines either heat water too hot or not hot enough, resulting in flat or bitter coffee. The Technivorm heats water to just the right temperature (195-205 degrees), and they are well made and easy to maintain because they only have mechanical parts (no fancy touch screens).

Curtis and FETCO Machines for Larger Offices
For larger offices, we install a low profile Curtis or FETCO coffee machine that plumbs directly into a water line in your kitchen. These are workhorses designed for high volume brewing so you can brew a bigger pot at once. They heat water to the right temperature and disperse water from multiple points for an even extraction.

Tip #2: You’re Already Investing in Coffee, Hype It Up!
If you’re already investing in a coffee program, hype it up and turn it into something special rather than just another box to check in the kitchen. Bloom Ready’s coffee service is built around variety and discovery, making coffee a new experience week to week. Here are some ways we make coffee special and you can too:

Serve a variety of coffee in your office: Keep different beans coming into the rotation and make signs so people know what they’re drinking. Announce when you’ve “launched” a new coffee in the kitchen!

Drink freshly roasted coffee: Coffee is best within 10 days of its roast date (a quality coffee will have its roast date on the bag). Buy less more often so you can keep things fresh.
Grind coffee fresh so they smell it from their desk: The smell of freshly ground coffee is a sensory experience that almost everyone loves. This will make coffee at the office feel fresh and special.
Start a Slack #coffeeclub: Some of our customers have a passionate following of coffee drinkers that share musings on the brews we send. We’ve also seen that people who aren’t big coffee lovers turn into coffee aficionados from learning from their coworkers and participating in #coffeeclub.

Tip #3: Make Coffee A Team Sport
Research has demonstrated that workplaces that make empathy central to their culture “tend to enjoy stronger collaboration, less stress, and greater morale [...].” (source). An easy way to bring more empathy into the workplace is making coffee a team sport. The simple gesture of brewing coffee for another person goes a long way. Here are some actionable tips we’ve seen our offices do to help make brewing a team sport:

Avoid single-serve machines: Single-serve machines may seem convenient, but they are massive waste producers. Brewing pots of coffee creates less waste and inherently promotes the communal nature of coffee; when you brew a pot, you’re helping yourself but also your fellow teammates.
Consciously create your office watering holes: Even if you’re on more than 1 floor or spread out, you may not need multiple brewing locations. Consolidating the “watering holes” will automatically increase the frequency your teammates wind up talking to each other.
Create a “Brewed By” sheet: Let people take pride in their brew. Hanging a sheet near the equipment where people can sign off on their job well done is a great way to get the whole team involved
Hang instructions: Simple instructions with pictures encourages people to brew for the office

Tip #4: Provide Multiple Options to Keep Your Team Happy

Like everything else you encounter in your job, you know that everyone on your team has their own preferences and things they care about. For some, you will find it’s coffee. As office coffee professionals and office workers ourselves, we can tell you it’s hard to make everyone happy. Here are some of our best tips for how to please the most people:

Offer More Than 1 Option: We send our offices 2 different coffees per week. People love having options, and if you choose coffees that are fairly distinct from one another, people are usually able to find something they like. One way to do this is to serve a lighter roasted coffee and a medium-dark roasted coffee.
Allow Your Coffee Aficionados To Brew Manually: Pour over coffee equipment like a Chemex or V60 gives your coffee aficionados the freedom to do things their own way, so you can focus on the rest of the office.
Don’t Forget About Tea: Not everyone drinks coffee! You may not even drink coffee :) Make sure to pair your awesome coffee program with a tea program of equal caliber. We use Zojirushi water towers so water is at the right temperature and just a button push away. Go out of your way to make your tea team happy and get them a variety.

Thanks for reading!

Get in touch if you want to partner with us on delivering an exceptional coffee program for your team.

-From Your Friends at Bloom Ready.
Want to continue getting tips about office coffee and tea? Subscribe to our email list here!

Becky Gessler
Co-Founder
becky@bloomready.com

Annie Krambuhl
Co-Founder
annie@bloomready.com

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Camp OrgOrg coming in May 2020!

8/13/2019

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Hello, OrgOrg!

As you know, the past two years have been busy for us. Not only did we throw our first ever user conference, Camp OrgOrg, back in October 2018, but we hired our first non-volunteer/employee, Kelli Doré, just a couple of months ago.

We're getting the ball rolling and have some BIG news to share... and we're awful at secrets. 🙊

CAMP ORGORG 2020 🏕️
If you're serious planners like us (duh, of course you are), you'll be excited to know that we have landed on a date for our second ever Camp OrgOrg! Mark your calendars:

Friday, May 15th, 2020
San Francisco, CA

WHAT'S THE BUZZ, HIVE MIND? 🐝
We are mostly powered by volunteers, our admin community, and people like you! We could use your help as we work through the details of Camp 2020. Know a great venue who'd love to host 300+ OrgOrg campers? Or, you've been looking for the perfect opportunity to recommend your favorite event planner or swag vendor. You have ideas on topics and you'd like to share them? Perhaps your boss keeps asking you about opportunities to get involved with OrgOrg... Well, NOW is that time!

Please fill out this 5-minute survey with your suggestions. We trust that you'll only list potential partners that you have used and would recommend.
You don't need to be local to the Bay Area to participate -- all members' feedback is appreciated!
Things we'd love to know:

Your venue recommendations in SF
Your favorite vendors
Any topics you'd like to see on the agenda

It'll only take a few minutes to complete, but give us a great foundation to help with the planning!

Fill out the survey here!

CAMP ORGORG 2020 🏕️
We truly cannot wait to be reunited again at Camp, meeting one another IRL, making new friends, unplugging, recharging, whatever other fitting electronic metaphors make sense here, and sharing our favorite 👻 stories by flashlight:

(#sorrynotsorry about all these Troop Beverly Hills GIFs... we just couldn't resist)

As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any thoughts, suggestions, or anything else that's on your mind.

See you at Camp!
-- OrgOrg Events

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VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT: Njon

6/25/2019

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Please introduce yourself (name, location, family, hobbies)
I'm Njon (pronounced "John"). I've been in the Bay Area most of my adult life but have also lived in Paris and briefly in Hilo, HI. I'm a total foodie, a TV/Film commentaries junkie, and an avid urban hiker. Come walk some hills with me!

What do you do for OrgOrg?
As Community Manager and Membership Co-Lead, I help moderate member content and assist in member on-boarding and support.

What Inspired you to volunteer with OrgOrg?
After successfully using the advice from other members, I wanted to share my admin chops with the group that has also helped build my confidence level so that I can better advocate for myself and my needs.

What projects have you worked on for OrgOrg?
I've taken on much of the group moderation and support issues, and my goal is to help members more easily navigate our ecosystem. I'm also helping on the web side with content and design.

What is your day job?
I'm Operations Manager at a bookkeeping startup. I cover the SF and Nashville offices and my focus is Facilities, Workplace, and IT.

How did you get to where you are today?
I struggled with mental health and addiction issues for a long time during and following high school and have spent the past decade picking myself up and developing my professional persona. Office Management was the perfect entry point for me to dip a foot into multiple areas to find the path that I love.

What is your typical day like?
HAHA!!!! Nice try! I think I can speak for 95% of members when I say we do the "everything else" AND our special projects. Mine include office builds, IT support and updates, managing my vendors and service providers, but mostly relationship building with my internal stakeholders and suppliers.

Anything fun or interesting you’ve worked on?
Office expansions and relocations is my happy place and I've had the pleasure to work on several. They have been some low-budget, quick and dirty jobs and some multi million dollar gigs. They each have their challenges.

If a high schooler or new grad walked up to you asking for your advice and you only had a few minutes to give ‘em your best tips, what would it be?
It sounds corny (and it's taken me a long time to understand) but I tell them that they actually can shoot for whatever position they want. It can happen with (a lot of) patience and perseverance. I emphasize that they not be afraid to change course if they find that their interests lie elsewhere. I'm not exactly where I want to be today, but I'm enjoying the path to getting there.

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Top 5 Things to Consider when Leasing your next Office Space in San Francisco

6/14/2019

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<Sponsored Blog Post by our friends at CBRE>

1. Start your process EARLY.
Begin planning for an office move at least 3-4 months before your ideal move-in date. The typical Leasing Process from start to finish can take anywhere from 2-6 months. This depends on a variety of factors:

Speed: We know you can move quickly and so can your broker, but can the Landlord (or Sublandlord if it is a sublease) move as quickly? The answer is usually no, so jump in early and allow others for extra time.

Tenant Improvement Work: Is there any construction that needs to happen in order for you to move in? This could add another 2-3 months to your timeline.

Sublease vs Direct: Are you planning to sublease your new space? Subleases are especially popular options in San Francisco and are great for hypergrowth companies because they frequently come as "Plug & Play", fully furnished suites. That said, when you sublease space in any building, you are required to go through a final extra step after the sublease process: Landlord Consent. The Landlord has a 30-day window to review the Sublease & the incoming Subtenant's financials and determine whether they consent to the sublease or not. If not, the Landlord usually has a right to recapture the space (email us directly if you'd like to discuss Recapture in more detail).

Finding the Right Space: You can find your perfect space in the first building you see during your first tour. That usually is not the case. It takes time to find the perfect space for your company. We see various situations where companies will begin their search 1 or 2 months prior to their Lease Expiration and get forced into a space that isn't perfect for them because they were on a time crunch.

Note: The only 2 scenarios where things can move a lot quicker are in coworking suites (WeWork/Regus/Knotel) or in Live/Work suites.

2. Stay FLEXIBLE
Do you know how many employees you will have in the next 12 months? How about the next 24 months? Reality is, it is difficult for startups to project headcount growth far into the future. We see too many scenarios where companies lease either too little or too much space and end up needing to move again far sooner than they hoped. This is what makes San Francisco one of (if not the) hottest sublease markets in the country.

When leasing directly from the Landlord in San Francisco, Landlords typically try to push Tenants to go for long-term leases (at least 3-5 years if not more). Their goal is to keep their spaces leased and earn additional revenue from the 3% annual increases that come with every lease, which is understandable. The longer the lease term, the less work the Landlord has to do in marketing the space and leasing it to a new tenant (and possibly having to incur the cost of having a vacant space).

Push back! Don't commit to 3 years if there is an 18-month sublease out there that fits your company's needs, especially if you are not sure where your headcount will be in 3 years. Do everything you can to stay flexible so that you do not have extra liability and incur the cost and time of subleasing space and "becoming Landlords".

3. Do your best to minimize cost/capital expenditures
Leasing office space is similar to renting an apartment in that it is a sunk cost for your company. You don't own it and you can't earn appreciation from it, so do your best to minimize your overall expenses.

Until your company grows more and can afford to spend the money needed to improve your space, build extra conference rooms & make it nice enough to attract the talent you need. Try to stay away from doing Tenant Improvements in your suite. Paint & carpet/flooring is okay, but once you begin moving walls, building rooms and working on the electrical, construction costs really add up and (speaking from experience) companies almost always spend more than they originally estimate when planning the project.

If you can get "Plug & Play” space that is fully furnished, even better! Buying new furniture can be expensive and companies tend to leave it or discard it when moving because moving furniture between offices can sometimes be just as expensive as buying new furniture altogether. There are also other costs you save when taking on a “Plug & Play” space, such as cabling/wiring, purchasing AV (if the previous tenant is willing to pass the AV on to you) and hauling the furniture.

4. Be Responsive, Act Quickly
San Francisco is an insanely competitive market. We're hovering at ~4% vacancy throughout the city, which is SF's lowest vacancy rate since the dotcom boom. Spaces come and go extremely quickly in this market.

The majority of tech companies are all looking for a similar type of space: high ceilings, brick walls, polished concrete floors, a surplus of meeting rooms and a creative overall feel. Those spaces get leased even quicker than the rest. If you have your eyes on a certain space or if your broker shows you a space that just came online and seems perfect, go see it immediately. If it's perfect, send a proposal immediately. Get your name in the ring before the space gets snatched right from under you.

5. Work with a broker that you like and that you know will hustle on your behalf
As we have noted, SF is a fast-moving city when it comes to office space. Work with someone you know is on top of the market, continuously sending you new opportunities and keeping you updated throughout the lease process.

Know what's going on throughout the process. Having a broker you trust and can call/text for a quick update is crucial. It is unacceptable if your brokerage team is unresponsive or if your broker keeps you out of the loop. Good brokers will keep you posted throughout the process and make sure you know where things stand. There may be situations where you lose out on 1 or 2 or 3 spaces because of high demand and stiff competition, but continuing to stay on top of the market and evaluate new options is crucial to any tech company in San Francisco looking to find creative and flexible opportunities.

We would be happy to answer any questions about these 5 things to consider or about real estate in general. Please don't hesitate to email or give us a call anytime!

Jenny Haeg | Global Real Estate Services
jenny.haeg@cbre.com

Reuben Torenberg | Global Real Estate Services
reuben.torenberg@cbre.com
C +1-201-240-8479

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Announcing OrgOrg's First Executive Director!

6/11/2019

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Dear OrgOrg Community,

For years, I’ve acknowledged that while we can accomplish ridiculously amazing things with our scrappy part-time volunteer team, OrgOrg would really benefit from someone whose entire job is making this thing great. For the last couple of months, I’ve been working with Eden to find OrgOrg’s first paid employee: an Executive Director to take this community to the next level. We’ve been a 100% part-time volunteer organization since 2010, but with our new partners at Eden, we have the opportunity to scale OrgOrg at a much faster velocity.

I’m incredibly honored and humbled to announce that OrgOrg has found its new fearless leader, Executive Director Kelli Doré. Kelli has been an OrgOrg member since 2015, and worked with the OrgOrg Org for the past two years (on multiple teams), most recently leading our Boston chapter and Sponsorships initiatives, in addition to much, much more.

She has a vision for a globally-connected, fully-resourced OrgOrg, with a more robust sponsors and partners program to help further fund our operations and provide amazing connections and opportunities to our members. I love how passionate she is about our mission and the vision I’ve been driving towards for the last eight-plus years, and how many great ideas she has for how to propel our efforts forward.

I will continue to be involved with OrgOrg as an Advisory Board member, and I’m excited to see where Kelli takes this amazing community. Please join me in congratulating Kelli (and heck, congratulating OrgOrg) on this new chapter in OrgOrg’s life!

With tremendous gratitude,
Kim

My top 10 Moments in OrgOrg history:

Our first meetup: a picnic (with our only 6 members!) on the Yerba Buena lawn
Co-hosting the first ever Admin Bash with OfficeNinjas
The first OrgOrg swag (tshirts with our “owl” logo)
Collaborating on a shiny new face for OrgOrg at orgorg.co
Running the “Outstanding Organizer” contest with Eden and sending an OrgOrg’er to Hawaii
Hosting two fundraisers to sustain operations with small donations from the community
Launching official chapters, complete with events all over the country
Getting acquired by Eden
The first ever CampOrgOrg
Hiring Kelli Doré to run this thing and take it to the next level

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6 Simple Ways To Make Your Office More Secure

3/29/2019

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If you’re an office administrator, office manager, or operations professional, you might find yourself wondering: “When did I take on the role of IT professional?” From being asked to add the new hire to a Google Group, to being tasked with sitting on hold with your internet service provider to figure out why the Wi-Fi is so slow, office admins everywhere are becoming their office’s de facto IT person.

So why not get ahead of the game and implement a few simple policies to increase cybersecurity at your office? Not only will it make your role as de facto IT person a lot easier, but pushing proactive cybersecurity policies can also protect your company from a major security breach.

Enforce regular password changes

One of the simplest ways to make your office’s devices/endpoints more secure is to enforce regular password changes. Most SaaS apps and operating systems give you the ability to configure regular password changes and send out push notifications to employees so they are not caught off guard. In addition to these push notifications, it’s also a good idea to send out additional communication to your office (e.g., a scheduled Slackbot or email explaining the what/when/why/how of regular password changes).

Implement MFA where you can

Multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires more than one method of authentication to log into an account, is probably active on your personal accounts. But did you know that MFA is one of the best cybersecurity policies you can roll out at your company? Even if all of your employees are using the most complicated passwords known to man, their user info will still end up in the wrong hands at some point. MFA is an inexpensive and essential line of defense when an employee’s device or credentials get lost or stolen.

Get branded webcam covers

Covering your webcam isn’t just a best practice for conspiracy theorists – it actually has some merit when it comes to cybersecurity. A former FBI director recommends that webcams remain covered with tape, and even Mark Zuckerberg covers his webcam. An easy, cost-effective way to safeguard your office’s privacy from webcam hackers is to get webcam covers. You can even take this a step further by branding your webcam covers with your company logo. Who doesn’t love free swag?

Send out regular phishing tests

Don’t underestimate the importance of phishing training! According to Wombat’s 2018 State of the Phish Report, 76 percent of InfoSec professionals said they experienced a phishing attack in 2017. Maybe you’re thinking, why would a cybercriminal go after my company? Wouldn’t Jeff Bezos be a better target? Actually, it’s precisely the opposite. While the Amazons of the world have the resources to protect against these kind of attacks, small to mid-sized businesses are extremely susceptible – especially if your employees are not trained to know otherwise.

Set a five-minute screensaver

Perhaps the quickest of cybersecurity wins is enforcing a screensaver policy at your office. Pushing your employees to configure the settings on their device so a screensaver turns on after a few minutes of inactivity can be a work-lifesaver. While leaving your screen up while you run to the bathroom or chat with a coworker may not seem like a security issue, even a five-second peek at your screen by the wrong person can compromise company data.

Backup data to the cloud

Of all the ideas on this list, backing up data to the cloud is probably a best practice your business is already, well, practicing. At the risk of preaching to the choir, cloud services like G Suite or Office 365 offer a lot of added security, and your business doesn’t have to worry about hiring more people or paying for extra resources for an on-site backup. If your office currently stores its data on a server on premise, we also recommend backing up your data to the cloud as an added security and data retention measure.

For even more cybersecurity best practices your business can implement, check out some of our latest guides:

We’ve seen hundreds of de facto IT people become the office hero by partnering with Electric to solve their modern businesses’ IT needs. To learn more, schedule a demo with an Electric IT Specialist.

About the Author: Kristofer Black is a builder of systems and applier of theoretical models. He is also the Director of Hardware Engineering at Electric — and a self-proclaimed sneakerhead.

About Electric: Founded in New York City in 2016, Electric is a Series B startup backed by GGV Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Bowery Capital and Primary Venture Partners. Electric is revolutionizing IT support with the world’s first automated IT platform. The platform’s core features include IT troubleshooting, systems administration, security and network management, and on-site assistance. Electric has also recently introduced Turbine, which uses automation to streamline employee onboarding and offboarding processes, adding to its list of core features. Through a chat and web interface, personalized service and flat-rate pricing, Electric is on a mission to become the de-facto IT solution for businesses all over the country.

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OrgOrg and Office Ninjas and Admin Week 2019!

3/11/2019

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We’re partnering with our friends at OfficeNinjas to celebrate Admin Week 2019! (And we’ve got an exciting contest for you, so keep reading)

Like OrgOrg, OfficeNinjas cares deeply about empowering and celebrating the admin profession. In fact, we've been partnering with them since the earliest days of Admin Week — and we’re thrilled to be jointly celebrating the admins hard at work behind the scenes again this year!

OrgOrg co-founder Kim and OfficeNinjas co-founder Nancy back in the early days.

We’d love for you to join us for this year’s Admin Bash festivities on April 24, 2019 in San Francisco.

If you haven’t heard, Admin Bash is the biggest celebration of office managers, executive assistants, and workplace operators worldwide. This highly-anticipated recognition event takes place on Administrative Professionals Day, and strikes the perfect balance between a professional networking social and an all-out celebration. Get ready for:

Tasty bites and drinks
Interactive experiences
A curated vendor market
Legit raffles prizes
The legendary swag bag

Watch last year’s Admin Bash recap to see what we mean.

Will you join us? Get your tickets before March 15, to secure early bird pricing.

Enter Our Contest! We’re celebrating our partnership with OfficeNinjas with a pre-Admin Day Contest. Five lucky OrgOrgers will win either two free passes to Admin Bash or a beautiful handmade wooden letter board (your choice, depending on whether you can join us IRL at the Bash)! Click here to enter by sharing your favorite OrgOrg memory!

The deadline to enter the giveaway is March 15 at 11:59pm PT, and we’ll announce winners on March 20. Good luck!

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VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT: Allison Zincke-Robles

2/22/2019

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Please introduce yourself (name, location, family, hobbies)
My name is Allison and I'm an Office Manager for a social impact startup in Chicago. I moved last year from San Francisco, and I absolutely love my new city! In the summer I volunteer with the Chicago Brewery Running Series and take advantage of everything Chicago has to offer (bars, museums, beaches). Now that it’s winter I’m excited to be able to experience snow again!

What do you do for OrgOrg?
Chicago Chapter Head

What Inspired you to volunteer with OrgOrg?
I love the resources OrgOrg and it's members provide, and there wasn't a big presence in Chicago- so I'm trying to change that!

What projects have you worked on for OrgOrg?
Building Chicago's presence and getting more members and resources.

What is your day job?
Office and People Manager at Moonrise, a social impact startup that provides one day shifts and same day pay.

How did you get to where you are today?
After graduating I got my paralegal certificate from Georgetown. I decided I did not want to be a lawyer but worked as a paralegal in DC for 5 years. When I relocated to the bay I got my start as an office manager when the previous office manager went on maternity leave. I thought it was a great balance of my administrative experience and interest in events, so I've been working as an office manager ever since!

What is your typical day like?
We're very small so everyone pitches in for everything! On a typical day I'll run through our onboarding for our workers (Moonrisers) and make sure they get all their HR docs set. Sometimes I am on call and troubleshoot any issues our Moonrisers have. As an office manager I make sure the office is stocked, have regular meetings with employees, build our core team onboarding flow, and plan events to celebrate and grow our culture.

Anything fun or interesting you’ve worked on?
We’ve had a couple of great events with our Core team and Moonrisers (field days, holiday parties). Currently I’m starting to ramp up our social media presence and take on more recruiting!

If a high schooler or new grad walked up to you asking for your advice and you only had a few minutes to give ‘em your best tips, what would it be?
What you end up doing is not necessarily what you think you will! Industries are growing and changing and there are a ton of cool jobs that you might make your career that don't even exist yet.

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OrgOrg Volunteer Appreciation Day

11/12/2018

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OrgOrg Volunteers work hard all year, not only at their full-time day jobs, but also behind the scenes at OrgOrg. Whether it's managing the community's online forum, planning meetups & events in their own cities, managing sponsorships or posting to our social media, our year-round volunteers make sure this community is amazing for our members. It's an incredible effort, and we would not exist without our talented and committed team.

This dedication was demonstrated tenfold leading up to Camp OrgOrg last month. On the day following Camp, Britt from Wine and Dine Events was generous enough to spoil us to a full day of luxury in Napa.

We kicked off our morning with a champagne bus ride up to Tres Posti where we immediately dove into a pesto-making competition. The competition was heated, but Dana, our Phoenix Chapter Head, reigned supreme and won a bottle of white wine for her victory.

We followed our competition up with an al fresco -- a beautiful, fresh spread of grilled vegetables, crispy skin salmon, mushroom chicken, salad, and big pieces of toasted bread spread with our freshly made pesto.

Next, we hopped back on the bus and drove to Stag Leap Cellars (not to be confused with Stag Leap Winery just down the road) for Sauv Blanc in big chairs overlooking a private pond. Even more special, we got to meet one of the owners and discuss what makes their wine (and their story!) so special.

We continued to the infamous Castello Di Amarosa for a wine tasting atop a hill and overlooking the valley. We leisured in the sun, playing bocce ball and sipping wine. As for the competition, Dana and our Oakland Chapter Head, Tiffany, won -- Dana was the lucky charm that day!

Finally, we were treated to the most delicious and indulgent chocolates at Kollar Chocolates, burgers and ice cream at Platform 8, along with every fry imaginable (parmesan! onion rings! sweet potato fries!) before hopping on the bus back to San Francisco.

As you can see from our epic outing, Wine and Dine Events plans exquisite, specially curated experiences and trips for both corporate and non-corporate events. Half day, full day, or multiple nights; you name it, they handle all the details so you can relax and enjoy your day, no matter its purpose. We can't recommend them enough. Thank you Wine and Dine Events for a beautiful day!!

If you're interested in learning more about about working with Wine and Dine Events or any of the amazing venues we visited, contact information is below.

Wine and Dine Events
www.wineanddinetour.com
Britt Van Giesen
Director of Corporate Sales
(707) 738-6645
Britt@winedineevents.com

Tre Posti
www.treposti.com
Kimmie Husted
Tre Posti Events & Catering
(707) 963-7600
kimmie@treposti.com

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 5766 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
www.CASK23.com
Karla Jensen|Senior Hospitality Manager
(707) 261.6403
karla.jensen@cask23.com

Castello di Amorosa 4045 N. Saint Helena Hwy Calistoga, CA 94515
www.castellodiamorosa.com
Antoinette Freeman
Director of Hospitality
(707) 967-7084
AFreeman@castellodiamorosa.com
Angie Guevara
Event Manager
(707) 967-7098
AGuevara@castellodiamorosa.com

Bottegana Napa Valley 6525 Washington Street, Suite A9 Yountville, CA 94599
www.botteganapavalley.com
Kellie Magna
Director of Special Events & Celebrations
(707) 754-4467
kellie.magna@botteganapavalley.com

Interested in joining our most excellent volunteer team? Check out current openings here, or check out our whole team and contact us! We'd love to have you!

PS did you attend Camp OrgOrg? Let us know what you thought!

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