FOUNDER SPOTLIGHTS

Max Whal
Originally hailing from MIssouri, Max came to San Francisco as a Santa Clara University freshman on a Pell Grant. It was his own classification as a "low-income student" that sparked his interest in funding economic opportunity for others in the same situation, and he realized that he would truly hit a sweet spot if he could blend his interest in oenology and the merriment of wine with his purpose,. Max has loved every aspect of the struggles and successes in leading Scholar Wine over the years, but more than anything, he appreciates all of the people who make Scholar Wine's dream (and the dreams of their scholars) reality.

Although he did not ultimately pursue his teenarge hope of becoming a professional water polo player, Max is thoroughly enjoying his days as a full-time accountant with Deloitte. Outside of work hours, he romps outdoors, plays sports, pushes himself to learn new things, plays musical instruments, and learns new languages. After all that, he likes to wind down with a nice sparkling brut.

Evan Bambico
When Evan's friend Max Whal walked up to him in the dorms of Santa Clara University and asked if he "wanted to do something cool" involving wine and scholarship funds, Evan didn't know exactly what he was signing up for - but he knew he was game. A Biology major and philanthropist with an interest in viniculture at the time, Evan helped to craft this new venture into an ideal way to give back to the school community while addressing a nation-wide issue and having fun with the like-minded, passionate friends. Evan cherishes the many stages of Scholar Wine's evolution over the years, and his favorite part of working events nowadays is seeing the look on client's faces when they learn of Scholar Wine's unique mission.

Since graduating from Santa Clara in 2015, Evan has remained in the Bay area, working full-time in the biotech industry. In his free time, Evan rock-climbs, snowboards, and takes photos. He thinks Cabernets can be overrated. and is a Zinfandel man.

Josh Candelaria
Ever a lover of the fermented grape, Josh Candelaria began happily shuttling wine from their corner in the beverage warehouse to loyal subscriber's doors back in the early days of Scholar Wine's subscription-based wine club. Although he looks wistfully upon the hours spent in his car playing "delivery man", fueled only by his passion for the organization's mission, he is thrilled by the leaps that Scholar Wine has made since its humble beginnings, Josh has a blast working at Scholar Wine's events and interacting with clients and volunteers while raising funds for scholars, and takes every opportunity to spread the company's mission.

When he's not running Scholar Wine's day-to-day operations, Josh can be found on a backpacking trip, lounging on the beach, playing spikeball at the park, or jamming at concerts and music festivals. Josh chooses his beverages depending upon his palate's whims: if beer, Lagunites IPA; if cocktail, Gin & Tonic; if red wine, Zinfandels and Cabernets; if white wine, Pinot Grigio.

BOARD MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS

Madison Yeack
Madison came to Scholar Wine with a desire to advocate for social and economic justice, as well as a sharp eye for growth opportunity. In 2017, she graduated with an Environmental Science degree from UCSB, where she studied abroad in Peru and realized that her true passion blossomed at the intersection of scientific research and the human, socioeconomic questions it uncovers. Since graduating, she has used her natural affinity for scientific thinking, networking, marketing, and development toward humanitarian ends with various organizations and causes. She met Max and Josh at a Scholar Wine-catered Capital One Cafe event in the summer of 2017, she was hooked by their admirable mission and the massive growth potential she saw. From her early days as a volunteer at the bar, she evolved into Scholar Wine's Director of Marketing, and is thrilled to help students achieve the basic human right of a higher education.

When she is not working for Scholar Wine or IMPACT by aHa Marketing, Maddy loves to backpack (one of her goals is to do all of the Pacific Crest trail within the next 10 years), do yoga and pilates, and hang out in San Franciscos' many parks with olives, cheese, and wine (a nice dry rose is her favorite).

Charles Kim
Originally from Korea, Charles Kim made his way to San Francisco from Seattle in 2015 after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Accounting. He stumbled upon Scholar Wine through a Deloitte ice breaker event, where Max (one of his team members) explained the mission and function of his after-hours non-profit wine-delivery service. Charles began pitching in with wine deliveries and event catering alongside his new friend, but is now working "behind the scenes" on operational aspects of Scholar Wine (particularly in the area of, you guessted it: accounting). Adide from his investment in Scholar Wine's mission, he loves the team environment fostered by all of the board members and other volunteers.

When not working or volunteering with Scholar Wine, Charles lieks to read (areas of interest include management and literature), learn more about programming and analytics, and work on analytical templates in Tableau. He thinks that Evan is outrageous for saying carbernet can be overrated, and his own favorite wines include Bordeaux blends, California Pinot Noir, and chardonnay.

AB

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