LaunchSquad Sponsors Families for the Holidays
Working at LaunchSquad, I’m often compelled to express my gratitude for my great coworkers and incredible clients. This is especially true around the holidays, when we fill the office with holiday decorations and celebrate the year’s success by laughing until we can’t eat one more bite of chocolate pot de creme at the company party. Little gourmand LaunchSquad elves put homemade cookies in the kitchen almost every day, and spontaneous carols with technology-specific lyrics echo throughout the office. Seriously. This place does the season justice.
To give back a little bit of what we’ve so graciously been given this season and throughout the year, LaunchSquad participates in numerous volunteer projects (see here, here and here) throughout the year. During the holidays, everyone pitches in for the Sponsor-a-Family program through the Family Social Services of the Bay Area. We did this last year as well, and with our growing and generous staff, were able to provide gifts for five families this season. Blankets, towels, clothing and Transformers toys filled the front of the office for most of December, until they were wrapped and taken to the FSSBA in Jennifer Gazin’s Honda Element on Dec. 19. In all, LaunchSquadders contributed more than 75 gifts!
This year’s Sponsor-a-Family effort was one in a long line of LaunchSquad holiday projects. Prior to working with FSSBA, we collected supplies for At the Crossroads, a local organization that reaches out to homeless youth and young adults. We’ve also collected eyeglasses for Give the Gift of Sight, a family of charitable programs that provides free vision care and eyewear to underprivileged people in North America and in developing countries around the world. We’re grateful to have the means to give, and we feel lucky to celebrate the holidays in such a meaningful way.
5th Graders on the Job at LaunchSquad
A few weeks ago, LaunchSquad’s Monica Miller and I had the opportunity to spend time with two 5th graders from Monarch Academy in Oakland. Patricia and Francisco made a trip to downtown San Francisco for a job shadow to see the ins and outs of a day’s work at a technology public relations firm.
Francisco and Patricia sat in on a conference call with a reporter, saw recent client stories that we placed in publications and experimented with tools we use regularly around the office. They even had a chance to play a company favorite video game called Penguin Diner – a game sponsored with ads from our client and 5th floor neighbor, Mochi Media. Mochi was kind enough to invite the students on a mini-tour of their office space, too. Thanks especially to Margaret at Mochi!
Both Francisco and Patricia came to LaunchSquad prepared with questions and tape recorders, putting us on the spot with thoughtful interviews. They interviewed the partners about LaunchSquad with questions ranging from what changes the shop has faced in its eight-year history and current issues facing the organization to how LaunchSquad impacts the people with which we work. They also asked Monica and me about our daily responsibilities and the attributes needed to succeed in the field of PR.
At the end of the day, spending time with Francisco and Patricia was a nice opportunity to reflect on our work and its relevance to our clients and the media industry as a whole. Whether developing a presence in social networks or getting covered in an industry trade publication, it really all comes down to strategically impacting our clients’ business in the way that makes the most sense for them. We realized just how tricky it is to explain that to a 5th grader!
We very much enjoyed having both Francisco and Patricia in our offices for the day and look forward to participating in this program again in the future. If you would like to host a college-bound 5th grader from Monarch Academy at your work place, please contact ROPES coordinator, Jennifer Del Checcolo at 510-568-3101 or email at jennifer.delcheccolo@aspirepublicschools.org.
2008 End of Year Meeting & Holiday Party
For LaunchSquad’s end-of-year meeting early this month, the team gathered at SF State’s downtown campus, located at the new Westfield San Francisco Centre. Inside tiered-classroom 557, Partner Jesse Odell kicked-off the presentation-packed afternoon by running circles around the classroom to the sounds of the Black Eyed Pea’s chart-toping “Let’s Get It Started.” Following Jesse’s memorable introduction, Partner Brett Weiner introduced the third Weiner baby to his extended family mid-presentation when a slide of a recent ultrasound image flickered on the projection screen. While Brett said he hopes to have a “health baby,” some Squaders are hoping Abigail and Hazel Weiner will have a baby brother come summer.
The afternoon also included Jason Mandell delivering his annual State of LaunchSquad update and Jason Throckmorton reviewing the 2008 Employee Survey. The meeting concluded with a small awards ceremony for outstanding employee performances this year. Some of the “whinnnnas” took home gifts in the categories of Best Pitcher, Rookie of the Year and Team Player.
The following evening LaunchSquad headed over to Bar Tartine in the Mission District for the annual holiday soiree. Recognized as a great place to eat in San Francisco, Bar Tartine did not disappoint the 50 Squaders and guests. As people arrived, guests mingled around the bar, sipping cranberry-prosecco aperitifs or wine and snacked on tasty canapés. The marble top bar was decorated with a spread of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, Tartine bread and accoutrements. Dinner included entrees of local black cod, prather ranch NY strip loin, and potato gnocchi. The fourth course received rave reviews from dessert-lover and veteran-Squader Melissa Biles who couldn’t get enough of the chocolate soufflé cake with vanilla ice cream, brandied cherries and almond toffee. “I love this!” she exclaimed.
While Melissa and others enjoyed the dessert course, Brett rolled up his shirtsleeves and prepared for the premier of the company’s annual holiday movie. Currently, in its fourth incarnation, the now-legendary company movie includes often-hilarious sketches co-written, produced and directed by Brett and Jesse. The movie showcases the Squad’s in-house talent and includes performances from every LaunchSquad employee. Due to the increase in production scale this year, the filmmakers recruited fellow Squader Corey Lewis as first cameraman and production assistant.
The 30-minute short film, “The Audacity of LaunchSquad” included fan-favorite sketches such as a calendar sequence entitled “The Men of LaunchSquad,” which featured Jesse’s pit-bull, Elvis, as Mr. December, and a Brett Weiner-written and performed rap called “Partners.”
The film received two-thumbs up by newcomer Doug Farmer who will now be remembered as the kid from Texas who busted a move in that holiday movie one year.
Here’s to hoping the 2009 LaunchSquad movie can out-do 2008.
Volunteer Day at SF Homeless Connect
To paraphrase Muhammad Ali, “What you’re thinking is where you’re going.”
To quote Muhammad Ali directly, “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”
Last week, a team of LaunchSquad volunteers was thinking – not about grass growing, birds flying, waves pounding or beating people up – but about helping San Francisco’s massive homeless population. They put their thoughts into action helping to register many of the estimated 1,500 volunteers who showed up to support Homeless Connect, a community program devoted to providing support to the city’s homeless. Even with such a massive outpouring of support, San Francisco’s homeless population – an estimated 6 to 10 THOUSAND people – is still in need of help. Another organization dedicated to helping San Francisco’s homeless is the Coalition on Homelessness.
Volunteers showed up to help fix wheelchairs, provide health services and legal advice, serve hot meals, give hair cuts and help homeless reach out to family and friends via phone and mail among other services.
PHC is replicated in 170 other cities across the nation. The next event in San Francisco is February 4, 2009.
LaunchSquad’s team was instrumental in getting volunteers registered, provide information and get the day off to a smooth start. Volunteer Central team leader Amy Golsong commented that our group was one of the best she’d ever had and LaunchSquad had the pleasure of meeting SF Mayor Gavin Newsom who made a surprise appearance to thank the volunteers for their time and efforts.
Another great showing for the LaunchSquad volunteer program!
LaunchSquad’s 4th Annual Pie Bake-Off: The Results Are In!
Just before Thanksgiving our San Francisco and New York offices hosted the Fourth Annual LaunchSquad Thanksgiving Pie Bake-Off, and it was out most advanced competition to date by far.
Our San Francisco winner was the simply named pie with extraordinary taste, Zoe Vandeveer’s “Classic Pecan Pie.” (A pecan pie has now won two of the last three years.)
It was, however, anything but classic as we learned in an interview with the champion herself: “There was vodka in the crust!” said Vandeveer. Perhaps that gave it just the extra something needed to pull away from the crowd, totaling 7 votes.
“It was the perfect pie,” said Bake-Off Official Throckmorton who voted for the winner. “It was the right consistency and had a depth of flavor that was lacking in all the other pies.”
New York’s winning pie was baked by Miko Mercer, a divine Apple Pie with a Pecan Caramel topping (and candied ginger too!) The New York office’s inaugural pie contest featured four pies from five employees — not bad! Other entries were pumpkin, port-soaked pear and pumpkin-coconut.
San Francisco’s second place pie, with, 5 votes, was last year’s champion, Monica Miller, with her “Sweet Potato Pie with Meringue.” Melissa Biles followed closely in third place with 4 votes for her “Apple & Pumpkin Harvest Pie with Brittle Crumble Topping.”
Always a LaunchSquad Pie Bakeoff favorite, Melissa Biles’ entry this year was an entirely original recipe of her own invention.
Other notable entries included Brett Weiner’s super-human effort: “The Apple Shizzle with Walnut Streusel Topping,” accompanied by Spiced Persimmon Ice-cream” which drew from the crowd an exclamation of “Homeade ice-cream??!!” And our other LaunchSquad Partner entry, Jesse Odell’s Bobbi Brown cherry pie, complete with lattice topping.
This year was by far our strongest competition yet – huge kudos to all for participating, both in the baking and tasting capacity.
Next up? A New York vs. San Francisco head-to-head competition. Miko vs. Zoe, Iron Chef style!