2016 Fall Dragon

ottle shops and wineries. Last, but not least, Loh
commissioned a highly regarded illustrator to create
custom wine emojis to describe any given experience
– from various occasions to fruit profiles like lemon
peel and marshmallow. VAULT29 is taking aim at
making wine simple, fun, interactive and most importantly,
meaningful.
In addition to the app, VAULT29’s Wine Mic Monday
blog has become very popular. The team has produced
two successful seasons featuring local, boutique
wineries covering topics such as dry farming,
mother-daughter wine teams, how to start a wine
brand, barrel sourcing in France and more. The
weekly series gives one featured winery the opportunity
to share its story and be discovered by a new
audience. Season three is underway and its premiere
is around the corner.
Establishing Roots in Business Development
After graduating from U.C. Berkeley in 2002 with a
bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, and taking courses
in Peak Performance and Intellectual Property
Law at Stanford University and Harvard University
respectively, Loh moved to China and worked at the
Grand Hyatt Shanghai.
While there, she fell into a liaison role for a wine venture
in California. In 2004, she returned to the U.S.
and started her first company – a boutique import/
export firm called Tradebound International.
At Tradebound, Loh was responsible for everything
from design input to customer acquisition, business
development and project management.
“Most of our clients were in the luxury space, so
phase one involved design; phase two involved
sourcing the product and overseeing mass production
in China; and phase three was coordinating the
logistics of shipping and customs when the goods
arrived in the U.S.,” she said. “Our packaging was
regularly featured in Saks Fifth Ave, Neiman Marcus,
Bed, Bath & Beyond, Williams-Sonoma, etc., so the
most rewarding aspect was helping my clients turn
their visions into tangible products and seeing them
in magazines or store shelves.”
Loh says that starting any business from the ground
up is incredibly challenging, but rewarding at the
same time.
“As an entrepreneur, you are constantly being
questioned by yourself and others. How committed
are you? How much are you willing to sacrifice to
achieve your dream? When the doubt creeps in, or
someone criticizes your work, how will you respond?
The small victories are thrilling and keep me motivated.
It’s pretty special to build something to call
your own, especially when it comes from a true place
of passion,” she said.
Overcoming Obstacles
At Tradebound, Loh’s biggest obstacle was being
young and convincing clients to trust her with their
brand. “The only way to really overcome this was
to prove my commitment and professionalism, and
execute,” she said.
With VAULT29, the obstacles have been very different,
she said.
“My co-founder and I come from business backgrounds.
We are not computer engineers or designers
by trade, so we depend on a team of people to
help carry out our vision. Since neither of us have
worked for Apple or Google, or raised outside investment,
people question whether we can execute on
our own dime. Statistics say 95 percent of startups
eventually fail. So I guess you could say the odds are
against us. But I enjoy a good challenge! I am grateful
for the journey thus far.”
Starting to See the Fruits of Labor
Wine, by nature, brings people together, Loh said.
“I love meeting new people, getting their feedback
and making new contacts and friends,” she said. “It’s
incredibly rewarding to receive validation from industry
leaders in the tech and wine space who tell us
everyday how much the world needs this product.”
Drinking really great wine has perks, too, she adds.
For more information about VAULT29 visit
www.VAULT29.com. You must be 21 to log onto the
website and download the app on the App Store.
Fall Magazine 2016 // 45