Suggestions
Jen Wu
Research for Strategy
Jen Wu is the founder of Cookhouse, a culinary events space that operated in San Francisco from 2011 to 2022.1 Her journey in hospitality began after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when she volunteered at St. Paul's Chapel near Ground Zero, providing meals and support to emergency workers.1
Background and Education
Jen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University, where she studied Statistics & Operations Research and Marketing, with a focus on Entertainment, Media, and Technology.1 She also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.2
Career Highlights
- Founder of Cookhouse (2009-2022): Created a space for hosting social and business events, addressing challenges in event planning.1
- Research and Innovation: Currently works as a Research Study Designer & Team Lead at Malamute, focusing on foresight and innovation initiatives.3
- Previous roles: Held positions at Warner Music Group, Comscore, Inc., and other companies in market research and strategic marketing.3
Cookhouse
Under Jen's leadership, Cookhouse hosted nearly 2,000 events and collaborated with numerous local vendors, including 54 chefs and 8 florists.1 The venue emphasized sustainability through local sourcing and waste reduction.
Current Focus
While Cookhouse's physical location closed in 2022, Jen continues her work in innovation and futures thinking research.13 She creates strategic research structures to guide innovation initiatives in her current role at Malamute.3
Highlights
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Alternative funds for small business owners, independent contractors, and the self-employed are available now! There are new applications open from Facebook, Verizon, and Salesforce. Plus, the PUA Program allows these types of workers unemployment benefits - in California, you can start applying April 28.
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Our experience: Cookhouse received a partial grant from the SF Business Resiliency Fund. What we can use it on is limited. We also got a EIDL advance, but only 30% of what was originally expected. Both help, but it's objectively not enough. I've applied for various other grants and the PPP loan, but haven't been approved for any of these yet and am looking at another week of filling forms and not covering bills.
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What I'm doing about it: I'm launching a pledge program because many of the above won't allow us to pay vendors we owe, security, website, insurance, etc. And even if we get the PPP loan, there are ancillary costs to running a hyperlocal business with employees that it won't cover. Pledges will help bridge that gap.
Cookhouse has always adapted with the times, and I'm interested in seeing how small events - our specialty - will change. We'll evolve to fit new needs.
#eventsindustry #financialaid #grants #smallbusinesssupport #smallbusinessowner
