Freeman Means Business

As a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Kristin Campbell fell in love with the smell of wine in the barrel rooms of her winery clients during inventory counts, while obtaining her Certified Public Accountant license with KPMG more than 25 years ago.  Soon after, a young, introductory level sommelier, working the floor at Left Bank in Menlo Park, opened her eyes to wine in a new way and inspired her even further.  From there, her passion for wine and food excelled quickly as did her career in the High-Tech Startup world of Silicon Valley.  Kristin held various management and executive positions in finance and operations until 2001 when she began independently consulting for young technology companies, helping CEOs build their businesses from the ground up.  During that time, Kristin also donated her time extensively to education, holding various board and committee seats in the Menlo Park City School District.

In early 2013, the universe conspired to reunite her with that inspirational, now Master Sommelier, 16 years after her memorable encounter at Left Bank. This time she was inspired by the business trifecta - wine, education and another startup challenge.  Together, Kristin and David Glancy, MS CWE partnered to write the business plan for his visionary San Francisco Wine School, now the largest wine school in the U.S.  Today, Kristin is Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer, a California Wine Appellation Specialist CWAS® and the San Francisco Bay Area Ambassador for Women of the Vine & Spirits.  Forever in search of the perfect bite, she enjoys hiking, cooking, fine dining and experimenting with food and wine pairings.