November 11, 2025

A transformational moment in time

We have been deeply disturbed by rising tensions, and many things we have been seeing and hearing from members of our community.

Since the creation of Syndicate, we have worked to create a safe place for all, where guests can leave their worries at the door. Now more than ever, we are doubling down on this.

On our sponsorship wall, there is a plank from Angela’s mother that reads, “Did you use your kind words today?”. There is also a dedication piece in our dining room honoring David’s grandparents, who started an English school in Shanghai, China in the 1920’s, where his father was born. The family crest comes from the Chinese character, “An”, which means “tranquility”. It is especially appropriate in this current social climate.

On November 11, 2025, we hosted a special evening at Syndicate with our friend, Mona Das, an award-winning documentarian, past Senator for the State of Washington, and fierce advocate for immigrant and women’s voices. Mona walks the talk every single day. Her story and platform is not only timely, but inspirational as many voices are being silenced.

We held a special viewing of her documentary “Bad Ass Women Doing Kick Ass Shit”, chronicling the work of eight strong women as they stood up to a hierarchy of old power.

The event raised more than $800 for a nonprofit close to our hearts: Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC). The night was inspiring for all, from the many stories shared by attendees who are worried about their personal rights and safety, but also their feelings of renewed hope from sharing in such a beautiful moment of community.

It was on this night we realized a unique opportunity to help our immigrant community, to stand up in defense of the rights of those who have no voice or power to defend themselves, and to use our position and brand as a force for positive change.

This was the moment Resilience Wines found its purpose.

Syndicate produces a series of private label wines, in partnership with local, artisan winemakers. Inspired by our own personal travails, and with a 2026 goal of introducing our wines to a larger market outside of our business, we initially looked at creating the brand, Resilience Wines.

2023 was a pivotal year for our business, and transformational for us individually, as we brought to conclusion a series of insurmountable obstacles that had challenged us to our core. From recent events, the purpose of Resilience Wines has taken on an entirely new meaning.

A portion of proceeds from every Resilence Wines bottle sold goes directly to Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC), to assist our community of immigrants with advocacy, legal support, education, and empowerment.

The power to withstand has long been a defining element of who we are. We now stand with our immigrant community as it faces fear and oppression. We are stronger together!