Lisa Curtis is the founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, the leading brand pioneering a new sustainably sourced superfood called moringa. Lisa began working on Kuli Kuli while serving in the Peace Corps and, alongside her amazing team, has grown it into a multi-million dollar social enterprise with products in over 7,000 stores. Lisa was recently recognized as a 2019 Leadership Award winner by the Specialty Food Association for her work with Kuli Kuli.
Curtis will be leading the "Building Buzz Workshop" session in the Maker Space on Monday, June 24 at the 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show. The Maker Space is where new businesses can get the knowledge and know-how to take their company to the next level. Registration starts at $59 for all three days of sessions.
Curtis recently sat down with Specialty Food News to discuss what she’s looking forward to at the show and how the Peace Corps is like the specialty food business.
What are you most looking forward to at the Summer Fancy Food Show?
I love the energy of the Summer Fancy Food Show. There are so many delicious innovations to try, entrepreneurs pitching their dreams, and amazing thought leaders. All of that energy in the heart of arguably the most vibrant city in America makes for an unforgettable experience, every year.
What trends are you expecting to see at the show?
Plant-based is sure to continue to be huge as entrepreneurs find even better ways to create delicious milks and meats with a lower carbon footprint. I'm also excited about the rapid rise of keto and how the macro trend of low-sugar and low-carb is going to shake up the industry.
What’s it like to go from SFA Leadership Award winner to speaker?
Five years ago, I was launching Kuli Kuli via a very small booth at the Winter Fancy Food Show. A few months ago I was recognized as an industry leader. Now I'm teaching others. It's been a whirlwind ride and such an honor to be in a place where I can help other entrepreneurs turn their food passions into high-velocity products.
What did you learn in the Peace Corps that you can apply to working in the food industry?
The Peace Corps taught me how to be scrappy, resilient, and work well with ambiguity. These three traits have been unbelievably valuable in my startup journey. Scrappiness is key as starting a food company is expensive and, though there are more investors now, most of them want to see market traction before investing. Resiliency is critical as you're bound to get rejected by buyers, investors, and consumers on a regular basis. Lastly, there is no one path to success in the food industry and so it's important to be flexible and ride with the waves.
What’s the best business advice you’ve been given?
A mentor of mine told me that if I wanted to start a company I should spend a few years at a startup, learning on someone else's dime. I spend three years working at a startup that grew from four to forty people during my tenure. I apply the lessons that I learned there every day.
from Industry Operations http://bit.ly/2PFKTeD
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