Inspiring Conversations with Kim Bryden of Cureate

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the most important parts of entrepreneurship is resilience, and being able to navigate the changes in our economy while finding and maintaining product-market fit. COVID-19 was certainly one of those times for many. A lot of people asked me to pivot Cureate’s business model to become a direct-to-consumer marketplace, and I said no because I knew Cureate was positioned for a new economic order – one where big business recognizes the importance of buying from local, small businesses. It is no longer a nice-to-have, but imperative for every institution and local economy’s resilience plan.

We are in a season of change, where we continue to shed the systems that no longer serve us, and I knew that Cureate was (and continues to be) positioned for the rebirth. We are built for a new, interconnected and economically-vibrant system —which is what we are all desiring, especially in a post-COVID world. It was not easy to stay true to that vision/mission, especially when cash is tight and the world wants you to do otherwise.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Cureate exists to shift the dollar back into our local communities by building an empowered food & beverage supply to meet changing consumer demand. We accomplish this mission through access to knowledge and new market opportunities.

Through our proprietary educational curricula, local procurement platform, and strategic counsel, Cureate has become a tested model of supply & demand match-making — connecting big & small business value chains that have been fragmented for too long. It takes a multi-stakeholder approach to truly effectuate change, and Cureate has been up to the challenge since 2014.

Read more: voyagebaltimore.com/interview/inspiring-conversations-with-kim-bryden-of-cureate