The Tidbit

When creating a business, it's of the utmost importance for you to understand and define your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). On this episode, we feature two different entreprenurs in the sustainable snacking space who are creating thoughtful, intentional business models through Direct Trade relationships, supply chain transparency, education and overall local economic opportunity. Tune in to hear from Renee Dunn of Amäzi Foods and Wyatt Bryson of Jewels of The Forest on their UVP's — and moreover, how they are on the path to displace traditional, overly processed snack items on retail shelves and through direct-to-consumer sales channels.

We have discussed many different ways to access capital on this show - and have focused primarily on pitching potential investors and working with CDFIs (community development financial institutions). What are other ways in which you can raise money? On this episode we’re going to learn more about crowdfunding - especially as a product based business. The tips we share revolve around how to active your crowdfunding campaign and what you can do to maximize your success. In-studio we welcome David and Nadine of RevolSnax to share their insights. Revol Snax makes true keto-friendly snacks you can be excited about eating!

Who has the power to be at the table, so to speak? What are new ways in which we can build trust in the decision making process - particularly around investment and how our money moves? On this episode we talk with Allyson Redpath, who just launched Citrine Angels. Their mission is to support the growth and success of female-founded businesses in the Washington DC metro area and increase access to investment opportunities for women. Tune in to learn about trust building in the investment process, what is angel investing, and pros/cons on structuing your investment through a Convertible Note or SAFE Agreement.

Whether you’re a budding restauranter, café owner, or even possibly opening a craft brewery or distiller, what do you need to think about from an experience design perspective through to permitting and financing to make sure you are set up for success? We want to avoid as many financial pitfalls as we can before even opening doors! This is why I’ve asked Steven Sorrell of Sorrell Design to join us on this episode. Sorrell Design is a Washington, DC based design firm that focuses on defining spaces for corporate offices, restaurants, retail, hospitality, and specialty spaces such as breweries. And, uniquely, Steven and his team have also worked on quite a few Main Streets / Corner Store projects — just like Cureate! Intrigued? Tune in to find out more about our experiences.

One of the hardest pieces of the brand identity puzzle is putting into words the feelings you want to communicate to your end customer. On this episode, we pull examples from Chez Panisse to &pizza as to how you should be thinking about building your brand identity from vision to reality. We're joined in-studio with Alexi New, Co-Founder of Noted - a branding consultancy based in Washington DC - who shares her experiences and expert resources.

Have you ever desired a different way to navigate your life and career? Perhaps a source of guidance other than the advice or the models of 'success' or guidance around you, which may not resonate to you? What if you could create a new kind of clarity, and feel a more authentic connection with your own insight? These are the questions posed by this episode's guest, Allie Armitage. This is the importance of self-discovery, inner work, and the necessity of grounding/knowing oneself in an age where everything can seem like your "worth" is tied to an externality. Tune into this show to learn more about developing your own personal compass, navigating complexity in the face of change.

How do we design a life, design a business where external market demands are in sync with our internal desires? We're often fed a narrative that a business must "figure it out" from the beginning - their business model, their scaling strategy, etc. - before ever entering into the market. Imagine rethinking what it means to be creative, and the creative process, applying it to our own lives and business models. We chat with Torie Partridge, Founder & Creative Director of Cherry Blossom Creative, on how her business has evolved over the past 5 years from services, to product production and retail.

Knowing your numbers. This is THE MOST important part of running a business, and the bane of existence for most business owners. We sit down with Maryellen Georgiadis, Owner of Finance A La Carte, to discuss three core components you need to think about when starting and running a food and beverage business - especially as a budding restauranteur. What pieces of the finance and accouting puzzle are you looking to learn more about? Leave us a review in iTunes with the tidbit of knowledge you gleaned from this episode and send us a note with more topics you're looking to explore at [email protected].

According to one analysis, roughly 2 percent of venture capital funding in 2017 went to all-female teams, compared to 79 percent that went to all-male teams. We’re all very tribal beings. We seek out what we know, what is familiar. But this has an extremely negative effect when the money held, access to opportunity is held, by one dominant race, gender, or class. How can we have a diverse, resilient, innovative economy when we’re only propping up one point of view? We sit down with Rohini Dey, Vermilion Restaurateur and James Beard Foundation Trustee, to discuss the "gastro-ceiling" in the food industry and how to create ecosystems of empowerment for woman-led food ventures to break the $1M revenue mark.

What happens when you can really change behavior on a systems level, upending those traditional power dynamics through empowerment and mentorship? On this episode of The Tidbit we discuss entrepreneurship in challenging places, inspired by her recent SXSW talk, featuring Kalsoom Lakhani. Kalsoom is the Founder & CEO of Invest2Innovate, which aims to support and unleash the potential of young entrepreneurs in growth markets like Pakistan. She’s also a Partner at i2i Ventures, Invest2Innovate’s early stage investment fund for Pakistan, and the country’s first female-led fund.