Meet Katherine Adeyemi | CEO and Imani Cabezas | COO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine Adeyemi and Imani Cabezas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine and Imani, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Kurator Kollective was born in the realization that we all have shared experiences. Two women who became friends discovered they were devoid of the experience of curated spaces that were fulfilled at a high level. So in short; we we saw a void – we filled it! Kurator Kollective is a social club, dedicated to the connection of people through bespoke curated leisure.

– What’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
A: We disagree with the notion that you can’t have it all, we believe that you absolutely can. Hard work is necessary, its importance can’t be downplayed. But with the right work ethic it’s possible to find success in building all the things that bring you joy.

We’re a team, but we still have completely separate lives where we have a number of interests and goals. Balancing our priorities has allowed us to be able to take on the endeavor of our business. We have learned that keeping balance is only achieved when you’re consciously working at it.

– Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
A: The more passionate you are about something, the more willing you are to take the leap. Passion will always force the worries of risk into the backseat. When we think back to the founding days of our company we had already jumped head first into planning our first event before we had considered any of the risks. Even if we could go back to ponder second thoughts, we would change nothing. In both our personal and professional lives, taking risks has only led to lessons or rewards, never losses.

-What habits do you feel helped you succeed?
A: We started our business being very self aware of our strengths and weaknesses, not only as individuals but also within our partnership. This awareness has allowed us the capacity to figure out the best way to execute things together. We created a schedule that balanced our in-house projects with other responsibilities needing to be fulfilled in other areas of our life. Staying true to our schedule while remaining flexible continues to be rewarding.

– What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
A: Our belief in what we have has been the basis of our success. We believe that we’ve built a creative niche experience. We’re surrounded with so much uncertainty that we just want to provide a; safe, fun, and inspired space that creates a sense of community. We understand our audience, so we haven’t had to lose time trying to appeal to every market. We know who will find what we have to offer valuable so we choose to engage them.

-What’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
A: There are always going to be fires, needing to be put out. Something somewhere is going to derail and you’re going to have to roll with things until you reach resolution. We have learned the hard way that getting stuck at the onset of a crisis instead of immediately shifting gears, creates immense increased stress. Building the resilience to pivot and be flexible has been our biggest take away.

-Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
A: Starting Kurator Kollective while simultaneously executing other career obligations was tricky for both of us. We both had full time positions pulling our attention outward. We were determined, so it became crucial to master time management. Before deciding to curate events professionally we were able to be very lax when planning. For someone to invest their money into our vision, we felt we had to perform with a higher level of focus.

We’re now more aware of the time required to perform at a high level without sending shock waves through our personal lives. We’ve also been able to include those close to us so that has been exciting.

– How did you come up with the idea for your business?
A: We were bamboozled. That sounds dramatic, right? But after getting a group of our friends together to go to an event, we left early, knowing there was no re-entry, thoroughly disappointed with the experience. The execution of the event left so much to be desired that we decided to eat the cost of the tickets and go somewhere else.

The next few hours were spent discussing how we would plan our own event, to our own standard. We decided we were done solely relying on others. We were going to build our own experiences by curating events and then invite others to share in the fun. 3 months later we hosted our first event.

– Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?
A: We believe ourselves to be creatives who are drawn to creation. We’ve both always dabbled within different forms of artistry, so we have combined that with the love of event curation. Watching a concept grow from just notes and brain dumps to R.S.V.P.S and event extravaganza is absolutely fulfilling.

– What are you inspired by?
A: We’re inspired by creative expression. It sounds simple, but it looks very different on each person and at different phases of their life. It is rooted in one’s journey. We used the fuel of knowing we could do something, to actually do it. We created something beautiful once we started overthinking less and doing more.

We’ve been able to connect a growing community of people that are interested in social collaboration, though experiencing creative spaces with likeminded people.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
– What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

A: We’re a minority-owned social club dedicated to creating spaces of importance and magnetism. We curate spaces faithful to the cultivation of community and the essence of artistry. We believe that in life you are meant to thrive, not just survive. All of our events are designed to elicit joy in its purest form. We go to great lengths to create safe spaces for our members to enjoy unique experiences.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
– Ok boom, so we just scooped you from the airport. We’re heading straight to the Corner Grill in College Park for lunch. After a quick catch up and a yummy meal we’ll let you settle in for a shower and nap before we head to State Farm arena to check out the Hawks’ home game. We’ll finish the night with a nightcap and slice of pizza from DaVinci’s Pizzeria.

– Mid morning the next day we’ll take a hike to the top of Stone Mountain. We’ll drive back to the city and have lunch at Lottafrutta or Tassili’s Raw Reality Café. After the hike it’s only right to treat our feet with a stop to Heavenly Foot Massage.

– Let’s take it easy and spend the afternoon exploring the High Museum. We’ll catch a ride to the top of the city at SkyView Atlanta and stop for a delicious seafare at Oceanaire and dessert at The Yard Milkshake Bar.

– Time to slow things down, we’ll mosey around the Beltline and Ponce City Market taking time to explore shopping, food, and fun on The Roof. Ending the night, we’ll enjoy the vibes at Rock Steady.

– On the day of your departure we’ll enjoy breakfast at Augies Cafe. Heading back home to gather your bags and making one last stop at the Aquarium before dropping you off at the airport.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Aside from the obvious close friends and family – you know who you all are. Our endeavors could not have been made possible without partnerships with businesses like Elysium Event Center and Catered by The Main Course. And most importantly, our community that continuously purchases tickets to support all of Kurator Kollective’s events.

Website: https://KuratorKollective.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kuratorkollective/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KuratorKollective

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kurator_kollective

Image Credits
-Mike D. Shot Me -Tobias Cofer