"You don’t need an MBA to build a business, you just need the grit to see your idea through" with Lisa Curtis
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Lisa Curtis is the Founder & CEO of Kuli Kuli, the leading brand pioneering a new sustainably sourced superfood called moringa. Moringa is a protein-rich leafy green, more nutritious than kale, with anti-inflammatory benefits rivaling turmeric. Kuli Kuli’s moringa powders, bars, and wellness shots are sustainably sourced from African women and other small farmers around the world and sold in 11,000 U.S. stores. 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. Learn more at www.kulikulifoods.com and www.lisamariecurtis.com.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Prior to starting Kuli Kuli, I served as the Communications Director at Mosaic where I managed a team of six to grow the company from zero to over $5M invested in solar through Mosaic’s online marketplace. Previously, I wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House, served as a United Nations Environment Programme Youth Advisor, and worked at an impact investment firm in India. I've been recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc Magazine’s Top 100 Female Founders list and have been featured in numerous outlets including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
What inspired you to start your business?
After feeling weak as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, I turned to moringa to regain my strength. Moringa is a local superfood that helps with malnutrition, but few people benefit from it. I found that the women in my village saw no reason to grow moringa when there was no market demand. I started Kuli Kuli to tackle the twin challenges of malnutrition and obesity that plague our global community. In the US there are millions of people looking for all-natural ways to nourish their busy lifestyles, just as there are a billion people around the world just looking for nourishment to survive. Investing in agriculture is, hands down, the most effective method of reducing poverty, but investment in agriculture has been declining for the past two decades.
I saw the rise of greens – from green juices to kale smoothies – and the popularity of superfoods such as quinoa, chia, and acai. As a green superfood with strong medicinal benefits, moringa is a superfood that resonates with the US population, while supporting women moringa farmers around the world. Upon returning to the US from the Peace Corps, I founded Kuli Kuli, a mission-driven business, to drive economic growth, women’s empowerment, and sustainable agricultural development by selling sustainably sourced moringa products.
Kuli Kuli is now the leading brand pioneering the superfood moringa. Moringa is a protein-rich leafy green, more nutritious than kale, with anti-inflammatory benefits rivaling turmeric. Kuli Kuli’s moringa powders, smoothie mixes, bars, and wellness shots are sustainably sourced from African women and other small farmers around the world and sold in 11,000 U.S. stores.
Where is your business based?
Oakland, CA
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
Together with a few amazing friends who became co-founders, we handmade moringa products in a commercial kitchen that we tested in farmers’ markets. Then we did a crowdfunding campaign that helped us launch into retail in 2014, and in 2016 Whole Foods Market noticed our success in Northern California and launched us nationwide.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I’m a huge believer in the power of storytelling. I tell my story to everyone I can, and especially to the media.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I had so much self-doubt when I first started Kuli Kuli. I thought I was too young, too inexperienced, too nice, too “female” to scale a startup. Everyone told me I was crazy to start a company selling a superfood no one had ever heard of, and source it from small African farmers. I've since found that with enough passion, grit, and hard work, anything is possible. The key is finding the people who are crazy enough to believe in your vision, and who have strengths that complement yours. Believe in yourself, find others who believe, and build something great.
How do you stay focused?
I evaluate every new opportunity carefully. If it’s not a “hell yeah”, then it’s a “hell no.”
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
As Kuli Kuli has grown the market for moringa, there have been a lot of competitors entering the space, particularly online where there are no quality standards. However, Kuli Kuli is proud that many consumers have recognized the high quality of our moringa, giving us over 60% market share in the US. We're constantly innovating, creating incredible new products and gift packs at kulikulifoods.com to surprise and delight our customers. We plan to stay in the game for the long-haul as we know a mission as important as ours can't be accomplished overnight.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
We’ve found that the press has been our most effective marketing strategy, both in sending thoughtful, customized pitches to the press, and people reading my thought leadership pieces on Forbes at https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisacurtis.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My best advice is that you don’t need an MBA to build a business, you just need the grit to see your idea through. I hope that I can be an example for other founders, female founders, in particular, showing that no matter your background, you too can build a multi-million dollar business. I started this company at age 23 without any industry experience, and together with my amazing team, have grown Kuli Kuli into a multi-million dollar business with an investment from incredible partners such as Kellogg, Griffith Foods, and leading venture capital firms.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I love Headspace, a meditation app to calm my mind before bed. I’m a big fan of Brad Feld’s blog for his actionable advice. I love the book by Muhammed Yunus Building Social Businesses as it inspired me to start a social enterprise.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I’m a big fan of SMART goals. I’m extremely goal-oriented and believe that if you set a goal with a clear strategy you can accomplish anything.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I really admire Chris Mann, the founder of Guayaki, for the way that he has pioneered yerba mate in the US and done it with a strong focus on social and environmental justice.
How do you balance work and life?
I don’t. I actually think that the idea of “balance” can be counterproductive. Sometimes my work is all-engrossing and I work all the time. Sometimes, as with the recent birth of my daughter, life becomes all-engrossing and I work way less. I think the key is to know where to focus your time at any given moment and not beat yourself up for working too much or too little.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I'm a big believer in self-care. The more stressed I am, the more I sleep, exercise, and eat healthy foods. I've been running a startup for long enough that I understand the ups and downs of the rollercoaster. When your startup inevitably faces challenges, it’s so easy to try to solve those challenges by working all the time, losing sleep, and stopping exercise. This puts you in a mental space where you’re least prepared to solve challenges. No matter how busy I feel, I take care of myself so that I can take care of anything the world throws at me.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
Kuli Kuli is launching a really exciting new product in February. Join our email list at www.kulikulifoods.com to be the first to get access to it.
How can our readers connect with you?
I’d love to connect with your readers! I’m active on social media – lisacurtis on Twitter and lisamcurtis on Instagram, as well as Lisa Marie Curtis on Facebook and LinkedIn. Kuli Kuli also has a great social media presence @kulikulifoods.