The Creative Connection

In December 2008, Kim decided to leave her career in real estate to stay home with her young kids, Tommy and Kate. Always crafty and creative, she started a blog to share her craft projects, decorating, and party ideas. She had recently decided to convert a room in her home to a craft studio and came up with the blog name “TomKat Studio” from the combination of her kids’ names. Kim’s blog quickly gained a loyal following and readers asked if they could buy things that she was making, including hand-decorated frames and invitations. On a whim, she decided to open an Etsy shop. Within weeks she was overwhelmed with orders. After her daughter Kate’s lollipop birthday party was featured on a popular party blog—Hostess with the Mostess—in April 2009, demand for her creations soared. Not being able to keep up with the demand, Kim closed up shop that summer and took a short break. She came back and reopened as a printable party shop. (more…)

Krystina Castella is an industrial designer, cookbook author, and long-time Art Center College of Design professor. The Museum of Modern Art, Fortune magazine, and Oprah Winfrey have all praised Krystina’s creative achievements. Her books include Crazy about Cupcakes, Crazy about Cookies, Crazy about Cakes, A World of Cake, Booze Cakes, and Pops! Icy treats for everyone.

Contact:
Web: www.krystinacastella.com

Laura C. Martin is the author of 24 books, the latest of which is the Green Market Baking Book (Sterling, January 2011). In this book, which she also illustrated, Laura combines her enthusiasm for healthy organic eating with her love of baking to offer 100 recipes for delectable, healthy, sweet, and savory treats. Laura has been passionate about creating, crafting, gardening, and cooking and has been actively involved in writing, lecturing, and teaching on these subjects for almost three decades. Her books and awards include Nature’s Art Box (winner of the 2004 Parents’ Choice Award), The History of Southern Gardens (winner of the Garden Writers of America 1994), The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers, Fairy Island and Handmade Gifts from a County Garden. In 2009, Laura started a business called Ties That Matter, which uses recycled neckties to make one-of-a-kind fashion accessories. The business employs women-in-need to do the sewing, and gives back 10 percent of profits to help the homeless in her community.

Contact:
Email: lwcmartin@bellsouth.net

A leading national advocate for championing the inspiring story of women transforming our food system, Lisa Kivirist serves as a distinguished Kellogg Food & Society Policy Fellow and founded and directs the Rural Women’s Project, a venture of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) that supports women farmers and food entrepreneurs. She and her family run Inn Serendipity Farm and Bed & Breakfast outside Monroe, Wisconsin, completely powered by renewable energy and considered among the “Top Ten Eco-Destinations” in North America.

Her culinary focus on organic, local and seasonal cuisine earns recognition in publications from Vegetarian Times to Country Woman and inspired the new cookbook co-authored with her husband, John Ivanko: Farmstead Chef. Lisa and John also co-authored the award-winning book ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance and she writes for Hobby Farm Home, Hobby Farms, Edible Madison and Renewing the Countryside, a non-profit organization showcasing rural entrepreneurial and agricultural success stories. Lisa writes a column spotlighting national policy issues for the Women, Food & Agriculture Network (WFAN) and is organizing a national summit to support more women in sustainable agriculture taking on leadership roles: Culitvate 2012: Creating Collaborative Opportunities for Women in Sustainable Agriculture to Transform our Food System.

Contact:
Web: www.innserendipity.com
Web: www.ecopreneuring.biz
Facebook:www.facebook.com/Kivirist

MaryJane Butters was instrumental in creating the present-day organic movement in America. She was chair of one of the first state-sanctioned organic advisory boards and is proud to say her first organic inspection certificate listed her as “grower #8.” Born to a large, self-sufficient family in Utah, she was raised on homegrown food and knew from the tender age of five that she would grow up to be an organic farmer. But her real passion is that of teacher. Featured in The New Yorker in 2004, a lengthy article stated, “MaryJane Butters, a natural teacher, has a gift for simplification, and makes it seem that everything she does is easy and attainable.” Those who’ve attended her non-profit Pay Dirt Farm School, now in its 14th year, all agree.

(more…)

Terry Walters is at the forefront of the clean-eating lifestyle movement. She is the author of the highly acclaimed cookbooks, Clean Food and Clean Start, and is dedicated to making sustainable good health both easy and delicious. Without preaching or judgment, Terry shares her passion and shows how simple it is to get on the path to eating clean and enjoying good health–for yourself, your family, and the environment. Terry has traveled all over North America speaking about CLEAN FOOD. She has been featured on television and radio, in print and Internet media, and is the author of the popular blog Eat Clean Live Well. Terry serves on the board of directors for Urban Oaks Organic Farm, one of the largest urban organic farms in the country, and received her training at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She resides in Connecticut with her husband and two children, who know the joys of eating clean.

Contact:
Web: www.terrywalters.net
Blog: http://terrywalters.net/blog
Facebook: CLEAN FOOD
Twitter: @TerryWalters