Newark, NJ native. Pivoter. Writer. Daughter of Immigrants. Meet Marlene.
Her "aha" courage moment came while working at Lincoln Center. Marlene loved working in the performing arts but wanted more involved in the creative & artistic process so in 2007, she pivoted from a traditional, full-time employee to a freelance teacher/writer and entrepreneur.
She began teaching literacy and creative writing classes for both children and adults. This work ignited her passion and fueled her to start a non-profit focused on children’s literacy called Kids Research Center (KRC). KRC has been around for 12 years and continues to provide free literacy classes and programs to children.
During this time, she began working on her own writing - she's written several books, poems, articles. She won the literary fiction award from the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers for a story called “The Return of J Walker.”
In 2015 she made another pivot and began working on a new business focused on families, children, teaching artists, and technology. In 2016, she launched CuratedCare.com with my business partner, Erin McConaghy. Curated Care is an online marketplace like Etsy or Airbnb where families connect with and book teachers and artists for babysitting sessions, private lessons, online tutoring, and party entertainment. Providers on the site “Kid Experts” and they are inspiring, talented entrepreneurs themselves who enjoy working with and sharing their creative skillset with children.
In the last 4 years, Curated Care has grown to over 330 Kid Experts in New York City. The company beta launched in Los Angeles in late 2019 and recently expanded our B2B arm to Miami.
During this episode, we talk the "real" challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of finding your tribe, building a network of women collaborators, and parenting.
Where to Find Marlene:
Curated Care Website - www.curatedcare.com
Curated Care FB - https://www.facebook.com/curatedcare/
Curated Care Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curatedcare/?hl=e
"Success now is about the present and being happy with today."-Marlene Veloso