I grew up super nerdy. Get exclusive benefits when you open a FedEx account. There were no procedures for how to properly pick the saffron and dry it. But I didn’t run into any saffron farmers while I was deployed. CEO of Rumi Spice, Kimberly Jung said, “We are very excited to have been named the grand prize winner of the 2018 FedEx Small Business Grant contest. Doug Doan [a general partner of Hivers & Strivers] — he’s so great, isn’t he? DL: Were they supportive of you entering the service? Saffron is the dried stigma in the center of purple-flowered crocus. The business alliances Rumi Spice formed with farmers in Afghanistan also help the women, both economically and socially. They invest only in women-owned-and-led companies. Kimberly Jung, CEO & Co-founder, Rumi Spice Stacy Ratner, Founder, Open Books; and Co-founder, Chicago Literacy Alliance imagination, and innovation. KJ: We found our first accountant through Bunker Labs. That’s why “Rumi Spice is dedicated to providing quality training and leadership roles to its Afghan women processing staff,” Patti said. So in year one, we started buying the flowers from the farmers. DL: The women are doing the actual fieldwork. That was super-frustrating, but we got it done. Bunker Brews is great because it’s just a casual place for people to come and drink beer and meet with other people and mobilize the network in Chicago [or the many other locations in the United States] who want to help veterans. Rumi Spice, PBC. KJ: That’s a complicated answer. As you can imagine, coordinating it and trying to get the money for that is a lot of what people would call a pain in the ass. “We are very excited to have been named the grand prize winner of the 2018 FedEx Small Business Grant contest,” said Kimberly Jung, CEO of Rumi Spice. Although Rumi Spice is a for-profit company, any conversation with Jung instantly dispels any delusions that the heart of her company is anything but its people. Then we went to Herat, on the western side of Afghanistan, near the Iranian border, and met 11 other farmers. DL: How did the nonprofit veteran incubator Bunker Labs help? This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Jung, Miller, and Alaniz, who would later become co-founders of Rumi Spice, remember thinking that this meant Afghan farmers could make nearly seven times more than they were earning from growing opium if they chose to grow saffron. Once you have this fledgling business, you can meet other CEOs to talk about issues that you wouldn’t be able to talk about at work with your coworkers, [talk] to people who have maybe gone through the same thing either emotionally or operationally, and get advice. We were deployed to Afghanistan to help with route clearance, meaning we would go slowly along roads and prepare them to be safe for infantry and logistic patrols. Rumi Spice is a for-profit social enterprise that imports saffron from Afghanistan. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own, and not those of any partner bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other partner. We were going to enter the house and this woman came to the door with a dog barking like he was about to attack everybody. Gender diversity is known to help increase productivity and creativity, and augment a more positive reputation for companies. They didn’t even have drying machines. Doria Lavagnino: Before we get into your success with Rumi Spice, can you tell me about your background? In 2008, when Kimberly Jung graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a mechanical engineer, becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business was hardly on her mind. “That’s a testament to our farmers, because they’ve been able to increase the quality of the saffron by so much,” Jung, the CEO, says. Kimberly Jung will share her journey from the Military to Co-Founder and CEO of Rumi Spice and now as COO of Pickle Robot Company Navigating Career Transitions with Kimberly Jung, COO of Pickle Robot Co. Tickets, Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite She was excellent at responding to questions so that the dialog at the end became the basis for further interest in start-ups for this group. That’s when we take charge of the saffron. If you are interested in advertising on CentSai, send an email at  Advertising@centsai.com. Today, Rumi Spice has three processing centers in Herat, Afghanistan, employs over 2,000 Afghan women, and works with over 300 Afghan farmers. Howdy Ags! Rumi brings flavorful, ethically sourced and socially responsible spices from Afghanistan to the world. I took my entrepreneurship professor, Shikhar Ghosh, with me and met with Keith, who was still deployed. The women help harvest the crops and work in the facilities to dry and clean the saffron. That’s not part of our supply chain. [As per local cultural norms,] you have to have all-women or all-men spaces. In the end, they have to pitch in front of everybody, so it’s serious. And the last thing would be Bunker Brews. One Man’s Story, Jobs After the Military: How One Former Marine Started Podcasting. And it all starts in Afghanistan. We had to ask each father and husband for permission to allow the women to work in our facilities because it’s culturally sensitive. “Agreements are all based on trust, and, understandably, the farmers were probably skeptical the first time they sold to us.”. We have updated our list of supported web browsers. DL: Tell us about the moment when you decided to head back to Afghanistan. Since Rumi Spice CEO, Kimberly Jung, is in contact with several high-end chefs, she could easily draw a crowd looking to learn from them. Things happen all the time. How did you get in? During all this, when was the moment that you became aware of saffron? (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); We are an affiliate for products that we recommend and receive compensation from the companies whose products we recommend on this site. DL: What kind of engineering did you specialize in? It was an alternative to growing opium. It was on the Skype call with Keith that it hit me there would be no other time in my life that I would be free to do what I want and have the financial independence to take the risk. And while the company went through some changes over the years — Kim moved on to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at MIT, and Keith primarily sits on the company’s board — its vision continues with Patti Doyle as CEO.Â. Every year, women and men around the world celebrate International Women’s Day. “She excitedly told my former boss and me about her company and its mission of peace You can’t have a mixed-gender facility, and so that’s an extra step. You can commission as an engineer into the Army and not have an engineering background. It’s not just about saffron — it’s about all the other amazing goods, services, and handicrafts that come out of places like Afghanistan. I had to go through a series of physical and medical tests. When I was at the forward operating base Shank, mortar rounds would come in maybe every other day and kill indiscriminately. “This grant will not only help us improve our supply chain logistics as They dried it on the ground, and the women worked in their own homes as part of the family economy. But we sell 0.1-gram packets. But I really do credit my immigrant parents for pushing me to always aim way higher than anyone would ever expect. For the three officers, a business idea was born — one with the potential to play a role in bringing economic stability to the war-ravaged country. They were finally happy that I went to Harvard and that I was going to be some big businesswoman working for some large company or an investment bank, and now I was starting a saffron business in Afghanistan. According to CEO Kim Jung, “We believe the way to a sustainable future for Afghanistan is through economic empowerment of the on Season 3 Episode 1 – Cultivating Peace with a Little Spice w/ CEO & Co-Founder of Rumi Spice, Keith Alaniz ‘04. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. I decided I was going to try and import saffron myself instead of using DHL. In Afghanistan, a country where women have few rights and face discrimination and violence, International Women’s Day is an official holiday. Patti Doyle, CEO, Rumi Spice Rumi Spice RUMI SPICE - A company co-founded by military veterans who came up with the idea for the company while serving in Afghanistan is led by Patty Doyle. We drank tea with Haji Yosef, and I remember we were bargaining over pricing. Rumi Spice has also provided quality training to several agricultural students at Herat University. You do things like bridge building and route reconnaissance and explosives. Get Your Business an Unlimited Business Checking Account Plus a Bonus Feature Included Here. I was swept up in the romanticism of the military. Getting investors is tough. They participate in sales and marketing; they want to provide materials for good marketing because they get it, and they’re connected to the customers. KJ: When I was deployed in Afghanistan, I had heard about a spice named saffron that some farmers were growing. I did go to private school, and I worked extremely hard. It could happen at any time of the day — 2 a.m., 6 a.m., the middle of the afternoon. Rumi Spice CEO, co-founder, and former U.S. Army Engineer Officer Kimberly Jung saw even more in saffron: the potential for change. At this point, both Emily and I were at Harvard Business School finishing up our first year and looking for internships. KJ: My GPA was a 4.5 or something. Need to Refinance Your Business Debt? I aimed to attend an Ivy League school and become a doctor, in accordance with my parents’ expectations. For this month's installment of our Industry Expert Interview Series, we sat down with Patti Doyle, CEO of Rumi Spice. You might fail, but what entrepreneurs realize is, Oh wait, that’s not a failure — you just have to try another way. Another initiative we undertook was to offer women food-safety classes. KJ: In the beginning, they weren’t, because I think they knew I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. DL: Can you give me some sense of your growth from year one until now, from 2013 through 2020? Kimberly Jung: Sure. KJ: I sent in an essay about why I wanted to go to a service academy, about what motivated me to serve my country and become a leader of men and women in the armed forces. That doesn’t mean he needs to change anything about himself. Saffron is grown in only a few places in the world. DL: And who are your biggest distributors? My parents are immigrants from Hong Kong, and like typical immigrants, they worked hard and prioritized education above everything else for me and my younger sister. KJ: Everyone is in a life-threatening situation daily, you know? FedEx Small Business Grant Contest winners. “Three years later, the farmers doubled and tripled production because they felt confident we’re able to fulfill our side of the deal,” Keith said. We also had a group called Goldenseeds. They are a Chicago-based sustainable local food group, so they believe in sustainable food and being part of the food system. You mentioned the farmers not being receptive to you. April 6th, 2021 | Categories: Aggie Growth Hacks, Aggie Podcast | Comments Off. Learn Successful Management Strategies Through this Free Course Sign Up Today. Rumi Spice started with a conversation, but it wasn’t during a typical business meeting. The company started about four years ago when a team of US military veterans partnered with Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron in the country. Chicago Inno features local news and analysis about the Chicago startup & tech ecosystems. In 2017, we partnered with Purdue University’s agricultural faculty to do some actual training for quality assurance managers in Bangalore, India. But you also do get deployed to a foreign land, and people don’t necessarily understand what that means when they start. KJ: It’s much more practical, hands-on, and hasty. Being in Afghanistan was our moment of serendipity as entrepreneurs. Please send your thoughts and comments to, Listen: How to Create a Fashion Label With Zankhna Parekh, Listen: Athletic Scholarships, Eating Disorders, and the Power of Community With Kristi Data, Listen: Insider Tips to Securing Venture Capital With Shelly Kapoor Collins, How This Former Veteran-Turned-Real Estate Entrepreneur Helps Homeless Vets, [VIDEO] The Benefits of Joining the Military After High School May Surprise You, Life Lessons Learned in the Military: 5 Money Tips From My Army Dad, Why Do People Join the Military? DL: Is there anything you want to say to women entrepreneurs specifically? This article was the first that CentSai produced in collaboration with Bunker Labs, a national nonprofit organization for U.S. service members who have changed paths to become entrepreneurs, originally published in 2018. While serving in the Army in Afghanistan, Keith Alaniz met Haji Yusef, a Herat farmer trying to sell saffron in his local market. DL: So the summer program at West Point changed your mindset? And in reality, you go into the military and you do serve your country and are a part of something greater than yourself. Leverage Your Employees Spending with Cash Back Rewards Add Towards Their Retirement Savings. Patti Doyle - Chief Executive Officer - Rumi Spice | LinkedIn So how did Jung, an officer in the 54th engineering battalion of the U.S. Army, go from leading a 43-soldier platoon that cleared 348 miles of perilous IEDs to become the co-founder and CEO of Rumi Spice? Kimberly Jung, CEO and Co-Founder of Rumi Spice Kimberly Jung is an Army veteran and passionate international entrepreneur. (Photo: Kim Jung/Rumi Spice) David C Collins III, CEO David has worn many hats through his career including, soldier, governance adviser, consultant at a Big 4 consulting company, factory worker, and construction worker. We came back with the purpose of put KJ: Yes. That was a critical decision that we made. So I bought myself a ticket to Afghanistan. Saffron, which can cost as much as $13 per ounce in specialty grocery stores, is considered to be the most expensive spices in the world and used mainly in cooking rice-based dishes. Since 2015, Rumi Spice has been on a mission to use spice as a force for good. It was during a one-year stint in war-torn Afghanistan, where she and her platoon were disarming improvised explosive devices (IEDs), that the seeds of a business opportunity were planted — literally. It was a seed of an idea that connected saffron farmers in rural Afghanistan to the international market, created jobs for women and helped drive economic development in the region. Co-Founder and CEO, Rumi Spice Kim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rumi Spice, a for-profit social enterprise importing saffron from Afghan farmers. Your rating will help CentSai learn what you love to see. One of our investors is Hivers & Strivers. I even had to get a nomination from my local Congressperson. I was here a couple of years ago in a very different capacity, surrounded by armed men and women and trying to talk about political stability and now I’m actually doing something worth doing. To get the business off the ground, the company had to develop relationships with local Afghan farmers, and building trust in the community was critical for success. They really took us in. KJ: That has to be the exciting story of how we helped get some form of food safety standards up and running in Afghanistan. He has embraced me and Emily, and in turn, we embraced him. The farmers don’t just shake my hand now — they also take selfies with me. Rumi Spice | 816 followers on LinkedIn. But fast-forward a year later, and we had three processing facilities and had exported over 100 kilos of saffron. DL: How much does a kilogram of saffron go for on the open market today? DL: The seed rounds that you raised — one was on Kickstarter right? We were looking for IEDs and ambushes and neutralizing those threats. I was speaking through an interpreter, and I was thinking, This is so surreal. Then we have seven employees in Chicago. Many Michelin-starred restaurants and grocery stores across the U.S. proudly The Bunker, which is run by veterans for veterans to help empower their community to become entrepreneurs and leaders, is currently located in nearly two dozen cities. My parents understood this, and they did not foresee a future in which the military would launch me into a nice career as a doctor or a lawyer later in life. Entrepreneurs already have so many disadvantages, so being female doesn’t really matter. If there was a time to try something — to be involved in something greater than myself and to do something meaningful — it was now. In the beginning, we bought dried saffron from the farmers. And so I had to declare that to customs, and I didn’t want to use a customs broker. Keith was telling us about a farmer named Haji Yosef who was growing saffron and trying to sell it to aid organizations. In 2008, when Kimberly Jung graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a mechanical engineer, becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business was hardly on her mind. CEO Kim Jung and COO Emily Miller are featured on the cover of Vetrepreneur, the official magazine of the National Veteran-Owned Business Associtaion (NaVOBA). There’s so much that Afghanistan has to offer to the international economy. KJ: There are three, all in Herat, Afghanistan.
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