Podcast appearances and mentions of kimberly jung

In this episode of the WPAOG Podcast, Bridget Altenburg ‘95, President and CEO of the National Able Network, is joined by Kimberly Jung ‘08, CEO of Blanchard, and Emily Miller ‘08, Senior Impact Fund Manager at Twilio.org. In 2014, they founded Rumi Spice, an award-winning social enterprise that provides high-quality, sustainably farmed saffron to world class chefs and Michelin-rated restaurants, by sourcing directly from Afghan farmers in an economic partnership partners in the supply chain.Kimberly and Emily are 2008 graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point, former US Army Engineer officers, and Harvard Business School graduates. As social entrepreneurs and co-founders, Kimberly led Rumi Spice as CEO and Emily as COO. They have employed more than 4,000 Afghan women and partnered with more than 300 Afghan farmers. Their work has been featured on Shark Tank, selected for Y Combinator's social fellowship program, and featured in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Foreign Policy, NPR, Forbes, the Chicago Tribune, Nightline with Diane Sawyer, Voice of America, Food & Wine, and more.In this episode, Kimberly and Emily talk about how their time at West Point and in the military prepared them for becoming entrepreneurs, the tremendous impact Rumi has had on the spice trade in Afghanistan, and how their startup has helped create jobs for women in the country. They also recount stories of their experiences serving abroad in the Middle East.---------Key Quotes“I think really what West Point teaches you is about leadership and management, which I think has been the most helpful in my career, and also in my time as an officer in the Army. That leadership part, you really just can't get anywhere else in the same way that West Point gives it to you. And you learn it by doing. You learn it through practice. You learn it by following. You learn it by leading in small teams over and over again, and getting feedback for how to do it better. And that's what I think is the most important thing that comes out of West Point into the Army” - Kimberly Jung “Entrepreneurship is not for everybody, but it is addicting once you do it because you realize it has so many similarities to the West Point and Army experience, you know, in combat. It's fast paced, it relies on a small, tight team. You have to move fast. You have to ruthlessly prioritize. You have to be incredibly creative about how you problem solve, and you know, make things happen. You know, you've got this big commander's intent and you have to figure out how you operationalize this and work. And then I think the other thing is just being undaunted by failure and by being told no. You know, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time. I think that is, that is what entrepreneurship is.” - Emily Miller---------Episode Timestamps(02:46) High School Experiences(04:30) Why they attended West Point(06:31) Their R-Day experiences(10:03) Stories at the academy(11:09) Activities at West Point(13:15) Picking a military branch(17:58) Attending Sapper school(22:45 ) Deployment experiences(31:09) Creating Rumi Spice(35:30) Rumi's impact on Afghanistan(39:19) Business Ventures after Rumi Spice(40:49) How West Point and the military prepares entrepreneurs(43:00) How West Point and the military have helped Rumi SpiceLinksKimberly Jung's LinkedInEmily Miller's LinkedInBridget Altenburg's LinkedInWest Point Association of GraduatesOn Point Podcast

At Bunker Labs, we try out best to serve the Military connected community in the best way we know-how. Now the dust has settled a bit, and the reality of life after The War in Afghanistan has set in, I felt it was an appropriate time to discuss Afghanistan with the Military-Connected community. To join me, I invited Kimberly Jung and Keith Alaniz, Founders of Rumi Spice, which brings flavorful, ethically sourced, and socially responsible spices from Afghanistan to the world. Subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne I release a newsletter every Tuesday, and a podcast every Thursday. You can leave a comment about each episode on Substack, and if you have any questions about your own venture, post that as well. I'm always looking for content and would love to learn what you all are struggling with in your own ventures. To learn more about Rumi Spice, visit www.rumispice.com Additional Resources: For veterans seeking help directly, Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential, 24-7 support from mental health professionals by calling 1-800-273-8255, texting 83825 or chatting online. Tune into Office Hours In addition, we're also hosting Live-Weekly Office hours for you every Tuesday on Linkedin, Facebook, and Youtube at 11 AM EST. If you find yourself stuck, have questions about Bunker Labs programming, or just want to get some tips and advice for your venture, tune into Office Hours. It's hosted by yours truly, along with other members of the Bunker Labs Marketing Team, as well as guest SME's and other members from around the community. Get Connected with Bunker Labs If you want to get plugged into the Bunker Labs ecosystem, visit www.BunkerLabs.org, select a city nearest to you, sign up for the local newsletter, and attend one of our networking events. It's that simple. From there be sure to get connected in Bunker Online, where you can learn about our many different programs to support your entrepreneurial journey. We have programs that will take you from idea to invoice, incubate you, and position you to grow alongside other founders and CEOs. Register today by clicking connect at Bunkerlabs.org

When was the last time you felt your life was turned upside down? How did you find a way out?  Last Spring when Covid-19 outbreak led to a series of campus closures, forcing tens of thousands of students to move out of their dorms in a matter of days, Kimberly Jung, a graduate student at MIT Engineering School, got the news on her mobile phone.  Stunned, she kicked into crisis-ready mode.  As a U.S. army veteran with three years of combat experience in Afghanistan and emergency response training dealing with natural disasters relief, Kimberly quickly followed orders to move out, and found a critical mission to help save lives. Ventilators were badly needed in hospitals emergency rooms filled with Covid patients.  Kimberly decided to join the MIT E-Vent Team as the chief executive to help guide the engineers to design an FDA approved low-cost ventilator prototype that would soon be picked up by manufacturers not only in America, but around the world.  In Season 5 True Colors: Episode 7 Mission After Mission, Kimberly talks about her mission-driven mindset and calling, which is instantly motivational and simultaneously inspirational.  Listen to our conversation here. Music used: One in a Billion Theme Song by Brad McCarthy The Gloaming by Josh Woodward Return of the Indigo Sparrow by Tropo That's Exciting by Pictures of the Floating World Stage 1 Level 24 by Monplaisir   Kimberly Jung is currently the COO of PickleRobots in Somerville, MA.  True Colors – a Season 5 Special Series – is about the color of one’s character in a time of crisis. In this 10-part podcast series, we have expanded our focus beyond Asians to include the African American experiences in Episode #1, Episode #3 and Episode #5. We want to include you in this conversation. To send us your comments or stories, email us @ info@oneinabillionvoices.org Or go to our Facebook page or our website at OneinABillionVoices.org under “Pitch a Story.” Share your thoughts? Pitch us a story? “One in a Billion” connects Asians and Americans through storytelling, one person at a time. Subscribe to “One in a Billion” below: PRx | iTunes | SoundCloud | RadioPublic 

Kimberly Jung is an Army Veteran, serial entrepreneur and engineer on the MIT Emergency Ventilator project. Listen in on how her team is innovating and iterating at a rapid pace to bring life-saving equipment to medical workers on an accelerated timeline to respond to COVID-19. Bunker Labs is #All_In to equip military-connected entrepreneurs through COVID-19 and beyond with tangible tips, actionable resources, and perspectives from past experiences. https://e-vent.mit.edu/

200414 - Will Bernie or Obama's Endorsement Really Help Biden? | KIMBERLY JUNG | LOWELL PONTE by Blanquita Cullum

How will you use your one wild and precious life? Kimberly Jung, co-founder of Rumi Spice, shares how she is living a life well lived.. Show notes at lifeskillsthatmatter.com/show241 The post Living Your One Wild And Precious Life With Kimberly Jung (241) appeared first on Life Skills That Matter.

In this episode, we are glad to welcome Kimberly Jong, the CEO, and Co-founder of Rumi Spice. Rumi Spice is a for-profit social enterprise that imports saffron from Afghanistan. The company started about four years ago when a team of US military veterans partnered with Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron in the country. It aims at telling the story behind the Afghanistan saffron by bringing high-quality saffron to customers across the world. Its mission is to empower Afghan women and help in the growing of the country’s economy.  Last year, they were lucky enough to go on Shark Tank and have Mark Cuban agree to invest in the business. This was a really big milestone as it meant more than 8 million people worldwide knew about them. In the beginning, these farmers wouldn’t shake my hand because I was a woman but after a year, and after we’ve exported over 100 kilos of saffron, these farmers not only shake my hand but also take selfies. They understand the business part of this and it's why capitalism is a great way to lay a foundation for peace. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN; How the business began. The harvesting and processing procedure. How gender difference is a factor when it comes to working on the farms. The mission of the business. How they fitted into the Afghan’s people culture. Who are their customers? What are some of the uses of saffron? Obstacles faced when the business was starting. How the business has contributed to the growth of the surrounding community. How long it took for the business to be established. What is the role of Mark Cuban in the business? Advice to people looking up to start a similar business. If Rumi didn’t exist, what other business would she venture into? Links mentioned Website: www.rumispice.com   Did you like this? Thank you for listening to this episode! If you enjoyed it, please feel free to share it using the social media buttons on this page. I’d also be VERY grateful if you could rate, review, and subscribe to  Food Heroes Podcast on iTunes. Or, if you use Stitcher, you can leave a review right here. That all helps a lot in ranking this show and would be greatly appreciated. And if you have any comments or questions, leave a comment below! If you need a little help navigating iTunes check out the tutorial I made Here.  

Kimberly Jung, CEO and co-founder of Rumi Spice, chats with Chef Clarke about growing up in LA's Chinatown, serving in Afghanistan, building a sustainable business. and where to find the world's premiere saffron. https://www.rumispice.com/

Kimberly Jung, CEO and Co-Founder of Rumi Spice, shares her inspiring story of seizing a business opportunity in Afghanistan that also addressed social issues. She realized her military training and her business school knowledge could be used to help Afghan farmers find economic success, and to provide opportunities for Afghan women to excel economically while retaining their culture. Kimberly exemplifies the dedication required, and rare feat, to create a market.     Key Takeaways [2:29] Kimberly describes her experience entering West Point. Her immigrant parents had wanted her to go to an Ivy League school but Kimberly’s West Point perspective changed their hearts. [5:13] Kimberly was deployed as a Platoon Leader in Afghanistan when she met Emily Miller. When they ended their tours, they observed that the future of Afghanistan would not be reached through force but through the economic empowerment of business. [6:21] Kimberly and Emily both went to business schools. Another veteran told them about an Afghan farmer with no market for his saffron. Kimberly decided to start a business partnership with Afghan farmers to import saffron. She invited a business advisor to Afghanistan and met with 12 Pashto farmers. Instead of body armor and weapons, she wore a scarf. [8:11] The farmers were growing some of the best saffron in the world but they had no resources for food safety, packaging, marketing, selling, or distributing the crop. 80% of Afghans are farmers. [10:10] Afghan women are vital to the saffron industry. They traditionally prepared the flowers at home. Kimberly explains how renting appropriate facilities with the right equipment improved food safety and how providing a safe workplace with direct wages improved women’s economic standing. [13:43] Most problems are economic until one has met basic needs. Kimberly describes how The Plant, in the Southside of Chicago, is becoming a self-sustaining, beautiful community, bringing together the Southside and the Northside over food. Rumi’s warehouse is in The Plant.[17:23] Trust is earned in Afghanistan by building a reputation over time. The reputation of Kimberly’s Afghan partners allowed Rumi to become the largest private employer of Afghan women, assuring them a safe place to work and allowing them to carry on in their culture and customs, and it also preserves the women’s reputations. Afghan women want economic opportunities, sewing machines, and medical supplies to care for their families.[24:18] A partnership like Rumi can’t be run as a side business. Either you’re all in, or you’re not in at all. Entrepreneurism is not for people with other priorities. Strategy is all about setting priorities. You can have it all, just not all at once. Kimberly credits West Point and her Army leadership experience with giving her the resilience and ability to make choices that prepared her to run Rumi as an entrepreneur. [28:52] Kimberly and Emily faced catastrophic failure when their loan got pulled back. They had no way to pay the farmers. They worked through it. Kimberly is learning how to listen to the people who work for Rumi, accept their input, and check her ego.   Website: RumiSpice.com Saffron: RumiSpice.com/saffron-products Twitter: @Rumi_Spice Facebook: RumiSpiceCo   Quotable Quotes   We felt the way to a sustainable future for Afghanistan was not through force but through economic empowerment.   What will you do with your one wild and precious life?   Drop by drop a river is made. — Dari saying   You cannot say you’re dedicated to the future of Afghanistan and these farmers if you’re going to have another job.   “This is not Americans managing things in Afghanistan. This is an American partnership with our Afghan partners.”   Bio Kimberly Jung is CEO and co-founder of Rumi. Since leaving the military, Kim and her co-founders feel there is unfinished business to support Afghanistan and its people, so they founded Rumi to work directly with Afghan farmers to import exceptionally high-quality saffron in a for-profit enterprise in partnership with the farmers. In Afghanistan, Rumi has hired 384 Afghan women, organized three processing facilities, and has over 90 farmers in their network. Rumi saffron now graces the tables and kitchens of Michelin and Relais & Chateaux establishments across the world.   Prior to her civilian ventures, Kim was an Engineer Officer who led a route clearance platoon in the Wardak and Ghazni provinces of Afghanistan in 2010-2011. She also served with provincial reconstruction teams as a female engagement team member to help empower Afghan village women.   She holds a Professional Engineering license in Mechanical Engineering from the State of California, and she graduated with her MBA from Harvard in 2015. She earned her Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 2008.

What would you do when someone tries to break you down, yelling at you saying “You’re the worst!?” What would you do when no one believes in your startup idea, saying “it’s too idealistic. It’s never going to work!?” What would you do when you face humiliating questions and intense scrutiny in front of millions of TV viewers? Listen to Part 2 of my interview with Kimberly Jung in Episode #4 “Keep Climbing.” An entrepreneur after overcoming class, cultural and gender barriers to forge a path that puts her at the heart of a bigger mission. Music Used: David O'Brien's Busy Bees Jesse Spillane's Untitled Komiku's Boss 1: The first challenge Kai Engel's Chance

What would you do when you hit a storm in the middle of climbing to the mountain top? Would you stop? Would you keep going? She would keep climbing. What would you do when your parents want you to marry a doctor or a lawyer, go to Harvard or Stanford? She would rebel. She would choose a different path, become an army officer and an entrepreneur. How? Who is she? She is Kimberly Jung - CEO/Founder of Rumi Spice. Kimberly shares the story of her becoming brave, transcending barriers and making tough choices at different crossroads in her life. Listen to Part 1 of my interview with Kimberly Jung in Episode #3 “Breaking Barriers.” Music Used: David O'Brien's Busy Bees Andy G. Cohen's A Perceptible Shift Lee Rosevere's Love Wins Jahzzar's No-End Ave

Army veteran Kimberly Jung is now returning to Afghanistan to help farmers create a future for Afghanistan. #OneSentenceOrLess

When thinking of great places for a startup, Afghanistan probably wouldn't jump to the top of your list. But a few Army vets sensed an opportunity while serving there, and Rumi Spice — a company looking to grow the American saffron market— was born. More valuable by weight than gold, a saffron crop meant Afghan farmers could septuple their annual income with a single sale. But first they'd have to stop growing poppies. Which is difficult for a variety of reasons. Including the Taliban. In this episode, host Mike O'Toole is joined by Kimberly Jung, Co-founder of Rumi Spice. They chat about the many hurdles the company has to get over, both in the U.S. and Afghanistan, and what Rumi Spice is doing to build its wasta — the Afghani version of clout. You can also subscribe to The Unconventionals on iTunes and Stitcher. And be sure to join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter as well.