Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexa Zapata. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alexa, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
One of my favorite stories my mom likes to tell about me is once when I was 4 years old, I came out of the Sanrio store with a four-pack of lollipops that I was really excited about. I saw a fellow kid outside the store crying, and to my mom’s shock—and the other mom’s shock—I took one of my lollipops and handed it to the other kid.
I think this generosity was second nature to me growing up in a big Filipino family. My cousins and I were primarily raised by our grandma, the matriarch. Under her watchful eye, we always had to share with each other (probably why we continue to have a strong bond, even as adults!). My grandma would also set aside clothing and food items to bring back to the Philippines. These “balikbayan boxes”, which translates to “going back boxes”, would get sent back to her family in the Philippines. She didn’t have much and fought to scrape by, but she was always thinking of her family back home, which inspires me to this day.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At Kurated Kultura, I am passionate about sharing Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) led small businesses. I uplift these small businesses while celebrating cultural diversity. Alternatives to your big box companies exist, and I hope to share a platform that helps small businesses while enabling folks to buy with intent.
What I find most exciting about Kurated is meeting and discovering AANHPI founders and sharing their stories. There are so many incredible businesses out there, many of whom I encounter organically—at local craft fairs, by word of mouth, at the gym (true story!). My love for data, finance, and program management translates seamlessly into piecing together these boxes and amplifying these amazing businesses. It’s such a fun intersection for me. I also donate a portion of proceeds to nonprofit organizations; being of service and gifting to others has always been important to me, so I’m excited to have found a way to weave that in.
I recently created a K-9 Kit, which brings together different AANHPI brands to create a kit for dogs and their humans. When the Maui fires were happening, I read about the displaced victims who—on top of losing everything—had to abandon their pets, and I was absolutely heartbroken. I felt called to create a box and have the proceeds benefit the Maui Humane Society, which rescues animals that were left behind during the evacuation process and helps reunite them with their families. The kit came together so quickly, with one brand even generously donating bags of coffee beans (thank you Cozy Canine Coffee!). It truly felt like a moment of community, which is at the heart of Kurated Kultura.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Prototype and iterate. I have been wanting to start this for years and finally decided to start with a prototype, which I continue to tweak. I started small and improved on every version of a kit or business process.
2. Go for it. My advice is to just try it in a low-risk environment. For my first event, I gathered trusted friends and family and had a taste tasting voting party. I had them help me decide which candle scent I should carry, which cookie they liked better, which ‘zine they enjoyed more.
3. Understand your why, and prioritize your life as such. My why is my children, and to make our world better than when we arrived. Once I honed in on this and understood this was a driving force, it’s helped me prioritize what serves me. Starting a business while working full time and with two young children is not easy. But for me, after the kids go to sleep, it’s go time. Find whatever timing works for you, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night, but keep working towards your dreams, a little at a time (“unti unti”, as we say in Tagalog). There are some nights I only get one task done, and other nights where I get in the zone!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes, I am always looking to connect! Specifically, anyone who identifies as Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) who would like to have their business amplified. I’d love to learn more about your business and to work together.
If you are interested in collaborating, I would love to connect. You can reach me via alexa@kuratedkultura.com or on instagram @kuratedkultura
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kuratedkultura.com
- Instagram: kuratedkultura
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092024102646
Image Credits
Janet Navarette, Mios Buccat Luong, Hazel Chadwick
