All About the Girl host Jenny Craig-Brown sits down with Kat Lutze, founder and owner of Alley Kat's Curiosity Shoppe, a community-driven retail space that features local artists, curators, and small business owners! A Valparaiso native, Kat started her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 after purchasing the remaining inventory of a lampshade factory. What began as online and local resale quickly evolved into something much bigger. Jenny and Kat explore all this and so much more in this month's episode of AATG, along with a special announcement from Jenny!

Biography:

Kat Lutze is the owner and creative force behind Alley Kat’s Curiosity Shoppe, a community-driven retail space in Valparaiso, Indiana that features local artists, curators, and small business owners.

A Valparaiso native, Kat started her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 after purchasing the remaining inventory of a lampshade factory. What began as online and local resale quickly evolved into something much bigger. By reinvesting her profits through auctions and outlets, she built a thriving resale business rooted in accessibility and quality secondhand goods for her community.

In 2016, Kat launched a membership program designed not just to rent space to vendors — but to mentor, support, and grow small businesses from the inside out. Today, Alley Kat’s has grown from just 10 members to nearly 50, operating out of a building she purchased in 2018. Unlike traditional vendor malls, Kat’s model centers on the people behind the products, offering mentorship, marketing support, and a true small business community.

With a background in theater and film and a degree in Arts Administration from Augsburg College, Kat blends artistic vision with business strategy — helping creatives turn passion into sustainable success.

Deeply committed to Valparaiso, she also hosts free community events including Kids Day Scavenger Hunts, reading programs, and interactive activities designed to bring people together.

When she’s not working at the Shoppe, you can find Kat reading a good book, playing board games with friends, hiking at the dunes, or developing her newest venture, “Unplugged Events,” a startup encouraging people to disconnect from their phones and reconnect in real life.

Kat believes that small businesses thrive when people feel seen, supported, and connected — and she’s building spaces where exactly that can happen.

GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note!

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