Daily Inspiration: Meet Kelly Groehler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Groehler.

Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As the CEO of an art licensing and creative agency, I am constantly seeking new artists of all types to work with. Our team is fascinated by art in all its forms: in the studio, on the street, at the table.

So along with Diana, our content lead at Alice Riot, and my co-host, we launched WTAF: Women, Travel, Art, Food as our agency’s original content series. We travel to cities and places around the world, seeking art and food adventures as powerful as the artists and chefs who create them.

We realized early on that the stories of these artists and chefs, and the places we visit, were and are worthy of sharing with others. Here’s why: As GenX women ourselves, we know first-hand that we’re both the super consumer and we love food & travel programming (it’s a top-five genre for women). But with 95% of all current food and travel programming hosted by men, we don’t see ourselves in the content out there.

So WTAF: Women, Travel, Art, Food is a trip – and a double entendre. The stories we share are by women, about women, and told by women. Our episodes focus on the incredible creations by the top chefs and contemporary artists living and working in the places we visit.

We share these stories via full episodes and shorts on our YouTube channel. In between trips, we host a variety of women leaders and travelers on the WTAF Show Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms. We also feed regular content via Instagram.

To date, we’ve developed full episodes in New York, Jamaica, and LA. Up next: Diana heads to Accra, Ghana in September, then Lisbon, Portugal in November. We’re currently mapping out destinations and episodes for 2024.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The world isn’t equal yet for women, and that shows up in what we see, what we experience, and what we buy. Women artists and chefs are horribly underrepresented in both the culinary world and the fine art world. You can look across the data – from gallery exhibitions to fine auction sales to museum shows, women artists are nowhere near on the level with men in the field. And with fewer than 10 percent of Michelin stars given to women chefs, there is plenty of room for improvement.

We aim to reach and inspire other GenX and late Millennial women. We’re at stages in our lives with the time, means, and interest to step out and immerse ourselves in these great experiences – and we show them that they’re indeed within reach.

What’s important is that we show that women can and are thriving: traveling around the world and creating incredible art and food experiences worth seeking out. We want other women to see themselves in our programming – and encourage them to seek out adventures with artists and chefs everywhere they go.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a strategist, founder, strategic communicator, and advocate. I spent three decades working at the intersections of technology, innovation, social impact, and fine art, from Fortune 50 corporations like Best Buy to startup accelerator programs. I decided to put my skills to work in service of helping women artists grow outside the traditional art world channels. Alice Riot is a fine art licensing, curatorial & consulting agency that connects brands with contemporary artists – and then we amplify their stories.

I’m currently president of the board at the Goldstein Museum of Design and a member of The Impact Guild and Female Founder Collective (FFC). I’m incredibly bullish on technology for good, and we’re actively launching VR and NFT projects in partnership with metaverse builders, women artists, brands, and fine art institutions.

Additionally, I’m a strategic adviser to founders and C-level leadership teams at some of the world’s largest brands and corporations.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My first-ever flight was at age 15, on a field trip to London. It fundamentally changed my view of the world, and I fell in love with the city. I get back there as often as I can – London is always calling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wtafwomentravelartfood.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wtafshow/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wtafshow