Kim Jean

Founder, MOSSUM

Chicago

Kim Jean is the founder and CEO at Mossum, a consumer goods company in Chicago that makes products with the edible algae sea moss. On a mission to get consumers to eat and drink sea moss, she is focused on improving education about its many nutritional benefits, ease of use and creating disruption in the food space with innovative family friendly products.

Before taking on her dream fulltime, Miss Jean spent 3 years as Business Development Manager at Catalyst Ranch, an offsite meeting and events venue in the West Loop. There she developed an entire calendar of events for the company and helped spear-head an expansive business development program that increased the number of inquiries for meeting and events 10 fold, and was integral in the company’s overall steady revenue increase from year to year.

In the years prior to that, Miss Jean worked as an independent contractor with 220 Communications, Jessica’s Natural Foods, and Room 2 Play. She held marketing and administrative positions with these small businesses that has given her first-hand knowledge of the challenge of building a business. She has sat on executive boards, been a featured columnist, podcast creator and host, and scholarship creation leader.

Miss Jean was born in the Caribbean island Saint Lucia and has called Chicago home since 2002. She has a marketing communications degree from Columbia College Chicago.

She describes herself as an intellectual, believer and metropolitan island-girl. She is known for her brilliant smile and words of wisdom, including one of her own quotes: You always go back to what you know, which was integral to starting her business.

When she is not thinking about her business and helping others, Miss Jean likes to nap in the afternoon, foot soak, cook and host friends.