Miss Lippe's Dumpling Party

Following her impressive victory at the 2022 Startup Challenge Monterey Bay, Emily Lippe propelled her startup Miss Lippe’s Dumpling Party into a growth trajectory soaring by 300%. Her venture, Miss Lippe's, is a dumpling business dedicated to celebrating community and mouth-watering cuisine. Hosting dumpling parties, offering frozen delicacies and sauces, and serving hot meals at exclusive events form the cornerstone of their operation.

Born from humble beginnings around Emily's kitchen table, the business continues the tradition of hand-crafting every single dumpling sold. Each filling is unique and offbeat, far from what one would typically find on supermarket shelves. Choices range from cheeseburger to spinach artichoke, Thai basil chicken dumplings, and many more! The culinary treasures can be found at farmers markets in Carmel Mid-Valley on Sundays, Monterey on Tuesdays, and Carmel-by-the-sea on Thursdays. In a bid to nurture community through food, they conduct dumpling-making parties in collaboration with local venues.

Emily's Journey

During the grim days of sheltering in place, a simple dinner with friends seemed like a distant dream. Yet, with enhanced access to COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and precautions, a semblance of normality started to peek through, even if that meant a small gathering over food and conversation. Emily was determined to facilitate such get-togethers as entertaining and straightforward as possible.

Emily's fondness for making and eating dumplings soon grew into a hobby that brought different circles of her friends together. Over time, she recognized the joy in connecting people over food, which sparked the idea of turning her hobby into a business venture. She initially considered a food truck but later found her true calling in organizing and conducting parties.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her event-based enterprise, Emily quickly shifted her business model online. "My business revolves around people sitting together, which was prohibited for a long duration," she noted. Consequently, she innovated by developing a dumpling kit, shipped to customers' homes for virtual parties over Zoom.

As in-person events started to regain their place, Emily was eager to return to hosting live gatherings. Driven to scale her business, she participated in the Startup Challenge 2022, pitched her business idea for the first time, and emerged victorious in the Mainstreet Division.

Participation in the Startup Challenge bolstered her confidence. "The experience was enriching, not just in terms of presenting my business, but also in meeting other innovative small business owners," Emily commented. She found the webinars and sample pitch decks offered by the competition helpful in refining her pitch.

Today, Emily hosts dumpling parties in the Monterey Bay Area and sometimes in the Bay Area. She sells her dumplings at local farmers' markets and dreams of owning a private space for parties and gatherings. She also hopes to forge partnerships with more local businesses, especially beer and wine vendors. "My new challenge is to encourage gatherings and find partners who want to host more in-person events," Emily added.