Meet Karen

Karen Kurr is the owner and founder of No Time 2 Cook. She is passionate about food, entrepreneurship and bringing families back to the dinner table. When she isn’t cooking, Karen loves sharing her passion and expertise with others.

As a Woman in Business

No Time 2 Cook is a certified Woman Owned Business that qualified for low interest loans through the Minority Business Division of the Mississippi Development Authority. Karen drew upon the resources of numerous state agencies to help No Time 2 Cook become the first USDA small casserole plant in Mississippi and one of few in the deep South. She believes in empowering women to pursue their dreams, and in addition, encouraging them to give back to the communities where they live.

As a Food Entrepreneur

In starting a food business, Karen faced one of the most regulated industries in America today. Local, state, and federal law ruled every decision she made as well as every dollar spent. In scaling operations from her family home to a USDA inspected food plant, Karen found herself thrust into a world of computers, food science, and government regulations. Karen enjoys sharing her knowledge and applying it to many of the challenges small business owners face today.

As an Educator

As a former Home Economics college instructor and child care administrator, Karen recognizes the family unit as the foundation for child and adolescent development. Research continues to point to the significance of family mealtime in strengthening values, mental health, and school performance. Karen’s mission to help bring families back to the dinner table was the driving force behind her company’s conception and success.

As a Child

Karen and her sister, Kay, were raised in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960’s and 70’s. They spent weekends on the family farm where their father raised cattle and their mother gardened. Fresh vegetables and home cooking were a daily part of their life and an invitation to dinner was prized by family and friends who rarely left without a jar of homemade preserves or ripe tomatoes from the garden. Karen credits her passion for cooking to her mother, Joy Davis Patterson-her mentor, teacher, and business inspiration.

As a Mother

As a wife and mother of two, Karen found getting a meal on the table every evening more challenging than she had imagined. When she began cooking and freezing entrees on the weekends, the idea of frozen meals as a business was born. The plan began to take shape as she saw her friends struggle with mealtime preparation as well. She began developing her recipe portfolio and testing product years before the business actually began in 2005.

As a Woman of Faith

With both business successes and failures along the way, Karen believes the big mistakes were where the true strength grew in her company and in her faith as well. As one challenge after another arose, the answer appeared out of presumably nowhere. A new account or big order would arrive when she lacked funds to make payroll or pay bills. Sometimes, the right person would stop her in the carpool line looking for a job. And always, someone with expertise or resources she lacked came along at exactly the right time. Some call it luck, but Karen calls it divine intervention.

Karen shares, “There is a higher power behind No Time 2 Cook, and I recognize that with this comes responsibility. As No Time 2 Cook has been blessed, we are called to be a blessing to others. Our job is do our best in all that we do. We strive to bless our customers by producing a great product, to bless our employees by providing a healthy and pleasant work environment with fair wages, and to bless our community by reaching out and giving back.”

If interested in having Karen speak at your next conference or meeting:

Email her at karen@notime2cook.com or call 662-236-9456