Katie Kassel

Katie Kassel. Photo courtesy of NEWaukee.

Where do you work and what makes your role awesome?

I work at Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., a Division of the Kroger Family of Companies. I work at our Corporate Office located in Downtown Milwaukee. I am the Leadership Essentials Manager for our Division. What is Leadership Essentials? Leadership Essentials is our Management Training Program. What makes my role awesome? I coach, lead and develop future leaders of our organization to become the best leaders they can be. Through a 16-week training program of hands-on store level training and classroom training our Management Training Program produces leaders that are innovative, inclusive, knowledgeable, and unique. I love my job because I can impact not only future store leaders, but our organization as a whole. Through training and coaching, I get to see individuals become something they never thought they could be, the future of our organization.

How long have you lived in Milwaukee and what brought you here?

I have lived in Milwaukee for almost my whole life. I was born and raised here. I attended UW-Milwaukee and really haven’t left since I graduated three years ago.

What do you love most about Milwaukee?

That is a difficult question! I love several things about Milwaukee. However, I think if I had to choose one, it would be all the unique breweries and eateries that have popped up in the last five years. My fiancé and I love to tour all the breweries. Not only do these tours give out great tasting beer, they also tell great stories of the history of this great city. Since I am an Art History Major, I pretty much love all things history. Because beer is such a unique part of Milwaukee’s history, it is refreshing to see all these micro-breweries trying to implement their brewing operations in unique spaces all around our hometown. Every brewery has a story to tell about Milwaukee, in addition to a great local beer to try.

Where do you see Milwaukee in five years?

I see Milwaukee really booming in the next five years. With our new Bucks Arena opening and our new Streetcar, I think we have a lot of great things to look forward to! In addition, with neighborhoods like Bay View and Riverwest, that have been opening up restaurants, cafes, breweries and yoga studios, I think Milwaukee has some great things in store for the next five years.

I think an area of opportunity for this city is to continue to celebrate diversity. We have come a long way in creating spaces and communities that celebrate our unique and diverse city, however I know that we can take it a step farther. Our city has families from all different backgrounds and I think we could improve on celebrating that aspect.

What is your favorite Milwaukee tradition?

While there are several Milwaukee traditions that I enjoy – Brady Street Festival, Locust Street Festival, Summerfest, Milwaukee Film Festival – I would have to say the tradition I would choose would be that of a newer one – Sweet Home Milwaukee 5k Run. Every April, a local company – 414 Events – has a 5k Run/Walk alongside Lincoln Memorial at Veteran’s Park. This year was their 5th year doing the race. What I like about this event is that it is locally created. Not only is your finisher medal in the shape of a part of Milwaukee (this year it was an outline of Riverwest establishments), but it also acts as a bottle opener…It also is a great way to start getting outside and getting active after Milwaukee’s long and usually pretty cold winter. In addition, after you complete the run, you are complimented with a local brewery post-race beer. This year was Third Space’s “Happy Place.”

What’s your favorite hidden gem or secret fact about the city?

While there are plenty of hidden gems in Milwaukee, I would have to say mine is “Antiques on Pierce.” Not only is this antique store full of Milwaukee historical items and trinkets, it is also three floors big! My fiancé and I have spent well over an hour at Antiques on Pierce and barely scratched the service on what they have for sale. It is a unique establishment full of history. Not only is the store itself a Milwaukee hidden gem – but all three floors offer hidden gems!