Growing Through Generosity: Helping Youth See Better, Dream Bigger & Do Greater

Get to know Kim Durden, the passionate foodie behind Divine Dine Food Tours and Out the Block Experience who is on a mission to broaden the horizons of underserved youth on Chicago’s south side through her experiential programming around food and education.

Chelsie and Kim met back in fall of 2020, when they both participated in the Women Business Development Center’s Scale Up program. Learn more about how the WBDC is supporting women and minority businesses here and be sure to support your local woman and Black-owned businesses this Black History Month and always!

Kim Durden, photo provided

Kim Durden, owner of Divine Dine Food Tours

Divine Dine Food Tours is a woman-owned Black business. What does being a Black and woman-owned business mean to you?

"To whom much is given much is required." I believe I've been charged with a great responsibility to exemplify with humility, grace, and grit the many layers of being a Black woman in business. Working in an industry that does not represent or readily receive people who look like me has openly revealed the barriers and the burdens of being a Black woman in business.

However, it is my honor, privilege, and priority to also vividly illustrate the beauty, boldness and BOSS-UPness of a Black woman in business. This is a multifaceted experience that encompasses representation, resilience, perseverance, empowerment, advocacy, and community impact.

Though my chosen entrepreneurial industry is sorely lacking women of color, I have never lost and will never lose my identity or authenticity. I proudly embrace who I am and incorporate my cultural values and experiences into my business practices. Over the years, I’ve learned that celebrating my uniqueness is actually a competitive advantage.

So, overall, being a Black woman in business involves navigating all the challenges while leveraging my strengths and opportunities to create meaningful change and success. I plan to do this in the food tour industry while impacting the entrepreneurial ecosystems, one plate at a time.

Divine Dine Food Tours Photo Gallery:

Tell me a little about yourself.

I am the wife of one, mother of a three-piece spicy mixed (that’s two adult daughters and one nine-year-old son…yikes), and Gigi to a beautiful, energetic, and feisty four-year-old girl. I work a semi-full-time job as a Spiritual Development Specialist at a faith-based youth literacy program in Englewood on the Southside of Chicago. Additionally, I serve at my local church as a young adult Sunday School teacher and Choir Director.

In my free time (ha, ha, ha), I love traveling, planning events for family and friends, furniture and thrift shopping, coffee shop hopping, journaling, writing, entertaining and hosting intimate events at my house, interior designing, museum musing, and wine sipping.

On the rare occasion that I have absolutely nothing to do, I really enjoy watching sports, mostly basketball and football though I now must take an interest in soccer because that’s what “the brother” (aka my son) wants to do now. I don’t watch TV much but when I do, you’ll find a basketball or football game, one of my favorite GTV shows, or Abbott Elementary on the tube.

Three of my God-given gifts are giving, encouraging, and hospitality - things that I genuinely love and enjoy doing. I am truly at my best when I am either gifting others, whether with words, deeds, or actual gifts, cheering people on and/or making others feel warm and welcome. I am God’s ray of Chocolate Sunshine, at least so I've been told.

And of course, I LOVE to eat. I love dining out with family and friends and finding new and unique dining offerings and experiences. I am everyone’s favorite foodie gal and I take pride in that title. Whether it’s a dive or fine dining, oh, we’re gonna have a great time!

FYI, writing about myself is one of the hardest things for me to do. Geesh!

Original Divine Dine Logo (left) + Reimagined Logo by Lettering Works (right)

What led you to start your business, Divine Dine Food Tours?

A dream, seriously. I was working as a Marketing & Membership Coordinator for a technical society in Oak Park. My fifth year there in 2016, I started to feel bored and burnt out.

True story: I had a dream about this crazy fun dining experience I had planned for myself and a few friends. We went to three different restaurants and had a blast at each one. At the end of the event, all I heard my friends saying was: “this was such a divine experience” and “I’ve never dined out like this before" and “I’ve never even heard of these places” and “Kim, how did you find these restaurants?” Boom-boom, just like that, Divine Dine Food Tours was born.

I continued to work my full-time day job, but on the weekends, I was Divine Dining all over the city of Chicago. I was planning and hosting four to five-hour food tours to mostly Black-owned restaurants at least twice a week. I did this for three more years as a side hustle and it was both so hard and oh-so-fun!

Then one day in June 2019, I made the decision to take the leap of faith and work my business full time. July 30, 2019 was my last day at that job. Business was going very well, but then a few months later, the pandemic happened. The world and my business literally shutdown for over two years.

But today, I am so grateful and blessed to still be in business. This has been the hardest four years of my life. Slowly but surely though, I am gaining traction and feel deep down in my soul that acceleration is on the horizon for Divine Dine Food Tours.

Out the Block Experience Logo Options by Lettering Works

What led you to start Out The Block Experience?

I've always wanted to use Divine Dine Food Tours as a platform to expose young people to experiences outside of the block. I want them to know that they don't have to be a product of the block or stay on the block - that there is life out the block. I sat on this dream for years because I was always waiting on the perfect time.

Last year, I felt like a pregnant woman that was years overdue in giving birth. Yikes and Ouch!! But that's when I knew it was time for me to push out this purpose and walk in what I know God has given me to do. I was scared as heck and I still am a little bit. But I know without doubt that Out the Block Experience will transform the mindset and positively impact the lives of so many Chicago youth.

Out the Block Experience (aka OTBE) is a transformational youth development and mentoring program that provides educational and culinary tours to Black-owned dining establishments and businesses in Chicagoland and across the country. I have partnered with my sister-friend and program administrator, Athena Harshaw, and we are dedicated to exposing Chicago junior high and high school students to experiences, opportunities, and people OUT the BLOCK that will position them to see better, dream bigger, and do greater.

Divine Dine Logo Options + Variants by Lettering Works

What do you think is most interesting or unique about your profession?

The most interesting and unique thing about being a food tour professional is the ability to combine my love for food with storytelling, cultural exploration, and community building, all while providing my guests with an unforgettable culinary adventure. Strangers become friends and friends create memorable experiences and moments by way of my food tours. All of this coupled with my attention to detail and desire to plan a food tour that makes people feel comfortable, feel good, and feel like they’re the most important person in the world is golden. There is no other feeling better than that. I love what I do so much!

What are some of your short and long term goals?

Divine Dine Food Tours goals over the next two years:

1) Create a website that reflects my personality, my brand, and the Divine Dine experience I curate for my clients (3 months)

2) Acquire two 15-passenger vans - transportation is my biggest expense and eats into my profits. Owning my own transportation will be a serious game-changer for my business. (3-6 months)

3) Book four food tours per month to meet my monthly revenue goals (12 months)

4) Hire a solid core team and quit my day job and work at Divine Dine Food Tours full-time (2 years)

Bonus: One of my goals for Out The Block Experience is to raise $144,000 which will fund our experiences over the next 12 months. Ambitious, I know. Possible? You better believe it!

Scale Up Graduation Day on Zoom, Fall 2020

We met in 2020 via the Women Business Development Center's Scale Up program. What value did you get out of participating?

WBDC was life changing for me. Participating in Scale Up literally pulled me out of depression and defeat. As a woman of faith and a naturally positive, energetic, and encouraging person, I was totally depleted. I was not in a good space at all.

I had just made the decision in July 2019 to take the leap of faith and pursue my business on a full-time basis. I quit my Marketing job after 7.5 years to go after my dream. And then, a few months later, my business had to shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. I had no plan. I had no money. I had no hope.

But, God always provides exactly what I need when I need it. I received an invitation to apply to WBDC’s Scale Up program and my new chapter began. Every week, I looked forward to meeting with the ladies in my cohort. I regained my confidence and my identity being in a “room” with other women in business who related to some of my same struggles. Women who were just starting or in it for a minute, all working together for the same cause - to scale up our businesses.

Two of the greatest values from my participation in WBDC’s Scale Up:

1) Four years ago, I met a group of women determined to take their business to the next level. Four years later, I am still connected with some of those extraordinary women like you, Chelsie. I am so grateful!

2) I learned to value myself. That’s something that I forgot how to do and quite honestly lost interest in doing. It took me a while after Scale Up to truly understand and embrace my value. But I can honestly say that WBDC, especially Lindsay Mueller and Ms. Deborah Minor-Harvey and the women participating in my cohort of Scale Up definitely planted the seed. Again, I am so very blessed and grateful!

Custom Logo + T-Shirt Design Exploration by Lettering Works

Out the Block Experience’s first event: a visit to Erin’s Cup

Tell us about the first Out The Block Experience (OTBE) event that was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2024.

One of our goals for Out The Block Experience is to host at least one Experience every month for up to 12 junior high and high school students. MLK Day 2024 was our very first Experience. We took THIRTEEN students on a trip to the Southside of Chicago to visit the newly opened coffee shop, Erin’s Cup, owned by 17-year-old high school senior, Erin Polk.

The purpose of this and all of our Experiences is to expose our students to experiences, opportunities, and people OUT the BLOCK that will transform how they think about their future and potential. Our ultimate goal is to position our students to see better, dream bigger, and do greater.

Our students were able to interview Erin, order coffee and other treats from the menu, and see someone not much older (or, in some cases, even the same age as them) doing something that many of them had never seen done - start a business at 17-years old. This Experience was so impactful that one of our students was inspired to get back on her track with her lip gloss business.

Her mom shared with us that her daughter wrote and presented her with a business plan. This moment is why OTBE was created. We believe representation matters but so does exposure. If seeing is believing, we’re gonna make sure that our students see all the things that will give them hope to be more than just another kid from the Block.

The RayJohn Effect Poster (used as inspiration)

Custom Sticker Design by Lettering Works

What is the RayJohn effect and how is it connected to Out The Block Experience (OTBE)?

The original vision for OTBE was to expose students to life OUT the BLOCK through fun, educational, cultural and culinary experiences. This is still our vision, however, the unthinkable happened and my mission shifted.

My good girlfriend and sister, Athena Harshaw lost her nephew/son, RayJohn Harshaw to gun violence in these Chicago streets. He was robbed and killed just a few steps away from their South Shore home.

After this happened, I heard from God clearly, “if you honor his name, you’ll save her life.” And so I adjusted OTBE’s vision/mission and asked Athena to partner with me to ensure that RayJohn’s positively infectious impact on others would never be lost or forgotten.

The RayJohn Effect are principles that RayJohn Harshaw was widely known for and lived by. At each Experience we will instruct, inspire and empower our students with these principles: Respectful - Active - Youthful - Joyful - Open-minded - Humorous - Naturally-Fly.

RayJohn may no longer be with us but his legacy of love and light will live and shine through each of our students.

Update: StickerGiant has generously offered to sponsor the printing of 500 of The RayJohn Effect stickers.

Tell us about an ideal Out The Block Experience event that hasn't happened yet.

We are now anxiously fundraising for our Spring Break Road Trip to Little Rock, Arkansas in March. This Experience is dual-purposed: to provide our students with a history lesson on segregation in the South, learn more about the involvement and boldness of Daisy Bates, the NAACP, and the Little Rock Nine to desegregate Little Rock Central High School; and to expose them to some good ole southern eating from Black-owned restaurants and good ole southern charm and hospitality. This Experience is scheduled for March 24 - 27, 2024. We’ve raised some funds, but are a long way away from reaching our financial goal.

GoFundMe Campaign for Out the Block Experience

How can people support your work?

Our mission is to provide our Experiences free of charge for all of our students. In order to do this, we need all of the support we can get. This work is necessary and we know it will literally change the trajectory of the lives of so many of our Chicago youth. We have a few ways to support this work:

1. Give to our GoFundMe campaign here.

2. Offer your services and/or products* - we are looking for Black restaurant and business owners to donate their time and space for our Experiences. This could be providing free or deeply discounted breakfast, lunch, or dinner for up to 15 people on a designated day and time and the opportunity for our students to briefly interview you. Additionally, we need donations for our OTBE swag bags that are gifted to our students after each Experience. Consider donating your products that are age-appropriate for junior high and high schoolers.

3. Sponsor an Experience - we believe in full transparency and share the costs for all of our Experiences.

4. Donate a working, reliable 15-passenger van so that we can transport our students and chaperones to these wonderful Experiences we’ve planned.

5. Book Divine Dine Food Tours for your next social outing, celebration, or team meeting for your business. A portion of our profits supports OTBE’s Experiences.

Custom T-Shirt Design by Lettering Works

Anything else you'd like to add?

I always knew that Divine Dine Food Tours was bigger than getting paid to take people to different minority-owned restaurants across the country. Do I want to make money and run a successful food tour agency and shake up this industry that looks nothing like me? Yes! Amen! And Absolutely. But, my business is so much more than profits; it has purpose!

My business is all about exposure - exposing the countless, overlooked, and amazing minority-owned restaurants to as many people as I possibly can and exposing Chicago youth to OUT the BLOCK experiences and opportunities that may never have been possible otherwise.

Find Kim Durden, Divine Dine Food Tours, and Out the Block Experience at:
Facebook and Instagram: @divinedinefoodietours + YouTube

*Lettering Works provided all designs showcased throughout this blog post as an in-kind donation to Divine Dine and Out the Block Experience. While we do not believe in working for free, we do believe in contributing our skills and custom designs to further important causes, like the work that Kim is doing. Learn more about Lettering Works for a Cause here.