Her Story
About Lilly
Lilly Stewart founded Curate Studios in the arts business industry in Mobile, Alabama. She began developing the idea after working at River Gallery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which sparked her passion for making art accessible, and she acted on it in 2025 after starting the company around a year ago. Her main areas of expertise are operations, planning, and art and creativity, with the goal of creating community spaces and an app for artists and creatives. Stewart graduated high school from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, completed six months of business school, and earned a real estate certification after attending real estate school for a year, though she is not a real estate agent. She is a member of Hatch Fairhope, Unlock Alabama, and a horse riding club, and plans to volunteer with Goodwill for disabled adults while expressing interest in Penelope's Closet. She attributes her success to taking small steps without overthinking, values honesty, transparency, hard work at one's own pace, and authenticity, and advises young women not to let gender hold them back but to use their strengths.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lilly
01What do you attribute your success to?
You just gotta do it. Stop thinking about it and just have to do it. It doesn't matter how small the step is, it's the fact that you're taking a single half a step that builds your motivation and momentum.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You just gotta do it. Stop thinking about it and just have to do it. It doesn't matter how small the step is, it's the fact that you're taking a single half a step that builds your motivation and momentum. It's perfectly perfect to be imperfect.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be scared because you're a woman. Don't let that false belief hold you back. Everything in my career, I've gotten good things because I've been a woman. You can do huge things. Use your emotions and sensitivity as a tool.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Visibility and marketing is difficult to find people who want to spend time doing arts and crafts. Funding and finding local investors has been a struggle in Lower Alabama.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and transparency are super important because there's a lot of gray area in business. Hard work driven but at your own pace without burning out or comparing to others. Authenticity is a huge value.
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