Strong Women, Strong Coffee feat Katherine Freund

Fueled by entrepreneurs, this FREE seminar will feature a live interview with a strong woman who has achieved success in business or entrepreneurship. The audience will hear her story of success and feel a connection with other strong women on their own journeys, finding inspiration along the way. All are welcome. Join us to connect with other entrepreneurs and get inspired!

I’m Katherine, owner of Tardigrade’s Bookshelf, a bookstore, bookbar, and community gathering space in Downtown Appleton. I’m an Army veteran, librarian, lover of all things weird, and somewhat accidental entrepreneur.

My husband, Steve, and I returned to the Fox Valley after his retirement from the Army. After spending a few years as a library director, we stumbled upon the old VFW building in Appleton that happened to be for sale. Naturally, we decided to take on the slightly ridiculous project of transforming it into a bookbar.

Tardigrade’s Bookshelf is more than a business to me. It’s an experiment in what happens when a small business prioritizes belonging, collaboration, and community impact alongside the bottom line. I’m passionate about creating spaces where people can show up as themselves, particularly those who haven’t always felt welcome in traditional social settings.

My background in education, science, and public service shapes how I approach business. I believe in curiosity, collaboration, challenging the status quo, and the idea that a successful business should contribute something meaningful to the community around it.

I came into entrepreneurship with a simple idea: build the kind of place I wish existed, make room for the people who need it, and figure out the rest as we go.