Mary Kurek

Mary Kurek is a strategic relationship curator with over 15 years of experience in scaling businesses and bridging the gap between problems and solutions. She is the founder and president of Frontrunners Development, Inc. Through her work, she embraces the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly #17, "Partnerships for all goals." Mary has introduced diplomats and innovation leaders to resources and opportunities that create partnerships, board appointments, and generate business, resulting in the resolution of economic development problems and expansion of reach. Mary works as a Trade & Investment Counselor to His Highness Prince Telepshore's Royal House in Madagascar, as well as a Project Director for one of his partnership projects.

Mary's passion for fostering partnerships in every industry to make an impact on society has led her team to create Frontrunners Innovate, the first international business networking publication for impact, and The Frontrunners League, a global collective of impact leaders, innovators, investors, and diplomats. Mary's work has impacted UN, NASA, Microsoft, AT&T, Samsung projects, national and international governments, academic institutions, Fortune 500 corporations, and innovation labs.

Mary's professional experience also includes years in media communication on an NC Gov's Press Staff, programming professional visits for international dignitaries in the tech hub of RTP, and directing the Chamber of Commerce next to the world's largest Marine Corps Air Station. Mary has also founded two youth leadership programs, a board of directors sports leadership nonprofit, and Friends of Aging of Carteret Co. She is the author of a nationally endorsed women's business networking book and has interviewed over 450 global innovators, diplomats, philanthropists, corporate, and NGO leaders across various industries.

Mary's expertise and interests involve strategic relationships, scaling businesses, bridging the gap between problems and solutions, partnership creation, board appointment generation, economic development problem resolution, impact leadership, innovation, investment, diplomacy, media communication, youth leadership, aging support, mental health caregiver support, international trade, and research.