Kimberly's Story:
Kimberly Baeth grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa. She attended ISU where she double majored in Journalism/PR and Business Communications. She was in the Sorority Chi Omega and heavily involved in the Greek System and was an ISU Football recruiter. She was elected top 5 to the ISU Homecoming Court, named Greek Woman of the Year and General Motors Volunteer of the Year while there for four years (1989-1993). She graduated in the top 5% of her class and was inducted into several honor societies. Her first job was w/the North Hennepin Chamber of Commerce as their Membership Service Director where she discovered a need for giant working scissors and wide ribbon.
Seeing there were none available to purchase, she set out to create her own. In 1997 she started her business Golden Openings, Inc., and invented the original giant scissors that really cut, wide ribbon, big bows, keys to the city, gold shovels, chrome shovels, ground breaking items and keepsakes, unique awards and gifts, for special events. They are the first and original “Grand Opening Super Store”. She has written 3 books and sells her products and services all over the world. Golden Openings, Inc, ships out 100’s of packages each day to businesses and has shipped to 6 of the 7 continents. They coordinate and average at least 5 local events each week, including the Grand Openings/Ground Breakings for: Facebook, Microsoft, Homemakers, Life Time Athletic, Bob Brown Chevrolet, The Central Iowa Shelter & Services, Wells Fargo and Dart, just to name a few.
She has worked with and done events for: The White House, Oprah, Disney, Lady Gaga, Apple, Google, Microsoft, many colleges, universities, professional sports teams, movies, many fortune 500 companies, restaurants, TV shows, and more.
She also helped orchestrate and set a world record for the longest ribbon cutting (4.5 miles of continuous ribbon) in Cutler Bay, FL in December 2011. The event is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
She moved her family from the Twin Cities to Iowa in August 2006. She grew her business 25-30% per year and offered internships and school to work programs yearly. She purchased a warehouse to store her inventory and supplies and opened a 2nd location and warehouse in Urbandale and Johnston. She has served on several boards, including the Camp Fire USA, YMCA, NAWBO and the Urbandale Economic Development Board and belongs to The US Chamber, ACCE and several local Chambers of Commerce.
She donates her time and money to local charities and always pitches in when given the chance to donate her supplies and rental items as needed to nonprofits in the area. Baeth takes time out from her busy schedule to speak and especially enjoys speaking to local schools, clubs & organizations, universities, and at conventions on entrepreneurship & inspiring women to start and thrive in their own businesses. She was a speaker at the “National Association of Woman Business Owners - Women Mean Business Summit”, National – Special Event Show, speaker at GenYP Up & Coming Young Leaders Convention, DMACC’s Entrepreneur Fest and was on the Great Day Show in February, with the Focus On Business segment, just to mention a few. She has grown her business an average of 30% each year for the 21 years in business, to date. She met her husband, Kevin Baeth, at ISU and they were married in 1996.
They have two daughters, Stephanie Lynn - born in 1997; Emily Elizabeth - born in 2001. She is involved in her children's schools, sports programs and activities when she is not working or working out. Her children are involved in swim team, tennis, VSA Premier Soccer and both play the flute. Kimberly is an avid triathlete and marathon runner. She has run 6 marathons, 15 Dam to Dams, many other of other half marathons and completed the San Francisco Marathon with Team in Training, raising $10,000 towards a cure. She has completed and placed in many local triathlons, Including Iowa Games, Iowa State CyMan, HyVee and more.
In 2013, the year of the bombs, she ran in the Boston Marathon. She has completed two 1/2 Ironman’s and loves to exercise outdoors.