In 2003, when Renate and her family relocated from New York to North Carolina, she had a difficult time getting acclimated to her new surroundings. She had just ended her career in the corporate world, having worked in the industries of international education, Wall Street, and real estate. While facing the challenges of fitting into her new environment, she decided to turn the negatives around and use her skills and talents to create her own business. In the words of Renate, “When no one would open their doors to give me a job, I decided to create my own door and open it! When life gave me lemons, I turned them into Superstar Lemon Bars and Literacy.”