Kate Krause
Founder of House Trade | Entrepreneur, author & speaker | Creator of a #1-rated Udemy course | Founder of a top-rated small business in North Carolina
Founder @ House Trade · US
Open to advisory
Leadership & Strategy
Makes warm intros to
5
Hours / month
About Kate
Kate Krause is the founder of House Trade, a social-impact home exchange platform designed to make travel more accessible while creating a new way for everyday travelers to support nonprofits.
Kate is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and longtime community builder. For 14 years, she traveled extensively as a professional musician and speaker, developing a deep appreciation for the transformative power of travel and the connections that happen when people open their lives to one another.
Throughout her career, Kate has repeatedly turned ideas into successful ventures. She created a course that became #1 rated in its category on Udemy and built a small business that became the highest-rated in its category in Western North Carolina. She is also a published author, with a second book forthcoming.
Kate also founded and led a nonprofit organization that created projects to raise funds and awareness for other nonprofits in need. That experience helped shape the social-impact model behind House Trade: creating a business where growth and giving can strengthen one another.
House Trade grew from a simple belief: travel shouldn't just help you see the world—it should help you make the world better. By combining home exchange, a flexible points economy, community, and nonprofit partnerships, House Trade is being built to make meaningful travel more affordable while turning travel into a force for good.
Company
House Trade
housetrade.travel
House Trade is a social enterprise making travel more affordable while turning home exchange into a force for good. Our points-based platform connects travelers through homes and community, while helping nonprofit partners raise funds and giving members new ways to support causes they care about.
Funding Stage
Pre-Seed
Funding Raised
None/Bootstrapped
Team Size
Just Me/Co-Founders
Annual Revenue
$0 to $100k
Founded
2025
Industry
Travel
Skills
Entrepreneurship
Successfully founded House Trade and previously turned multiple ideas into successful ventures, demonstrating a strong entrepreneurial drive.
Online Course Development
Developed a course that achieved a #1 rating in its category on Udemy, showcasing expertise in educational content creation.
Travel Industry
Founder of House Trade, a home exchange platform, and a professional traveler for 14 years, indicating deep domain expertise.
Startup Management
Currently leading House Trade from pre-seed stage, responsible for its overall strategy and development.
Content Creation
Authored a published book, has a second forthcoming, and created a #1 rated Udemy course.
Nonprofit Leadership
Founded and led a nonprofit organization, demonstrating experience in managing social impact initiatives and fundraising.
Small Business Management
Built and managed a small business that became the highest-rated in its category in Western North Carolina.
Nonprofit Sector
Founded and led a nonprofit and is building House Trade with a strong social-impact model and nonprofit partnerships.
Authoring
A published author with a second book forthcoming, indicating strong writing and content development skills.
Community Building
Recognized as a longtime community builder, emphasizing the importance of connections in her ventures.
Public Speaking
Experienced as a professional speaker, regularly engaging audiences through presentations.
Platform Development
Developing House Trade as a home exchange platform combining a points economy, community, and nonprofit partnerships.
Product Management
Responsible for the overall vision and strategic direction of the House Trade platform.
Branding
Developed the brand and mission for House Trade, emphasizing social impact and accessible travel.
Fundraising
Bootstrapped House Trade and previously created projects to raise funds for other nonprofits.
Music Performance
Traveled extensively for 14 years as a professional musician.
Experience
job
Author
Self-Employed / Independent
I have written 2 books, one on the subject of proonged singleness and the other on overcoming negative self talk. The first was traditionally published and was #1 in its category on Amazon. I also had a popular blog without thousands of subscribers.
Published one book and has a second forthcoming, establishing her presence as an author.
job
Course Creator
Udemy
I created a course on Udemy that was #1 in it's category for many months.
Created a course that achieved a #1 rating in its category on Udemy.
job
Founder
House Trade
Leading the development and strategic direction of a social-impact home exchange platform focused on making travel more accessible and supporting nonprofits.
Founded House Trade, a new venture combining home exchange, a flexible points economy, community, and nonprofit partnerships to create meaningful travel experiences.
milestone
Founder/Owner
Undisclosed Small Business
Established and managed a local business operation.
Built a small business that achieved the highest rating in its category in Western North Carolina.
job
Founder and Leader
Undisclosed Nonprofit Organization
Established and managed a nonprofit dedicated to creating projects for fundraising and awareness for other nonprofits in need.
Founded and led a nonprofit organization, successfully creating projects that raised funds and awareness for other charitable causes, which later influenced the social-impact model of House Trade.
job
Kate Hurley Music and Speaking
Toured the world with origianal songs and speaking engagements for 14 years. I also single handedly created 6 albums
Played/ spoke in front of tens of thousands of people.
education
Fort Lewis College
Bachelor degree in English and Music