Main Street Business

One day in December 2023, Kira Proper woke up with an idea: to combine her own background in the cannabis industry and her husband’s professional experience as a chef. From here, the couple became business partners, and Elevated Gatherings launched in April 2024. “It made sense to combine the two,” Kira muses. “Looking back, I’m a little surprised it took me so long to come up with it!”

Elevated Gatherings brings the restaurant experience to clients’ homes or short-term rentals, often for groups of eight to twelve people, or with staffing for larger events as necessary. By taking care of all the details, from the shopping and cooking to the serving of a customized meal, Elevated Gatherings not only delivers a restaurant-level event, but for those who are so inclined, they’ll even add a little something extra (cannabis)! 

Their service areas include Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Rensselaer, and Ulster Counties in New York, as well as Berkshire County in Massachusetts and Litchfield County in Connecticut.

“Our mission is to bring the best of upstate New York in a new and unforgettable way,” Kira explains. “We want to bring joy to our clients and their guests, we want people to eat delicious, local food, and we want to serve them in the comfort of their own space where they can celebrate however they wish.”

Keeping it local & distinct

Indeed, the business prioritizes fresh, simple food, purchased directly from local farmers as much as possible, while bringing in a unique cannabis infusion aspect that makes Elevated Gatherings truly stand out in the crowd. 

“We love seeing our clients get to really enjoy their own events,” says Kira. “It’s a lot of work to host and cook and serve and clean up, and we do all of the work so all they have to do is relax and have a great time.” 

One of the core tenets of their business is a deep connection and commitment to the region. Maintaining close ties to the community, for Elevated Gatherings, is not only essential for their own success, but crucial for uplifting others along the way. 

They certainly accomplish this by sourcing products from small businesses and local purveyors, but they also do their part to spread the word about local businesses, even listing a range of preferred partners on their website. “We believe that the world doesn’t have to be cutthroat and that we can lift each other up along the way,” Kira asserts. “There doesn’t have to be just one winner.”

Forging a new path in local cannabis cuisine

Even with this community-based mindset, Kira recognizes the difficulties of launching a cannabis-related culinary business. While there are plenty of private chef companies, Elevated Gatherings is rare in their specific offerings, posing both an advantage and an obstacle. 

“There is really no one else around here doing exactly what we do, so we’re not only figuring out how to build and run a successful business, we’re also trying to figure out how to explain to people what it is that we are doing with no one else to compare to,” Kira points out.

Because of her years in the cannabis world, Kira also understands that people bring their own assumptions and stigmas to discussions surrounding the substance. And sometimes, that means interacting with folks who write off the cannabis industry and its patrons as lazy, criminal, or unserious. 

“While we know none of that is true,” Kira clarifies, “we understand that we carry a bit of a stigma wherever we go. We understand the mental hurdles people have to jump over before bringing us into their homes, and it all makes sense if you think about it: you’re hiring us to come into your home, to cook for you, to put a psychedelic substance in your food, and to make sure everyone at your table has a good time.”

However, Kira emphasizes just how experienced they are at this craft. Elevated Gatherings focuses on cheffing up delicious meals, infusing cannabis responsibly, and ensuring the utmost safety throughout the entire experience. 

Underscoring this to people without seeming too arrogant or too stern can be a challenge in itself, she admits, but word-of-mouth and positive reviews have worked wonders in assuring folks about Elevated Gatherings and their capabilities. “We hope to continue going in the right direction, changing minds about cannabis-infused dining and the people who both cook it and partake in it, as much as we can,” she observes.

Looking forward as business owners

The importance of focusing on this core mission has been a crucial lesson while starting this business. Kira shares that in starting a new venture, it’s felt tempting to pursue things that don’t necessarily fit their vision, like chasing clients or attempting something outside of their expertise, to try to grow the business. 

Ultimately, though, Elevated Gatherings has realized the value of sticking to what they do best. “It took us a little while and a few stumbles to decide we just have to do what we do, because that is where we shine,” Kira explains.

And this value extends far beyond their own business flourishing. In addition to supporting other small businesses in the area, generally encouraging that folks shop small and local, and striving to reframe the narrative surrounding cannabis use, Elevated Gatherings is also committed to supporting their favorite charities.

“We recently made a commitment to donate at least 10% of our profits to local animal rescue charities,” says Kira. “Our favorites are the Columbia-Greene Humane Society and Animal Farm Foundation. The first dog we ever adopted was from CGHS and our current two dogs are both AFF alumni. We adopt, we foster, we volunteer, we donate, and we’d like to encourage others to do the same however they can.”

Looking forward, Elevated Gatherings plans to continue their current business model – private dinners in people’s homes – with the hopes of expanding into larger events as well. Kira notes that ultimately, their abilities depend on New York State laws, but one day, they’d love to create a vertically integrated operation with a brick-and-mortar location. This would entail onsite consumption, as well as supper clubs, a delivery service, and a continuation of their private chef model.

“Right now, we are working out the plans for where we want to go first and how we are going to do it,” Kira shares. “For 2026, we are planning to take one of those steps while still staying true to the model that has gotten us this far.” •

To learn more about Elevated Gatherings, please visit elevatedgatheringsny.com. Get in touch with them via email at takemehigher@elevatedgatheringsny.com or phone at (518) 821-9991. Their mailing address is PO Box 29, Claverack, NY, 12513.