2020 was a bizarre year for everyone. Kevin and Kate Labourdette were living in Indianapolis, working from home, and isolated from friends and family. They would frequently escape to the gorgeous village Kevin grew up in, Skaneateles! Weeks at a time were spent on West Lake Road with Kevin’s family, boating on the lake, ordering takeout from every restaurant possible, and getting competitive about everything down to taco making. When Kevin and Kate got married in 2021, it was the perfect excuse to buy a home in their “Covid Oasis” and move to Skaneateles. 

It wasn’t easy leaving the place where Kate grew up and a city that held so many important milestones in their relationship. Kate was born and raised in Indiana and went to Purdue University, where she was a member of the cheerleading team. Despite working at the same Fortune 100 company as Kevin for a few years, she eventually met him at a bar in Indianapolis. She was a financial analyst and Kevin was an engineer designing electric vehicle powertrains. After learning Kate was in Finance, Kevin’s pick-up line was asking if she knew what that year’s bonus would be. Luckily, she did know that year’s bonus percentage, had a cute golden retriever puppy, and pretended to love football, so it was instant love.

While in Indy, Kevin had discovered a passion for real estate redevelopment, specializing in purchasing and rehabbing small apartment buildings. His real estate business grew into an interest in wealth management and investing. Unable to run his business from New York, he sold it and joined his brother and father at a wealth management practice started by his father ~30 years prior, The Labourdette Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. 

Serving clients in Upstate NY and across the country, this family-run practice is passionate about serving other families. “We strive to make simple but comprehensive plans for all our clients going beyond just investment management and take time to learn about each of our clients’ unique needs and goals and work to achieve them in the most efficient manner,” said Kevin. He has passed the extensive training, education, and experience requirements to obtain the CFP® certification, a standard of excellence in the industry.

After Kate pushed Kevin to follow his passion, it was Kate’s turn. Kate’s passion has always been travelling. During her career in corporate finance, she had spreadsheets maximizing every second of her vacation days. She studied destination trends and was the designated planner for all friends’ trips and family getaways. 

Her vision for a travel company was one that curates ultra-custom getaways for busy people, and that’s exactly what she’s done by starting Labo Travel Co. Her mission is to create seamless, white glove trips for her clients to destinations that perfectly fit their priorities. She’s partnered with another local travel expert, Lindsay Kowalski who owns LK Travel, to expand their connections, services, and knowledge. In Kate’s words, “2024 is going to be an incredible year, I’m already working on trips to the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, the Le Mans race, Cape Town, and honeymoons across Europe to name a few.”

Since moving to Skaneateles in 2021, they have spent a lot of time remodeling their home. The projects are getting smaller, so you’ll see them at their favorite hangouts more – The Krebs, Mirbeau, and Gilda’s. Their dog, Harry, who was the December issue’s Precious Pet, insists on “strutting his stuff around the village and stopping at the Pub for a patio drink in the summertime.”

Kate and Kevin are also members of Grace Chapel and were married by Pastor Barry. They enjoy volunteering at the church daycare and the love the community the church brings. When they aren’t visiting new destinations for Kate’s travel company, you can find them enjoying different Finger Lake wineries. In the winter they love to ski at their local favorite, Song Mountain. Kevin was on the RIT ski team and Kate is from Indiana… so you can easily guess who is doing the pizza method while the other skis backwards. In the summer, you can find them golfing or wake surfing and dropping anchor in the cove. 

Kate grew up in a small, Midwest town and wanted a similar tight-knit community. After her first trip to Skaneateles, she knew she could call this home. They both agree, “This is the perfect place to start a business, and family. If you see us out, please say hello. We love meeting new people and are so grateful to be a part of this community!”