Hi I'm Kena!

Founder of KenaliaCards
Hi there! I'm Kena. I am the founder and the creator behind KenaliaCards, a watercolor card business based in Austin, Texas. I am currently also a student at the University of Texas at Austin studying public health and business.  I hope to honor the special moments and people in your lives through watercolor portraits and cards. 
​~ xo Kena
HOW IT STARTED
A little about me is that I have been painting since longer than I know, participating in competitions and gifting my work to friends and family. Then during the pandemic, I saw my passion as an opportunity to help people connect with their loved ones in a time of distancing. I opened up a shop on Etsy, and I started creating watercolor greeting cards and portraits from people's photos. A few months later, my product became an Etsy "Bestseller" item with multiple orders coming in daily. In making watercolor paintings memorializing houses that burnt down, portraits of grandparents social isolating, and healthcare workers protecting our community, I knew that this was something special. 

​HOW IT'S BEEN

​Since then, I've distributed over 400 cards to families and businesses across the country! In being a part of the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Institute, I've connected with so many female founders in the Austin community, and as the upcoming Vice President of Professional Development, I hope to organize workshops to encourage women at UT and the greater Austin community to learn about starting a small business. This is Darma, a global YSEALI fellow and I, connecting at KSWELI's Women's Summit, where I sold hand-painted cards at a woman-focused event with hundreds of inspiring female attendees! 

​CONNECTING 

KenaliaCards has been my creative outlet and helped me to connect with inspiring female founders from all over the world! I recently led a workshop on "Effective Communication with Customers" for the Women Led Bootcamp consisting of women my age with small businesses in Indonesia. Seeing them take away key points from my workshop, it was so incredible to witness the impact of entrepreneurship in women's lives!

MY MISSION​

 As a young woman passionate about business, healthcare, and the arts, I want to encourage other women to chase their passions, and focus on what is most impactful to them. We all have different values that make up who we are. For me that entails pursuing my dreams of becoming a doctor and advocating for health equity in our community, while creating watercolor pieces that brighten up someones day:)  A portion of sales are directed towards empowering women to turn their passions into business ventures of their own through zero-interest microloans on Kiva. org. 

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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I am so honored to be selected for the Spring 2023 KSWELI FoundHER cohort.
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I was thrilled to be featured in Austin Women's Journal in the January 2023 Spring Issue as a part of the spring KSWELI cohort.