Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, [email protected]

Keona Smith, owner of Kreations by Keona and junior studying hospitality and tourism management(Photo by Reyn Smith)

For Keona Smith, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences junior and owner of Kreations by Keona, owning a bakery was inevitable.

From drawing bakery designs and coming up with names as a young girl to selling cookies to her mother’s friends while in high school, Smith’s entrepreneurial spirit ultimately led her to Purdue’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM).

“I always knew I wanted to have my own business,” said Smith, who is majoring in hospitality and tourism management. “I love small businesses. They just have a personal feel to them that helps to enhance experiences.”

While Smith knew she wanted a major that fit her passions, she joined Purdue as an exploratory studies student in order to be sure the major she declared was the right fit for her. When she found herself coming back to hospitality and tourism management again and again, she wasn’t surprised.

“I think exploratory was good for me because it allowed me to see all of my options in-depth, so I really felt confident in what I was choosing,” Smith said. “Throughout that whole process, I just kept thinking about hospitality because there’s so many things in hospitality that I love.”

Kreations by Keona, which officially launched on March 31, is Smith’s first venture into business ownership. Having earned all her applicable business licenses and certifications and taken many courses in her major and her certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation, Smith felt ready to take the plunge, knowing her Boilermaker community would be there to catch her.

“It was really just a leap of faith, I would say, kind of jumping into it,” Smith said. “I think it’s been really good to start as a student because I can reach so many people here. I have a lot of sororities that want me to do events for them now, which is absolutely wonderful. I feel like if you’re outside of a community, it makes it a little bit harder (to start a business), but being fully enveloped, I feel like people are super quick to support you.”

Kreations by Keona, which launched on March 31, specializes in baked goods such as cookies and cakes. (Photo by Reyn Smith)

For Smith, Kreations by Keona is years of hard work paying off. She plans to continue developing her business throughout her next two years of college, working toward eventually opening a storefront in the greater Indianapolis area.

“I’m still developing a lot of my recipes,” Smith said. “I’ve been working on a chocolate chip cookie recipe so that I have a staple, and I’ve been trying to come up with a signature cookie. I have a few things in the works. I think being able to have something that’s just from my brand that people would crave is something I would love moving into the future of my business.”

In HTM, Smith is involved in the Purdue Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association, where she will join the board as creative director in the fall. She also participated in Black Tie Dinner during her first year, which gave her a whole new perspective toward working in a professional kitchen as she imagined her future storefront.

“That was my first huge kitchen experience — it opened my eyes a little bit to what it’s like being in a professional kitchen,” Smith said.

Smith also participated in White Lodging’s LAUNCH Hospitality Immersion Program during her sophomore year. While she had to step away from it to launch her business, she noted the experience was transformational to her professional development.

“I loved that experience,” Smith said. “Seeing the enjoyment of people coming in and you being their first point of contact was so awesome. You get to kind of see the full-circle moments between front-of-house, housekeeping and the kitchen. Everything about it was so cool. It definitely gave me a better understanding of the consumer’s point of view, which helped me develop my business too.”

While Smith is currently putting all her free time beyond the classroom into building her business, she hopes to load up her resume with all the experiences she can in these four years, including participating in the Disney College Program.

“I would just love to be able to experience something like that,” Smith said. “Being able to take on a hospitality role at a huge company like that is incredible to me. My dream role is working at the confectionery on (Disney World’s) Main Street because it’s a baking position. I feel like that would also help me build my business, seeing it from a large-scale angle.”

While Smith’s Boilermaker journey is far from over, she credited Purdue’s environment of innovation and encouragement with helping her achieve her goals. “I’ve definitely taken a lot of risks, which have been scary in the moment, but they’ve all paid off in ways that I never would have guessed,” Smith said. “Purdue offers so many opportunities, which has been amazing. It has definitely broadened my perspective. I couldn’t imagine being at any other school. I feel like there’s so much pride and hospitality with all of the people at Purdue, and I love it so much.”