This September and October, the Mission Society is excited to host our third annual Virtual Career Fair to introduce students to a variety of professional opportunities and provide invaluable resources for joining the workforce. As part of this series, we spoke to Kiara Kensie, co-founder of a creative marketing agency, who shared her journey of building a successful business rooted in community, along with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
While taking a web design course in college, Kiara Kensie and her classmate, Giulia Triassi, realized that not only were there very few women in class, but they were the only two Black women. This observation made them wonder: Where do small business owners from their communities go for digital services? Not the typical cookie-cutter agency you find online, but someone who understands their perspective. Identifying this gap led them to create Hunnibuzz, a creative marketing agency based in Long Beach, California. Kiara brought her skills in creative direction, web design, and photography, while Giulia used her expertise in journalism and PR, and together they became business partners.
Starting an agency from scratch meant thinking outside the box to attract clients. With no initial portfolio to show, they decided to create a PR campaign to raise awareness about their new business. They pitched this to local news agencies, and their efforts paid off when a newspaper publisher picked up their story and featured them in a full spread.
This promotional push gave Hunnibuzz the momentum it needed. Within four months, demand for their services grew so quickly that they had to bring on new team members. They recruited paid interns pursuing degrees in graphic design, PR, journalism, business, computer science, and accounting, and gave them the opportunity to dabble in every aspect of the business that interested them. Reflecting on her own college experience, Kiara shared that she had considered switching her major to graphic design. Her college counselors advised against it due to the number of credits she had already earned toward her business degree. Today, she never wants her interns to feel limited by their studies and hopes to give them opportunities she wished she had in school.
As the company grew, both business owners learned just how crucial it is to build a strong community. This focus is what truly sets them apart in such a competitive industry. “Community and networking is honestly the most important thing. Even in school, the key point of college is networking and building those relationships. It’s the same thing when starting your business,” Kiara says.
Forming genuine connections is fundamental to their approach, with many of their clients becoming friends. They invest time in understanding their clients and are intentional about the brands they create together. “To create someone else's brand and vision, you really have to know who they are on a deeper level,” explains Kiara.
To further strengthen these relationships, the Hunnibuzz founders make regular visits to their former college campus to offer complimentary headshots for students and student organizations preparing to enter the workforce. During one of these visits, Kiara ran into a former colleague who connected her to someone in their network. This simple run-in led to a paid partnership funded by the school’s Black Resource Center which connects them to two interns every semester - an opportunity that might have slipped through the cracks without networking.
Growing a sense of community has been instrumental to team Hunnibuzz’s success, but honing in on their skills has played an equally important role. Although Kiara graduated from college with a business degree, she believes hands-on experiences are especially valuable for running a business and has learned so much more by working with real-life numbers. Beyond formal education, she encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to practice their communication and leadership skills, and learn practical skills for marketing a business.
She says even using software like Canva can be a great starting point, and emphasizes that general social media skills have become standard in this industry. She highly recommends having an online presence.
One of the most important lessons Kiara learned about running a business was recognizing the value of her skills. She recalled providing their very first client with photography, branding, and web design services, charging only $400 for about 400 hours of work. While they were eager to gain the experience, they quickly realized that this was unsustainable for their business. For their next client, they adjusted their pricing to about $4,000 for the same services. Although they felt nervous asking for this amount, they knew their services were worth it.
Today, Hunnibuzz helps local startups, non-profits, and solo entrepreneurs put their businesses on the map. What began as a marketing agency has transformed into a welcoming space where small business owners feel seen, heard, and supported, and their creative ideas are executed with care and intention.
“My favorite part is the opportunity to bring other people's visions to life. Knowing that we are making an impact with the work that we're doing is really just a beautiful experience all around.”
Thank you to Hunnibuzz co-founder Kiara Kensie for taking the time to share their story and advice for our students. You can learn more about their work on their website, or by following them on Instagram.
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