Innis graduate Kierra Inniss looks toward a bright future in business

June 17, 2024 by Cynthia Macdonald - A&S News

Kierra Inniss is an aspiring entrepreneur with a social conscience, but her journey hasn’t always been easy. Forced to live alone in her teenage years, she spent her time at U of T successfully charting her own future path in the corporate world.

As she graduates on June 17 with a double major in English and African studies as a member of Innis College, Inniss is now determined to pay it forward and help others. One way she’s doing this is through her own wellness brand — Koko’s Boite — which offers meal preparation and workout plans, as well as lounge and athletic wear. And Inniss says that the experience she’s gained working for a non-profit will also help her with another goal: founding her own non-profit enterprise.

You’ve made great initial strides in business but you studied humanities. How has doing that helped you?

I got into U of T for political science. I chose that because it was always kind of my dream to be the prime minister of Canada. But then one year I felt political science wasn’t for me, and somehow I stumbled on the African studies courses at New College. I thought they looked really interesting. I wanted to learn more about my roots, and I’ve always liked writing English. African Studies really opened my world intellectually, because there was a lot about my own history that I didn’t know.

This double major really helped me with my problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Other courses might just ask you to memorize information, but I’ve always been someone who needs to understand how something works. I liked reading research papers that showed me how to think about things differently. This really helped me when I had to write a business plan that was 20 pages long!

Are there any extracurricular experiences that will stay with you?

Marieme Lo is director of the African Studies Centre and she was my professor for my last seminar class. Through her, I got to go to a Black History Month brunch where I met other people, not only from U of T but within the community. It was great to meet entrepreneurs, writers and business people, all with the same interest in learning about our roots and figuring out how to overcome different obstacles.

I understand you had to surmount some challenges yourself on the way to graduation which you did very successfully.

I got kicked out of my home when I was 17. Working with a social worker at LOFT Community Services really helped me set goals and follow through on them. Later on, I learned about an organization called the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. They try to bridge gaps in employment for Black youth, and that’s why I wanted to work with them.

I worked with CEE as a human resources assistant, making sure everything was running smoothly. I also did event planning for different charities, and created a research database for them. It was cool to see how non-profits run behind the scenes. Now, I’m doing fundraising for other charities that I’m interested in supporting. I enjoy talking to people and hearing their stories.

Running a non-profit of my own is a future goal. Having been through a tough time myself, it’s really important for me to give other young people a space where they can get support and believe in themselves.

Do you have any other plans for the future?

I’m building my own wellness brand, Koko’s Boite. I used to be overweight myself, but decided to holistically change my whole lifestyle. People asked how I did it, so I underwent training to ensure I could write the programs properly. I’ve been doing it for three years, and I’m getting funding through Futurpreneur, which helps youth launch small businesses. I’m working with a mentor to build the business and have a grant.

Do you have advice for other students, especially ones who, like you, might be entering university facing obstacles?

One thing that’s important is not to compare yourself to other people: you have to accept what you’ve got. And U of T is an amazing school that supports you; two important people for me were my academic advisor and financial advisor. Remember that you’re in an environment where people want to support you and want to see you succeed. I went through imposter syndrome in my first year, and others will too. If you wonder: how did I get here? Well, you got here because you’re good, and because you’re smart. Lean into that, and use the resources that are available because they’re amazing.

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