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This event was formerly known as The Art of The Side Hustle. After speaking with community members and researching the racist history and negative connotations of the term hustle/side-hustle, we opted to rename the event to a more inclusive and less divisive title. We strive to be a space open to any and everyone and understand that there is still lots of learning to be done. As we continue to recognize ways to improve and grow as an organization and community members, we appreciate your feedback on how to better ourselves and contribute to a brighter future for all.   

Commercializing Your Craft

June 22, 2021 5:30pm-6:30pm

In a world of uncertain job prospects, many of us have chosen to create our own destinies by pursuing our passions to generate an income while showcasing ingenuity. The question is, how do you successfully monetize your passions and make the most of your hobbies? 

Commercializing Your Craft was an open panel discussion featuring a group of entrepreneurs who are blazing their ways to success. The discussion focused on the following aspects:   

  • Student experiences with juggling the rigour of an academic course-load while pursuing an entrepreneurial endeavour  
  • How to get into the innovative mindset to start and grow your endeavour  
  • Advice for those who are considering starting or are currently running their own small business 
  • Honest discussion about how to challenge industry norms and leverage your intersection of experience to empower yourself and others  

Whether you were interested in Commercializing Your Craft and needed a little push, craved some extra inspiration to keep going, or simply wanted to hear from these talented folks, then this event was meant for you! A short Q&A was held after the panel to get some first-hand advice. 

Kyne Santos

She/Her

Leading this event we had the one and only, Kyne Santos. Kyne is known around the world for her successful YouTube channel where she creates DIY drag tutorials, and her TikTok channel where she tells math riddles and gives lessons on statistics. Fusing her two passions together, Kyne breaks down barriers with every upload, bringing STEM education to the queer community and queerness to STEM.

Born in the Philippines and raised on the karaoke songs of divas, she channels her love of old school glamour in her performances, where she wows with conceptual looks and her larger than life presence. She is a multi-talented entertainer who lipsyncs, dances with wild stunts, sings live, and plays the flute.

With dreams of becoming a star, she took to the camera to create the YouTube channel “onlinekyne” in 2013, where she posted vlogs, makeup tutorials, and the musings of a high school boy. She graduated high school with a prestigious scholarship to study mathematics at the University of Waterloo, where she started her drag career. By day, she studied linear algebra and real analysis, and by night, she was styling wigs and making drag costumes for her YouTube subscribers. She continues to make DIY drag tutorials where she teaches thousands of queens, cosplayers, stylists, and fans how to be self-reliant artists.

She took to TikTok in 2020 to tell math riddles and give math history lessons while dressed to the nines, and quickly gained viral success. Penned by many as “better than my math teacher”, Kyne’s math lessons entrance and inspire many math-phobes. She teaches audiences to be critical of misleading graphs, and debunks faulty math used for bad intentions.

Always learning and always teaching, Kyne continues to remind audiences the importance of education, scientific literacy, and optimism with a little guts and lots of glitter. 

BEYOND KYNE, COMMERCIALIZING YOUR CRAFT FEATURED INCREDIBLE SPEAKERS WITH AMAZING STORIES

Meet the Panelists

Trisha Abe

She/Her

B.Sc. Health Studies 2018


25 year old painter and muralist based in Kitchener, Ontario, Trish’s dive into the world of visual arts was sudden and intense. After not touching her art supplies for almost five years during her science degree at UWaterloo, Trish was desperately craving a creative outlet. Nearing the end of her degree, she turned to her paintbrushes to help bring clarity to her life and did a complete 180 from science to visual art after graduation. Heavily influenced by female portraiture, her work embraces the human form through minimalism and celebrates strong character, diversity, and feminine energy. She aims to break down complex, multi-dimensional beings into their most basic elements. Trish’s painted murals for a number of clients including Shopify, Inkbox Toronto, Communitech, and the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo. 

https://www.trishaabe.com/

https://www.instagram.com/trishaabe/

Sam Jones

They/Them

Knowledge Integration Student


At the beginning of the pandemic, Sam’s crocheting hobby started overwhelming their room with whales, so they decided to start a small crochet business. A recent Knowledge Integration transfer student, they began with a couple of orders on Facebook market and now has a company website with over 2000 Instagram followers. As a transmasculine person, Sam has had to deal with tough decisions around how to grow a business while being queer and how to deal with the consequences of using their platform to enact social change. 

https://www.kartoffel-krafts.store/

https://www.instagram.com/kartoffel.krafts/

Shaza Tariq Hassan Elnour

She/They


ARBUS Student
Shaza is a 22 years-old photomaker based in Mississauga. Shaza began photography as a form of relief from daily stress, but curiosity is what drives them deeper into the field. Shaza uses both digital and film cameras with the aim to create warm and dynamic images. Being involved creatively as a writer, their transition from writing to learning and practicing photography was relatively turbulent. But soon their love and appreciation for visuals and storytelling found a happy home with each other, and it’s one which they continue to build on today.

https://shaza.work/

https://www.instagram.com/shazatariq/

Learn about Commercializing Your Craft and hear from outstanding entrepreneurs,

Turn your passion into success!

New to Concept? Learn More About Us:

Concept by Velocity is where University of Waterloo students come to build their entrepreneurial skills! Offering a variety of experiential learning opportunities with experienced startup founders as well as individual coaching sessions and funding opportunities. Whether you want to start a company or not, Concept can help you build essential skills that translate to all aspects of life. 

You can get started today by attending an upcoming events, meeting with a Concept Coach, or talking with a representative to see how we can help you achieve success. Check us out on Instagram and Twitter, and for your weekly dose of innovative news, sign up for our newsletter. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, even if it hasn’t started, we want to support your search for success.