Today we’d like to introduce you to Luckaia Larios.
Luckaia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started Kai Kollective in 2020 during the pandemic, I was attending Brigham Young University Hawaii, but temporarily doing online classes in Utah while campus was shut down due to COVID. I minored in entrepreneurship and one of my classes was about small businesses and we were assigned to start our own small business. I have always been obsessed with jewelry and particularly rings! Kai Kollective started as a spoon ring jewelry business! In 2021, I moved back to Hawaii and began the marine biology program at my school. I would plan school-wide beach cleanups and as a result a had jars and jars full of microplastics. The colorful plastics that were scattered throughout the sand ended up being really beautiful when collected together in a jar! This is when the idea hit to try and make jewelry out of the microplastics. I began practicing with resin and started by creating rings and earrings with the microplastics. since then, the business has moved with me to North Carolina where I incorporated shark teeth into my jewelry making! I enjoy creating new pieces and letting my creativity show through my work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
definitely not! Because my business has been moved from Utah, to Hawaii, then to North Carolina along with finishing my bachelors degree and working a full-time job it has been difficult to keep up with. There have been lots of ups and downs but overall it is a hobby and creative outlet for me more than it is a job!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology with minors in entrepreneurship and English from Brigham Young University of Hawaii in December of 2022. Throughout college I worked as a research assistant studying Bonefish and Coral Reefs on Oahu. After graduating I moved here to Surf City where I now work at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center. I have worked here for just over 2 years now and I absolutely love it. I have always had a passion for sea turtles and environmental conservation and I get to involve myself with those things every single day at my job.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I grew up in the land locked state of Utah! Both my small business and my full time job involve the ocean and it’s a huge passion of mine so learning that I come from somewhere without an ocean could be a shock to some people!
I have a boxer named Kiwi and she is my whole world! I absolutely love animals. I also just got married last month! My husband Jordan and I met the same month that I started Kai Kollective so he has been my #1 supporter since day one of my small business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Kaikollective.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kai.kollective?igsh=MWRxYjA3dHFiN2NzYg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16x3L9d8aR/?mibextid=wwXIfr
