'Accidental entrepreneur' developed her skills as an Integrative Arts major
The major provides graduates like Khamila Barnes with a foundation for any career including those that are creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial.
Khamila Barnes achieved success in the corporate world, but the she realized that her art, English, writing, psychology, and theater classes at Abington supported her business's success.
Khamila “Kitty” Barnes become a mom her senior year in high school and as the first in her family to graduate from college, she chose the safe career path, which included six years at Comcast Business where she was consistently promoted.
It all made sense, she said. Until it didn’t.
“I thought corporate was the path to security, but my life was unbalanced, and I really struggled to fit in,” she said.
Khamila has had a lifelong affinity for entertaining and the culinary arts and combined with her outgoing personality, it led her to obtain a mixology certificate while working in the corporate world. It led to sporadic side jobs, but she didn’t have enough experience for upscale restaurants and event spaces to hire her.
Khamila started monetizing her mixology skills by hosting Zoom happy hours during the pandemic, but she quickly grew frustrated.
“My husband encouraged me to start my own business so on Nov. 6, 2021, I filed for my business license and left corporate life. I wanted to make people laugh and introduce them to new drinks. I am an accidental entrepreneur, for sure,” she said. ”
Khamila — who dubbed her business Kitty on Top — moved quickly. Her custom drinks and carefully concocted homemade syrups attract well-known corporate and nonprofit clients who count on her to take their events and team building activities to the next level. For private customers, her work contributes to memorable weddings and birthdays, and she teaches the craft of cocktail- and mocktail-making to small groups.
Her staff of seven supports her at about 14 events per month. She makes her own simple syrups, which she describes as “a strenuous process. It takes a full day per batch so there’s no cross contamination.”
Almost three years since Khamila started Kitty on Top and despite a hefty dose of media coverage in the Philadelphia region, she admits that entrepreneurship is still scary.
“I’m growing my business through a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I have to remind myself almost every day that ‘You’ve done this before’ — if I don’t reach out to potential clients, it won't change anything about my business,” she said.
More than a decade after graduating from Abington in 2011, Khamila returns to campus to share the lessons she’s learned through the Student Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and at Penn State Day, an annual open house for prospective students.
“I want them to know that college is super essential even if you make a career change later in life. It's also important to be involved on campus because it helps you find your identity. Why not start college by meeting people from many different backgrounds? When I got to Abington, I was like, ‘Let’s go!’ ” she said.
