We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kamina Griffin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kamina below.

Kamina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

The craziest story, related to SECURE, is also one of our prime reasons for continuing. I remember an opportunity with Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Black Ambition called the So Ambitious HBCU Tour. At the time, I had no idea what this event entailed. The only words I saw were “free” and “business”. At the time, I confided in a friend who had informed me that she, too, would be participating with the startup team she was currently a part of. Once the bus had picked us up from the AUC, it dropped us and some other students off at the Atlanta Tech Village. I had never been there before, but I was in awe!

The next thing I knew, my friend and I went to get some snacks, and then she left me. She told me she would be back, but the program had started by then, and we were in two different groups. That was probably the best decision she could have made because it allowed me to engage with other entrepreneurs even when I had yet to discover I was one myself. Fast forward, we were all asked to pitch an idea, and I had never “pitched” before, but of course, I was the first to volunteer, and at that moment, I only said, “I think there should be an app that’s not like any other app out there that can help undergraduate students.” I got my fair share of claps; my idea was written on the wall- and no one supported it.

To grow, you must learn how to fail first.

I got grouped up with some other young ladies, all seniors, and was the only sophomore. They took me under their wing, and we won the competition. By this time, I had just decided to pray and apply to black ambition with as much research, ambition, and prayers as I could muster. I am proud that we placed as a 2023 Semi-finalist under the HBCU Track of Technology. Though we did not put as finalists, I learned that I couldn’t win everything. Still, any extra recognition and rewards we gain only contribute towards the finalization of helping our scholars succeed!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hello everyone! My name is Kamina Griffin; I am a junior Economics & Comparative Women’s Studies double major attending Spelman College in Jackson, Mississippi. I also am an aspiring Sports Agent. So, the tenacity surrounding students and our desire to succeed throughout our collegiate endeavors made me continue to pursue SECURE. Although I was finding new avenues, downfalls, and even confusion throughout my journey one way, this did not necessarily mean that others would not see the same struggles differently. As I gained more data and feedback, I realized that this problem has been around for so long that there are multiple solutions, but they all individually lack in one area: evolution. Education has changed more than ever, and since I have realized that, it has also made me realize that SECURE can consistently evolve with our approach.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was thinking that I knew it all. Coming into college at 18 years old, I felt as though I knew I would be a doctor. I knew I would get into x,y,&z honor societies and be this fantastic and well-rounded individual. But I can proudly say that none of this happened. I didn’t get into those honor societies; I stumbled and fell multiple times. Once I realized that I was the most significant person to my demise, my mindset was my biggest enemy. I had to do the unthinkable at the time and relearn myself and everything I thought I knew. Starting over was probably the best decision I have ever made and even still as I progress with SECURE, and into the next phase of my life I feel as though I know nothing because at the end of it all I feel as though I don’t. Because I am nowhere near the most intelligent person on earth. I am just Kamina Griffin.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I believe that the way I build my audience on social media is still developing. Social media is constantly changing from trends to colors to even my audience. I would say, though, that I look at my statistics and see the students I am reaching and those I want to get. Also, I do giveaways because we love free stuff, and you never know how $25 can help someone. I am learning to reach out and help others, so if I see any current trends, or maybe even a specific post layout that is doing better than others, for example, our scholarship postings, I will highlight those more, include them in our Linktree accounts and even ask questions in the comments to boost user interactions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thesecureapp.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/secureapp
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/secure-app/