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

Hi Kierstyn, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my business, Keek Kinis, really started long before I officially launched it. You could trace it all the way back to 2015. I was a teenage girl on what felt like an endless hunt for the perfect bikini. I wanted something flattering, supportive, good quality, and actually stylish, which surprisingly, was really hard to find. Every bikini I tried on was missing something. Either the fit wasn’t right, the quality felt cheap, or the style just didn’t make me feel confident.

At the same time, I was developing this deep love for the water. I grew up around the lakes in Michigan, and I became really passionate about marine life, the ocean, recycling, and sustainability. Anything beachy or tropical had my heart. So those two things, frustration with swimwear and love for the water, started to connect in my mind.

What started as a typical teenage shopping frustration slowly turned into a bigger idea: What if I created the bikinis I wished existed?

The idea stayed with me for years while I grew up, went to college, and figured out my path. But the more I paid attention to the fashion industry, the more I realized there was a real opportunity. A lot of swimwear brands were either focused purely on trends or purely on sustainability, but rarely both. I wanted to create something that felt timeless, flattering, and high quality while also being conscious of the planet.

I’ve also always known that if I started a business, I wanted it to do something good. I didn’t want it to be just about creating clothes, I wanted it to have a purpose behind it. Swimwear is something people wear in the places they care about most, lakes, beaches, and oceans, yet so much of it is made from materials that harm those environments. That disconnect didn’t sit right with me.

So in 2024, I officially founded Keek Kinis in my home state of Michigan with the goal of creating swimwear that helps people feel confident while also being kinder to the planet.

One of the developments I’m most excited about this year is that 3% of every sale is donated to the Surfrider Foundation, an organization that works to protect and restore our oceans, waves, and beaches. Their work also makes a direct impact on the Great Lakes, which are such a big part of my story and inspiration behind the brand.

Kierstyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Kierstyn, also known as Keek! I’m the founder of Keek Kinis, a sustainable swimwear brand. I create bikinis that are flattering, high-quality, and made with the planet in mind.

What sets us apart is that we focus on fit, style, and sustainability, and 3% of every sale goes to the Surfrider Foundation to help protect our lakes and oceans. I’m most proud of building a brand that helps people feel confident while also making a positive impact on the planet.

At the heart of Keek Kinis, it’s all about confidence, conscious fashion, and community.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building my audience on social media has really been about community and staying active. I make it a point to respond to every follower message I can, interact with other small businesses, and keep my content consistent and engaging. I’m also chronically online, so I stay on top of trends and think creatively about how to tie my brand into anything fun, viral, or silly.

It’s worked really well, my most popular TikTok video has almost 100k views and counting! My advice for anyone starting out is simple: engage with your community, stay consistent, and don’t be afraid to have fun with trends. Social media is about connection first, promotion second.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

You hear a lot of stories about businesses starting with investors, but that wasn’t my reality. To launch Keek Kinis, I fully invested my own money. After college, I worked full-time for two years while living at home, using that time to carefully plan my business and save up enough to fund my initial product launch.

I was lucky to have a network of talented people willing to support me, from videography students to local photographers, and I even made promotional deals with shoot locations. You’d be surprised how many creatives are excited to collaborate and lift each other up. Having a background in marketing, along with a long-time passion for content creation, made promotion feel natural, and that helped me get my brand out into the world without outside funding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://keekkinis.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keekkinis/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@keekkinis

Image Credits

Erin McConnell