For many entrepreneurs, a business begins with identifying a market opportunity. For Kasiya Wells, it began with a desire to help people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
A graduate of mortuary school and alumna of the Fall 2025 Future Founders Apprenticeship Program, powered by the Chicago Housing Authority, Kasiya is building a custom tumbler and mug business that specializes in memorial products for families grieving the loss of loved ones and pets. Her creations feature personalized designs that help preserve memories, offering families a tangible way to keep those they have lost close to them in their everyday lives.
The business sits at the intersection of two passions: entrepreneurship and service. While her training prepared her to support families through funeral services and the care of the deceased, Kasiya saw an opportunity to extend that support beyond the funeral itself.
“What I’m building is a custom tumbler and mug business that specializes in memorabilia for lost loved ones and pets,” she said. “This allows me to not only help with services and the preparation of the deceased, but to also help memorialize, which is so important for families.”
For Kasiya, memorialization is not simply about creating a product. It is about helping people navigate grief in a way that feels meaningful to them. Every design represents a story, a relationship, and a life that mattered. In a profession often focused on helping families through immediate loss, her business creates an opportunity to provide comfort long after services have ended.
The moment she realized the business could become something bigger came not from a sales milestone or a financial achievement, but from witnessing the reactions of the people receiving her work. As families opened their custom tumblers and mugs for the first time, Kasiya watched them see their loved one’s photo, name, or memory transformed into something they could carry with them every day. The emotional impact was immediate and undeniable.
She recalls seeing customers smile through their grief, finding moments of comfort in a personalized item that allowed them to feel connected to someone they had lost. Those reactions confirmed that she was creating something people genuinely needed.
“It’s just an amazing experience to be able to put smiles on family and friends’ faces that are going through so much,” she said. “Even if it’s just for a moment, you can make them happy.”
That realization became a turning point. While entrepreneurship often focuses on solving practical problems, Kasiya’s business addresses an emotional need that touches every person at some point in life. Grief is universal, but the ways people choose to remember and honor loved ones are deeply personal.
That understanding has shaped the way she approaches her business.
One of the biggest misconceptions she sees within the memorialization space is the assumption that there is a single “right” way to grieve. In reality, every family experiences loss differently, and every individual seeks comfort in their own way. “Not everybody has to memorialize in the same way,” Kasiya explained. “Everybody’s looking for different ways to memorialize because grief and bereavement is the one thing that every single human being has to go through.”
Because loss is universal, she believes families should have access to a variety of meaningful options that reflect their unique relationships and experiences. Some people find comfort in traditional ceremonies and keepsakes. Others want something more personal, practical, or integrated into their daily lives. A customized tumbler or mug may seem simple, but for many customers it becomes a daily reminder of a loved one and a source of comfort during difficult times.
This perspective has helped Kasiya define her mission beyond simply creating products. Her goal is to make memorialization more accessible and more personal, giving families options that resonate with them rather than expecting everyone to grieve in the same way.
Like any entrepreneurial journey, however, the path has not been without setbacks.
One of the toughest moments Kasiya has faced came shortly after experiencing a major success. After winning the Future Founders pitch competition, she entered another pitch competition with confidence. Having received enthusiastic feedback from previous judges and audiences, she expected a similar response.
Instead, the experience was quite different.
None of the judges connected with her idea.
“It stunk, of course,” she said. “Especially after coming off of winning the Future Founders pitch competition and everybody loving it.”
For many early-stage founders, negative feedback can feel deeply personal. When entrepreneurs spend months or years building something they care about, criticism can create doubts about whether they are on the right path. Kasiya admits it was difficult to hear, but she chose not to let the experience define her.
Rather than becoming discouraged, she thanked the judges for their time and reminded herself of an important truth: one person’s opinion does not represent the entire market.
“Even if they don’t like it, that doesn’t mean nobody likes it,” she said.
Her mindset was validated almost immediately. Following the event, attendees approached her with interest in her business. Some wanted to place orders. Others wanted to connect and learn more about what she was building. What initially felt like a disappointment ultimately became a valuable networking opportunity and a reminder that entrepreneurial success is rarely determined by a single conversation or competition.
The experience reinforced a lesson that many founders eventually learn: feedback is important, but it should be evaluated within the broader context of customer demand and market validation. Not every investor, judge, mentor, or customer will understand a vision. The key is remaining open to learning while maintaining confidence in the problem being solved.
That resilience has been strengthened by another important part of Kasiya’s journey: community.
Since participating in the Future Founders Apprenticeship Program, she has remained actively connected to other entrepreneurs and alumni. Those relationships have given her access to a support system that understands the realities of building a business.
Entrepreneurship can be isolating. Friends and family members may be supportive, but they often do not fully understand the challenges of managing uncertainty, handling rejection, balancing responsibilities, and staying motivated when progress feels slow. Fellow founders, however, have lived those experiences themselves.
For Kasiya, having access to that network has provided both encouragement and perspective.
When she feels stuck or discouraged, she can turn to other entrepreneurs to learn how they navigate similar challenges. Those conversations not only provide practical advice but also serve as a reminder that setbacks are a normal part of the process.
“It’s given me a bigger outlook into what’s possible,” she said. “And that you’re not the only one. There’s other people out here that’s putting the same thing on the line as you are.”
That sense of shared experience has become one of the most valuable aspects of her entrepreneurial journey. Knowing that others are facing similar obstacles—and continuing to move forward—provides motivation to do the same.
Today, Kasiya continues to grow her memorial products business while building her career in the funeral profession. Her work is driven by a simple but powerful belief: people deserve meaningful ways to honor those they have lost.
In a world where grief touches every family, she is creating products that offer comfort, preserve memories, and help people carry their loved ones with them each day. Her journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship is not always about creating the next disruptive technology or chasing the largest market opportunity. Sometimes it is about identifying a deeply human need and finding a thoughtful way to serve it.
For Kasiya, that mission has become both her business and her purpose.
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