Today we’d like to introduce you to Keya Kellum.
Hi Keya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been someone who is curious, willing to take a chance, and not afraid to reinvent myself. Growing up in the Bay Area, I was surrounded by so many different cultures, perspectives, and communities from a young age, and I think that shaped the way I see the world and connect with people. I went on to attend Howard University, which was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My time at Howard really expanded my perspective, gave me a strong sense of community, and pushed me to think bigger about what I wanted for myself.
My career has really been shaped by curiosity, taking risks, and being willing to figure things out as I go. I started my career in sports, working with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which gave me an early foundation in marketing, partnerships, and the power of creating experiences that genuinely connect with people.
From there, I moved into cannabis marketing and ended up wearing a lot of hats. I helped open four dispensaries in four years, along with a cultivation and processing facility. I loved being involved in everything from the initial concept and construction to branding and the customer experience. Working in such a highly regulated and rapidly evolving industry taught me how to be resourceful, creative, and comfortable building things from the ground up.
Eventually, I found myself drawn back toward the intersection of culture, business, lifestyle, and storytelling. I moved to New York and started building my own platform alongside my professional career, sharing pieces of my life, interests, and experiences while figuring out what it means to build a personal brand that still feels authentic to me.
More recently, being part of Love Is Blind opened up an entirely new chapter. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me the opportunity to connect with people in a completely different way. Today, I’m continuing to build at that intersection through marketing, partnerships, content, and community, while figuring out what the next version of my career looks like. Brooklyn has become a really meaningful part of that chapter and a place where a lot of that exploration has happened.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. I don’t think anyone’s path really is, especially when you’re willing to take risks and make changes along the way. I’ve had moments where I felt very confident about what I was building and others where I had to completely rethink what was next for me.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to be comfortable with uncertainty. I’ve changed industries, moved across the country, built things from the ground up, and more recently stepped into a very public chapter of my life through Love Is Blind. Each transition came with its own set of challenges and moments where I questioned whether I was making the right decision.
I’ve also had to learn that success doesn’t always look like having everything figured out. Sometimes it looks like continuing to move forward when you don’t have a clear roadmap yet. I’m still very much in that process, but I’ve become much more comfortable trusting myself, staying open to new opportunities, and knowing that one chapter doesn’t have to define the next.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work has always lived at the intersection of marketing, culture, business, and storytelling. My background is primarily in marketing and brand building, with experience across sports, cannabis, entertainment, and lifestyle. I’ve always been drawn to work where I can take an idea and figure out how to turn it into something people actually want to experience and engage with.
I’ve worked in environments where I had to wear a lot of hats, from helping build businesses from the ground up to developing marketing strategies and creating experiences for customers and communities. More recently, I’ve been expanding that work through my own content and personal brand, particularly around lifestyle, beauty, fashion, sports, and culture.
What I’m most proud of is my ability to reinvent myself without losing the thread of who I am. I don’t necessarily fit into one box, and I think that’s part of what sets me apart. I’m equally comfortable talking strategy in a business meeting, building a brand from scratch, creating content, or connecting with people in a room. I think my ability to see both the big picture and the details, while still keeping the human side of things at the center, has been one of my biggest strengths.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always open to a good conversation and a great idea. I’ve been getting more into consulting and love finding ways to use my experience and skill set to help people and businesses bring their ideas to life. I’m always open to connecting, hearing about what others are working on, and seeing where there might be a natural fit.
You can find me on Instagram at **@lovelykeyab** or send me an email. I’m always down for a good conversation and you never know where a connection might lead.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelykeyab
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyakellum
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@keyatequila
