'Superstar’: Alumna Caitlyn Kumi crafts digital media success

When Caitlyn Kumi pitched another one of her business ventures to her sister Morgan in May 2020, she never could have imagined the journey she would embark on. 

The two were in her room when Caitlyn brought up the idea of a brand focused around women’s empowerment. Morgan said she would help in any way she could to get the brand running. With her sister by her side, Caitlyn Kumi got to work and Miss EmpowHer was born. 

When Miss EmpowHer first launched, the company was mostly e-commerce based, selling waist-beads and clothing. It has since evolved into a digital media company that aims to help women feel confident and empowered through personal and professional development.

The idea for Miss EmpowHer came from Kumi’s own journey. She said when she started at UNC, she felt lost. If it weren’t for the women who took her under their wings, she said she wouldn’t have been able to get through it.

“I really wanted to cultivate a community that enabled other women to get those opportunities,” Kumi said.

While Miss EmpowHer still sells waist-beads, the company puts more emphasis on helping women boost their careers and personal lives by hosting curated events and posting engaging content, as well as recommending resources such as the Creator Method course and a book about navigating personal finance.

Kumi’s success can be measured in a number of ways, from being listed on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 – Marketing and Advertising, to strangers approaching her in the street to tell her what an impact her content has made on their lives, to the collaborations that Miss EmpowHer has done with brands such as Clinique, Poppi and Kendra Scott. 

Kumi, who graduated from UNC with a degree in advertising and public relations along with communication studies, mentioned how vital the Hussman School of Journalism and Media was in teaching her how to build her brand and giving her other tools that enabled her to launch before graduating.

Professor Gary Kayye, who taught Kumi in three classes, recalled her approaching him on the first day of class in Media and Journalism 577: The Branding of Me to ask if he’d be able to help her achieve her goals. Kayye went on to attribute Kumi’s success to her willingness to take risks and her passion for all that she does.

“I knew she was going to be a superstar,” Kayye said.

He said he kept in touch with her over the years and even he taught her sister Morgan last semester. 

Caitlyn Kumi said that her secret sauce is that Morgan is currently a Hussman student with a solid background in advertising and brand strategy. She reflected on how necessary it is to have a strong support system, saying that she owes everything to her sister.

Morgan Kumi described Miss EmpowHer as girlboss meets therapy, in that it’s a place where women can receive support and build confidence.

Former Miss EmpowHer intern Destiny Sanders said that her internship was the launch pad to her career, saying that if it weren’t for her time with the company, she would not be where she is today. Nora Elsayed, another former intern, wrote in a statement to The DTH that although Caitlyn Kumi had her own vision for Miss EmpowHer, she was always open to new ideas.

Kumi gave a few words of advice to students who are looking to get their own companies up and running, stressing the importance of understanding one’s target audience and saying that they shouldn’t be afraid to hold a beta launch.

She also said students should take advantage of the resources their respective universities have to offer, from funding to reaching out to peers who are also sources of untapped potential.

In the future, Kumi said that Miss EmpowHer aims to host more ambassador-led events on a national level and collaborate with new brand partners. 

@aminahijs

@dailytarheel | university@dailytarheel.com