Congratulations to Yusa, our newest Entrepreneur in Residence!
OneSpace is thrilled to welcome Yusa Masud, co-founder of Kasih Kit, to our Entrepreneur in Residence program. Yusa was the winner of Spring Activator’s Growth Challenge Female Founder Special Prize, sponsored by OneSpace. The goal of our Entrepreneur in Residence program is to provide business, mental health, and community support for female entrepreneurs who run socially impactful businesses. OneSpace Entrepreneur in Residence participants receive:
1 Year Business Membership to OneSpace.
40 hours per month to use our desk space and amenities
Social Impact Consulting Package
Event space rental
Yusa is the co-founder and creator of Kasih Kit, a research-based, mental health first-aid kit developed by a therapist that helps you manage stress and maintain wellness through a hands-on, guided approach.
Kasih is an Indonesian word meaning "care" or "to give."
Yusa’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Tell us about Yourself
My parents creatively named me "Sepyusa," because I was born in September in the USA. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Co-founder of Kasih Kit. We make mental health kits and tools. I grew up on the island of Java in Indonesia and came to Canada as a grad student but instantly fell in love with the nature and people (including my partner and co-founder Jonathan).
What made you want to start Kasih Kit?
I've personally struggled on and off with clinical depression. As hard as dealing with depression is, the stigma around it makes this much more difficult. While people generally have good intentions, they often lack the tools and language to talk about and care for mental health, which can make struggling people reluctant to reach out.
Fortunately, being a therapist, I've also had the privilege of being surrounded by friends who are also in the mental health field with whom talking about and caring for mental health is normal. But wouldn’t it be great if everyone has the language, tools, and skills? Afterall, mental health is health.
When the pandemic hit and people's mental health began to deteriorate, I saw an urgent need for affordable, accessible, and hands-on mental health tools.
So, in 2020 I started creating mental health kits based on my clinical and personal experience and calling it Kasih Kit. Kasih means "care" or "to give" in my native language Indonesian. And in 2021 we officially launched our e-commerce business.
What are the biggest challenges you've faced in building your business?
Dealing with uncertainties, making decisions, and taking calculated risks based on limited knowledge. When you're building a business---especially in an unfamiliar industry---there are so many things you don't know. When you finally think you know, things then suddenly change, bringing you back to not knowing. The journey has definitely been a roller coaster of experience and emotions.
I'm currently trying to be more patient, courageous, and curious in my work. To me, patience means understanding that things take time and that pacing oneself is important; courage means showing up is a daily practice; and curiosity means finding joy in learning. So far, this hasn't been easy, but I think it's a worthy pursuit.
Any advice for other female entrepreneurs?
Remember that you are a person of multitudes: your business is only one part of your life. I know entrepreneurs put so much of their heart and soul into their businesses, but this can make us over-identify with our work, leading us to believe that we are failures when things fail. It's important to remember that we're so much more than our businesses. We're amazing, living, breathing, multifaceted creatures. Remembering this makes the hard times easier to get through and bounce back.
I also think it's important to remind each other of this, because it's so easy to lose perspective amid the daily chaos of running a business.
How can people support you and Kasih Kit?
Visit our store at www.kasih.ca, follow us on Instagram (@kasih.kit), and tell your friends and family about us!
You can also connect with me at yusa@kasih.ca if you’re interested in a chat!