By Lauren LaTulippe
UNC junior Aiyana Woldu used quarantine in 2020 to fulfill her life-long dream of being her own boss. After being sent home from the university during her first year, she got to work, and Tsanai Tingz was born.
Tsanai Tingz sells handmade, resin-based home decor. Woldu had always been obsessed with home decor, but she hadn’t found anything out there that she felt was youthful yet chic. So, she decided to create it herself.
Woldu comes from a family of makers and has always looked for outlets to express her creativity. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit since she was young, she used to have her mom purchase brownie supplies for her and sell the finished products back to her family.
During quarantine, Woldu stumbled upon videos of resin and acrylic art and decided to try it out. Using YouTube videos, she taught herself how to do it. She knew whatever she ended up creating, whether it was perfect or not, she would start selling it on Etsy.
“Soon enough, Tsanai Tingz was created and my inner business woman and creative came alive,” Woldu said. “My goal of having my own business had come true.”
The process of creating and designing products for Tsanai Tingz provided Woldu a much-needed stress reliever. Her favorite part of the process is when she is able to put her headphones in, listen to music and tune out her thoughts. This allows her creativity to shine through as she produces her designs.
“Less is better,” said Woldu, talking about her philosophy on design. “I want it to be elegant, chic and simple.”
As of now, Tsanai Tingz sells trinket boxes, trinket trays, and coasters. Woldu also has vanity trays in the works. Her goal in the future is to add office supplies to the mix, selling agendas, calendars, and other stationery.
Woldu has big dreams for Tsanai Tingz. “I want it to be a major corporation and a household name,” she said.
While working to turn her start-up into a major company, Tsanai Tingz is opening other doors for Woldu at UNC-Chapel Hill. She became an E-Ship Scholar, which entailed receiving a fellowship of $5,000 to be used towards her venture and being paired with a mentor to help her along the way. It also led her to her internship with Sani Designs, a company co-founded by UNC alum Niki Shamdasani.
Woldu is looking forward to where Tsanai Tingz is going to take her in the future. You can support Woldu and her dreams by purchasing her products here. Follow along with Tsanai Tingz here.
