Health and physical education alumna Katie Craven ’13 connects people across the U.S. with jewelry. She does this through her brand, Chainyana Jewelry.
About a year ago, she was diagnosed with OCD.
“OCD is often used as an adjective to describe someone who’s really organized or a germaphobe or something like that, which is not what OCD is at all,” she said.
Craven primarily works as a resident engagement director at a retirement community, but she wanted a creative outlet. She joined a support group for those with OCD, which is where the idea for Chainyana first took root.
“A common word acronym that was used was YANA, which stands for you are not alone. People can feel very alone in whatever struggles they’re going through, whether it’s mental health, or a sickness or a breakup, really anything. I wanted to create a way to make people feel more connected to each other. The concept of Chainyana came out of that,” she said.
Chainyana bracelet has the geographical coordinates of the person who purchased the bracelet before them. If you purchase a bracelet, then the next person who purchases one will have your coordinates on their bracelet, creating a “chain” of people with bracelets. Customers also can choose a colored bead in the bracelet design to represent what a person is struggling with--teal for anxiety, purple for Alzheimer’s, etc.
“It’s nice to know that when you look down at your wrist, you’re supporting or sending good vibes or thinking about somebody else while also knowing you’re a part of a chain of something bigger than yourself,” she said.
Craven didn’t plan on becoming an entrepreneur.
“It really does feel like a God thing because I didn’t sit down and think ‘okay, let me create a business out of this.’ Every part of it just unfolded. I designed a bracelet, and thought ‘let me try to improve this bracelet and make it better,’ and every time I tried to improve it I liked the initial idea more. I never planned on creating a business, but once I thought of the idea I thought it would be a really good way to connect people.”
So much of her life has been about connections, including her ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ experience. Her time on the track team led her to form close connections with her teammates.
“I’m still friends with people on the track team. I was just back at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ for Homecoming, and I met up with some of my track friends at the alumni row class reunion. Continuing to have those friends and that support from college is nice. It’s comforting to still have those people in my life today,” she said.
Craven has loved watching the impact Chainyana has had.
“When I first launched [Chainyana] I put it in a couple of Facebook groups that I’m in for people with OCD,” she said. “One woman posted in the group, ‘My bracelet came today!’ and other people see it and go, ‘That’s really cool!’ It’s really nice because it’s a concept that, from my research, hasn’t really been done before, not exactly the way I’m doing it. I’ve had people in Washington and Virginia and North Dakota and all across the country purchase a Chainyana bracelet. It’s a chain, and it’s fun to see where the chain connects.”
— Samantha Neal ’24