Khamila "Kitty" Barnes, Penn State Abington Class of 2011, attended a preview of a workshop for women entrepreneurs at the campus Continuing Education office.
ABINGTON, Pa. — Khamila “Kitty” Barnes graduated from Penn State Abington in 2011 with a degree in integrative arts, which provides a solid foundation for many career paths especially those that are creative, innovative and entrepreneurial.
But after becoming a mom her senior year in high school and as the first in her family to graduate from college, Barnes chose the safe path including six years at Comcast Business where she was consistently promoted.
It all made sense, she said. Until it didn’t.
“I thought corporate was the path to security, but my life was unbalanced, and I really struggled to fit in,” she said.
Barnes has had a lifelong affinity for entertaining and the culinary arts and combined with her outgoing personality, it led her to obtain a mixology certificate while working in the corporate world. It led to sporadic side jobs, but she didn’t have enough experience for upscale restaurants and event spaces to hire her.
Barnes started monetizing her mixology skills by hosting Zoom happy hours during the pandemic, but she quickly grew frustrated.
“My husband encouraged me to start my own business so on Nov. 6, 2021, I filed for my business license and left corporate life. I wanted to make people laugh and introduce them to new drinks,” she said.
Barnes — who dubbed her business Kitty on Top — moved quickly. Her custom drinks and carefully concocted homemade syrups attract well-known corporate and nonprofit clients who count on her to take their events and team building activities to the next level. For private customers, her work contributes to memorable weddings and birthdays, and she teaches the craft of cocktail- and mocktail-making to small groups.
Her staff of seven supports her at about 14 events per month. She makes her own simple syrups, which she describes as “a strenuous process. It takes a full day per batch so there’s no cross contamination.”
Almost three years since Barnes started Kitty on Top and despite a hefty dose of media coverage in the Philadelphia region, she admits that entrepreneurship is still scary.
“I’m growing my business through a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I have to remind myself almost every day that ‘You’ve done this before’ — if I don’t reach out to potential clients, it won't change anything about my business,” she said.
More than a decade after graduating from Abington, Barnes returns to campus to share the lessons she’s learned through the Student Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and at Penn State Day, an annual open house for prospective students.
“I want them to know that college is super essential even if you make a career change later in life. It's also important to be involved on campus because it helps you find your identity. Why not start college by meeting people from many different backgrounds? When I got to Abington, I was like, ‘Let’s go!’ ” she said.
Barnes, who chose Abington because it was close to home and her aunt was an alumna, was one of the founders of the campus dance team. She realizes today that her passion for art, English, writing, psychology and especially theater classes at Abington support her work as a mixologist and businesswoman.
“I am an accidental entrepreneur, for sure,” she said.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With more than 3,100 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 25 majors, accelerated master's degrees, undergraduate research, the Schreyer Honors College, NCAA Division III athletics and more.
