For Kaija Campbell, the journey to entrepreneurship has been anything but conventional. Originally from Westchester, New York, she spent five years in Spain before relocating to Singapore, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology.
Her introduction to SMU was equally serendipitous. “I first came across SMU during a short trip to Singapore in 2023 and later discovered the MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEI) programme while researching graduate options,” Kaija recalls. At the time, she leaned on Chinese student forums on 小红书 (RedNote) for information — a platform she had originally downloaded in an attempt to learn Mandarin. With guidance from SMU’s admissions team, she quickly realized that MEI could give her the structured knowledge and confidence she needed to launch her own venture.
What MEI Taught Kaija Entrepreneurship
Kaija thrived in design thinking and marketing courses, which aligned naturally with her creative strengths. Finance, however, proved to be her steepest learning curve.
“It taught me that caring about the ‘dollar’ isn’t just about measuring value,” she explains. “It’s a vessel for strategy, priorities, and trade-offs in business.”
Beyond academics, Kaija found the MEI community invaluable. Diverse in backgrounds and perspectives, her peers challenged her to think differently about innovation and entrepreneurship. While she doesn’t see everyone often, she stays connected with several classmates, drawing support and inspiration from their shared entrepreneurial drive.
“This programme gave me both practical tools and the confidence to build out ideas in a structured way,” she reflects. “I hope to see even more diversity in the programme as it grows — students like me who venture far from home to make their ideas reality.”
The MEI community is diverse and full of people with very different backgrounds, which makes the conversations and perspectives valuable. Kaija stays in close contact with a couple of classmates. While she doesn’t see everyone regularly, there is a strong sense of mutual support as they all have the entrepreneurial spirit.
“My learning experience challenged me to think differently about innovation and entrepreneurship.
This programme gave me both practical tools and the confidence to build out ideas in a structured way. I hope to see even more diversity in the programme as it grows, and students like me who venture far from home to make their ideas reality.”
Kaija’s Entrepreneurship Journey - From Vision to Venture: The Birth of Moth Hue
Kaija’s entrepreneurial journey took shape with Moth Hue, a community-first professional networking platform for artists and creatives.
The idea grew out of her own experiences navigating the creative sector, watching peers face barriers, and seeing how narrow the paths were even for those who had “made it.”
Over time, Moth Hue has gone through multiple evolutions — from a creative agency to a matchmaking platform, to a hybrid of both. Yet the mission has always remained the same: to build an ecosystem that supports creatives across disciplines.
“As a first-time founder, the challenges have been constant — from questioning whether I made the right choice, to struggling with structure, to figuring out how to keep momentum,” Kaija reflects. “I overcame many of these hurdles with the support of my network, by letting go of insecurities, and by staying committed to the larger vision.”
Today, Moth Hue is preparing for its official launch and pre-seed funding round.
Words of Advice
Kaija’s journey is proof that building something meaningful requires courage, resilience, and a willingness to step into the unknown.
“Remember that every choice for your future has more than one side,” she shares. “An education doesn’t define you, nor does it place you above anyone. But how you use it to serve your goals can set you apart. Personally, I’m still terrified most days, but I take the advice of ‘do it anyway’ seriously.”
Discover how you could take the first step to think differently and gear towards your entrepreneurship journey here.
