Meet Dr. Kristeen Onyirioha, MD
Co-Founder of KREED
For every problem I face, I move forward knowing that I will find a solution.- Dr. Kristeen Onyirioha, MD
The Doc behind the sewing machine. Kristeen Onyirioha, M.D. co-founded KREED during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of a global shortage of personal protective equipment. The company’s goal was to design scrub hats that would provide full coverage for all volumes and lengths of hair. As a healthcare provider, Kristeen understood firsthand exactly what healthcare providers needed and wanted in their scrub hats. She designed and sewed the very first KREED scrub hats, and since KREED has sold over 1000 units. Kristeen serves as the creative mind and creative director from KREED.
Now if we can, I’d like to go way back for a little while. Where did you grow up? What was it like to grow up in Houston, Texas?
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas to Nigerian immigrants. I was the fourth child of five and always found it difficult to find my place in a home filled with many different personalities. Growing up my parents worked many odd jobs to provide for us. I was never aware of how little we had then because I had my sisters and brother to keep me preoccupied. My mother pushed her way through nursing school, and my father started a home health company from the ground up while raising five young children. It was many years of watching their drive, determination, and diligence that instilled in me the importance of following through with my goals and aspirations no matter the obstacles that stood in my way. I grew up a very curious child and wanted to try everything, and my parents allowed it. In elementary, I was a gymnast, cheerleader, and violinist. In middle school I wanted to become an athlete, so I joined the basketball team, track team, and volleyball team. I enjoyed listening to my mother’s jazz music so decided I wanted to be a saxophonist. In high school I continued playing sports and was offered a basketball scholarship to play in college. I decided my focus would be on my academics, so I turned the offer down and attended the University of Texas at Austin.
What inspired your entrepreneurial journey or event?
During the height of the COVID pandemic, I was inspired to create scrub hats to assist with the global shortage of personal protective equipment. I wanted to create an avenue for my fellow colleagues to be able to express themselves in a unique way since masks had made it difficult for us to connect with our patients. I was inspired by the dedication and resilience of healthcare workers during a time where the healthcare system was overwhelmed. I wanted to create a product that would give healthcare workers a sense of pride and security every time they put on a KREED scrub hat.
Tell me about what problem your business solves?
Most scrub hats currently in the market only offered generic patterns and scrub hats that never seemed to fit properly, especially for those who have long, voluminous hair. KREED provided scrub hats for all volumes and lengths of hair, as well as unique patterns that tell their own story distinct to the individual that wears it. KREED scrub hats' most unique feature includes the satin interior lining that helps to protect the hair underneath it. KREEDs patterns are all limited edition, so there will only be a few people in the world that would share the same pattern of scrub hat. It allows for our customers to attain a unique individuality many seek.
What do you define as failure?
Failure to me is allowing negativity, fear, and uncertainty to prevent you from carrying out your goals. As a young child, my father thought me that a failure is only an option if you allow it to be. He showed me that no matter how futile or overwhelming a problem may seem, there is always a solution. I have governed my entire life based on this ideology. For every problem I face, I move forward knowing that I will find a solution. It is this very way of thinking that has allowed me to succeed through one of the most arduous life journeys of becoming a physician. What others see as a failure I see as an opportunity with poor timing. Sooner or later my timing will be perfect.
What hurdles did you personally face and how did you overcome them?
Being a small business owner while in residency comes with its challenges. I struggled with meeting demand given my limited amount of time, and I contemplated whether I was in over my head. I spent the majority of my young adult life engulfed in medicine and never developed business acumen. As I was training to become a well-rounded doctor, I was also learning for the first time the intricacies of being a small business owner. However, my ability to communicate effectively, manage time wisely, think critically, analyze data, and solve difficult problems allowed me to successfully fulfill my responsibilities as a resident while running a new small business. I reached out to everyone I knew who had a better understanding of how businesses worked. I was not afraid of admitting my shortcomings and asking for help. I spent nights after long days at work watching videos and reading articles until I had a better understanding of the path I wanted to pursue. Failure was never an option, so I searched for help and answers from any avenue I believed could provide me them.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship?
I have always had creative ideas, but never thought to market them. During the conception of KREED, I was persuaded to put my creation in the market by my boyfriend. He saw the potential and the impact my scrub hats could have on healthcare and convinced me to share my vision with the world. Creating and designing scrubs hats and medical apparel has served as an avenue for me to separate myself from the stressors of work and reset.
What would you say is your most driving motivation to keep doing what you to do?
My most driving motivation to keep doing what I am doing is the confidence I have that my creative ideas and designs will impact the medical community. I am always inspired to continue to create when customers and friends reveal to me how much they love their scrub hats. I think the biggest motivating experience I had this year was walking into the hospital for a 28-hour call shift while another healthcare worker walked out with one of the very first scrub hats I sewed with my very hands. It was as if God was telling me, “Sis, this is only the beginning!”
What are you most excited or passionate about? (In both business and life or both)
In life I am most passionate about GOD, my family and my friends. I love what I do as a physician and am continuously empowered to further my knowledge of medicine. Although the journey in becoming a doctor has been the most difficult experience in my life, I would not change the decision I made to dedicate my life to service. Medicine has opened so many doors of opportunity, including the creation of KREED. Without the impact of medicine in my life, there would be no KREED. I get my inspiration for KREED during my time on the job as a doctor.
What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your business? What are the goals that you hold personally?
My short-term goal for KREED is to continue to provide creative products that meet the needs of healthcare workers. My long-term goal for KREED is to become a reputable medical apparel company that specializes in creating unique, fashionable, and comfortable medical-ware fitting for all essential workers in healthcare. I want KREED to be the NIKE of medical apparel. And for me, it is not a question of if KREED will reach this goal, but a matter of when. As a doctor I understand the significance of patience and the value of perseverance.
