I went down to the ASPIRE pop-up market at the Business Start-Up Journey Pitching Finals this week and bumped into our own psych student Jaden Akinyemi! Jaden runs their own business, creating beautifully intricate and hand-made crochet designs.
Jaden is a 2nd-year psychology student who has started their own business with the help of ASPIRE’s Business Start-Up Journey – a 15-week programme where students get a step-by-step guide to starting a business, ending in a chance to make a Dragon’s Den style pitch.
Jaden hand-makes everything, diligently crocheting their intricate designs for customers. They also take commissions! DM them -> @unravelgb
I had the chance to ask Jaden some Qs too:
Tell me a bit about yourself!
“I study psychology with a placement year, in my free time I really like to be creative and express myself so i do things like crochet (obviously lol), sew, embroider, make music and sing. Literally anyone who’s known me long enough would eventually hear me belting a song from a musical lol.
I also try and make myself go to at least one social event a week because from experience, and learning through psychology, it can be very easy to feel depressed during uni and begin to isolate yourself from others so I try and take some time when I can to go out with friends, even if that’s just to study or go to a party. I’m also the welfare officer of the lgbtq+ society and the vice president of the craft society, a member of the musical theatre societies acapella group and of the BSL society.”
Tell me about your business!
“So my business is called UnravelGB. I started teaching myself to crochet when I was 14 during lockdown and just kinda fell in love with it. Eventually I started learning other things like how to sew and embroider just out of interest, and found ways to incorporate those skills into my crocheting as well. I grew an affinity to making crochet clothing, cardigans were my favourite, so I just made a bunch based off of different things that inspired me.
I made a cardigan based off of an anime called ‘Demon Slayer’, a shirt based off of the ‘Barbie movie” (because there was a strict dress code to wear something pink to watch the movie) and a valentines day themed cardigan.
Everything I sell is handmade by me, from hats to bags to cardigans to dresses and the list goes on! I also take commissions, so if you had an idea for an outfit you really wanted for yourself or a loved one, or saw a crochet piece online you really liked, you could message me on Instagram and we could discuss ways to customise the piece so it’s perfect for you.”
What are your fav things to create?
“My fav thing to create is 100% cardigans. The first big project I finished that I was really proud of was a cardigan and I just love the little serotonin boost when I get to wear it out and people ask where I got my cardigan from and I get to tell them I made it haha. The cardigans basically just a canvas I can put whatever I want onto.
I also like making bags for the same reason, but with bags, you get to experiment a little more with things like shape and structure (for example my star-shaped bag). I can use so many different colours to add images to the crochet or just to add a little bit of vibrancy and uniqueness, I can play with textures by using different stiches, it can be as simple or extravagant as you want, there’s just so much versatility and it’s a perfect way to show off a persons individuality. I will say though, it’s probably one of the longest projects I do but so worth it to see the final product, honestly the hardest part is trying not to wear one of my cardigans every time I go out haha”
Was the ASPIRE fair your big debut for your business or have you done fairs before?
“Yes, the ASPIRE fair was my big debut! I only started UnravelGB back in October 2024, so this was my first time showing my business out in the world. Everything else I’ve done for UnravelGB, like my Instagram and Etsy shop, has been online. I was quite nervous and was doubting myself, thinking my products weren’t good enough to sell or that I was selling them for too much. But the ASPIRE fair taught me that it was quite the opposite! I got so many compliments on my work and even people who crochet themselves where impressed with what I’ve made, and people were shocked at the low prices too.
The fair really taught me not to underestimate or undervalue myself. I also got to see lots of the other business there and the amazing people behind them. It was great to see so much creativity and passion in one room and one of the other business owners even told me about a market in town too, so yes this was my first fair, but hopefully the first of many :)”
What made you apply to Kent?
“Well one reason I chose Kent was because it offered a BPS accredited course, which was really important to me as I aspire to become a clinical psychologist. And as I’m from London, Kent was the perfect location for me because it was far enough from home that I felt like I was really out in the world on my own, but close enough that I could easily come back home if the world ever became a little too scary haha.”
“Even though there are lots of unis in London, I wanted to be able to branch out in a new place and just have new experiences outside of my comfort zone.”
When you first started your Bachelor’s degree here, how were you feeling about going to university for the first time?
“I was a little nervous and excited for starting uni, kinda like when you’re on a rollercoaster. I was excited for all the new friends I’d make and new experiences I’d get to have. I thought uni would be the opportunity to become a new and improved version of myself who’d be more worldly and cultured, getting to meet people from other cultures and walks of life. But I was also a little worried from an academic perspective. Uni requires a lot more independent work, you kind of have to be your own teacher at times and work on self discipline, while also knowing when to reach out to others for help and advice, which is all a lot easier said than done.”
Fav thing about the course?
“Well so far, my favourite thing about the course has been the mental health topics. As an aspiring clinical psychologist, mental health closely links to the type of content I’ll need to be familiar with in the future and it just made me remember why I chose psychology in the first place.”
What are you hoping to do next? Anything in the works? (or any hopes/dreams for the future?)
“In terms of psychology, after my undergrad I’m hoping to get some work experience as an assistant psychologist or research assistant because work experience is really important to get into the DClinPsy. I know that because psychologists are all human, we tend to have biases that can seep into the work done with clients – so I want to get as much of a well-rounded experience as I can so I can make sure that in the future I can treat patients with the best care possible and avoid having any biases against people.
In terms of UnravelGB, I really just hope that the business continues to give me the opportunity to be creative. Like I said before, one of my hobbies is music, which I studied at GCSE, but ever since then I’ve been so focused on school that I haven’t made the time to do this thing I love, so I hope that UnravelGB will prevent that!
This might sound a little vein but I also hope to get more recognition for my work. I have a lot of unique designs that I think people would like and I want to be able to share them with as many people as possible.”
What advice would you give to your first-year self?
“I definitely wish my first-year self (and current self) was a little more self-disciplined – both so that I’d be able to finish my assignments on time/to a level I’m satisfied with, but also so that I’d have more time to do the things I enjoy. I think I’d also tell my first-year self not to put too much pressure on things.
I remember coming to uni thinking this is where my life really starts and I’ll make life long friends and connections within psychology that’ll help me decades from now and having once in a lifetime experiences. And yes, all those things would be amazing to have, but having such high expectations just made me judge myself when I was first settling in. So I wish I would’ve just taken things as they come and enjoy the little moments more.”
Oh and of course I couldn’t leave without buying the most adorable accessory for my headphones (which reminded me of the sprouts that New Adventurers get in Final Fantasy XIV).
