Princess Diana Award Winner Brings Business to the Arts

August 11, 2020

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Kyla Christie ‘22 is from Jakarta, Indonesia. She has been a singer her whole life, and at age 15, she started her own theater company aimed at making the arts industry more accessible for young people in Indonesia. From there, entrepreneurial Babson College was the perfect fit.

“I chose Babson because it’s a business and entrepreneurship-focused school, and I wanted to get into the business part of the industry. I want to become an arts industry trailblazer.”

Christie is a Weissman Scholar, and she’s pursuing a double concentration in Fine Arts and Entrepreneurship. She recently won the prestigious Princess Diana Award. The award was created to remember Princess Diana and her social services and altruism. It is for young people who are creating change in their communities or in the world.

“I was the only Diana Award winner from Asia, and I won for the work I do with my theater company—New Art Collective—particularly in the way it gives youth access to the performing arts industry in Indonesia,” she said.

Christie was also recognized for creating ‘Sing-to-Build’, a non-profit which used her voice to generate funds for communities affected by natural disasters, and founding ‘Global Youth Leaders’, an organization that gathered young inspirational speakers to share their expert opinions in 10 impactful industries with younger generations in Indonesia and globally.

Christie has also spoken in 2 TED talks, and represented Indonesia in the World Championships of Performing Arts, winning 7 awards including Champion of the World, 4 gold medals, and industry awards. She released her first EP in 2020 titled “Open Pages” available on all music streaming platforms.

“Being in an industry that’s not associated with business has made me realize how important business is to the growth of so many different industries.”
Kyla Christie ’22, Diana Award Winner

Christie employs a strong Instagram strategy, including events, media and TV, blog posts, tips, journaling, updates and promotions to keep fans engaged, informed, and entertained. And, she continues the work of New Art Collective, constantly upgrading and renewing her products and services by bringing innovative ideas and solutions to the performing arts space.

“We provide opportunities in multiple ways—students can audition for shows, they can perform, and we just opened up our internship program,” she said. “We also created New Art Chapters, where students can open up a performing arts club under our name—and many youths have done this in their schools already.”

Christie is focused on getting rid of that starving artist mindset and she realizes the importance of business and entrepreneurship in everything she does.

“Being in an industry that’s not associated with business has made me realize how important business is to the growth of so many different industries. And, the longevity of the arts really does depend on the people who understand entrepreneurship principles,” said Christie.

Small School. Big Opportunities.

Between classes, studies, and socializing, Christie also is making the most of her time—and resources—at Babson.

“I’m involved in multiple communities, the Babson Players, eTower, and I’m involved in BabsonARTS,” she said.

Christie also taps into the one-on-one faculty at Babson. “I think the professors at Babson are one of the biggest resources I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” she said.

Like many, Christie was drawn to Babson for its small size, among other reasons.

“We’re a small school, and I know everybody, and everybody is kind of like a friend. And, my favorite thing about Babson’s ecosystem is that everyone is kind of like family,” said Christie.

As she enters her senior year, Christie reflects back on one of her proudest moments.

“I had a chance to direct a play for Babson Players called “Absolutely Murder,” and I staged it in a really weird way where I put the audience on stage. It was really interesting and different, and there were so many challenges. It was one of the wildest experiences I’ve ever had in my life, but obviously one of the biggest learning experiences.”

“Babson gives me opportunities to really go outside of the classroom and do things that are really in tune with my career path,” she said.