Growing up in Oakland, Calif., Kaitlynn Hong watched her mother balance her career as an accountant with her passion for painting. So when she arrived in New York to intern at Mastercard in 2019, she already had a template for working a day job while maintaining her side hustle as a makeup artist.
“I’m deeply passionate about it; it’s my art form,” she said, knowing how many creative people can struggle to monetize their passion, then end up producing work they don’t love. “It can drag you down to have to depend on it for income.”
Hong, who’s part of the Web3 marketing initiatives team at Mastercard, has been surrounded by artists her whole life. A childhood friend’s father was in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band, and she grew up playing piano and singing. When Hong was still in elementary school, she and some musical friends formed a band called The Bay Area Girls, who even played an opening gig for singer Kehlani.
Her artistic focus shifted to makeup in middle school, when YouTube became big—and along with it, beauty influencers such as Michelle Phan. Later at Tufts University, she discovered a community of artists and photographers and began sharing her work on Instagram, which is where she’s found most of her clients such as Milk Makeup and Rare Beauty.
Hong has worked on music videos, fashion shows and editorial shoots, planning her looks on an iPad in the evenings and working gigs mostly on the weekends. “I’m grateful for the flexibility I have at work and being able to balance both career paths,” she added.
Having a passion and finding a community that shares it also made moving to New York after graduation easier. “It’s a great way to meet people,” she said. “It’s a great way to meet people,” she said.
But where does a career in the financial sector come in? While majoring in computer science and taking coding classes in college, Hong met many people who were interested in both art and science. “It’s really cool what you can do when you have knowledge of both areas,” she added. Marketing puts her in front of people, while her analytical mind works on emerging technology.
Hong also aims to bridge the gap between creators and technology with the Mastercard Artist Accelerator. Launched in April 2023, the initiative promoted five up-and-coming artists through producing AI-enhanced singles, which were released as NFTs, and teaching them Web3 skills to stand out in the crowded digital space.
The accelerator grew out of Hong’s pitch during an internal innovation challenge. “I was thinking a lot about uplifting the diverse creator economy, how technology and decentralization can help artists,” she explained. “Mastercard is already deeply involved with music, so this program is specifically focused on emerging creators.”
And for other creative people considering a career in a seemingly analytical field, Hong said don’t be intimidated.
“Your community is your resource,” she said. “Meeting people and networking is how you learn the most about new areas that you might be daunted in, especially with tech. I was never really considering myself to be someone who goes into the tech or finance field, but … there is definitely a world where you can marry those two things.”
This story first appeared in the Jan. 30, 2024, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
