We recently had the chance to connect with Sauywanna Davis and have shared our conversation below.
Sauywanna, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Working in the backyard garden that my mom and I started three years ago has been bringing me a lot of joy lately. We began by planting directly in the ground, and last year, we transformed it into six raised beds that my mom could watch from her bedroom window. She wasn’t feeling well at the time, so she enjoyed seeing her family work together in the garden. My mother passed away on July 1, 2024, and now I continue gardening in her memory. Since then, I’ve added six more raised beds and tarped the area to mulch, creating a beautiful, peaceful landscape. This year’s harvest has been amazing — I grew plenty of cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, five varieties of lettuce, five types of kale, and four different kinds of watermelons: yellow petite, orange tendersweet, sugar babies, and jubilees. Three years ago, our first watermelon weighed 31.4 pounds — just one made it that season. This year, I had about eighteen watermelons, with five that fully matured. The garden has become a space of reflection, healing, and joy — a way to stay connected to my mom and continue the legacy we started together.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sauywanna Davis, and I am the proud COO and Operations Manager of Keychain Karnival LLC, a mother-and-son Math STEM and Art Inclusion program that began as a small classroom project and grew into a 15-year legacy of impact, creativity, and community.
What makes Keychain Karnival unique is how we teach — we use art as a bridge to understanding math, turning beads, keychains, and design into hands-on learning tools that build confidence, curiosity, and joy. What began at my teaching desk has grown into a family-led mission that engages youth, parents, and communities across generations.
This summer, Keychain Karnival proudly served nine sites — seven of which were St. Louis Recreation Centers, along with our second year serving the St. Louis Library and our fourth year partnering with Better Family Life. Through these collaborations, we continue to make learning math exciting, accessible, and empowering for students of all ages.
We’re also celebrating a major milestone — our 15th Year Anniversary on December 10th, a moment that honors years of perseverance, faith, and family legacy. To expand our impact, we’ve launched our non-profit organization (Keychain Karnival Organization – Connecting Hands, Hearts and Minds), now one year which focuses on creating opportunities that unite art, math, and community engagement.
Our next chapter is global: we’re pursuing an amazing opportunity to take our Math STEM Program to Ghana, serving two schools and forty students from December 15th through January 3rd. This initiative will give children the chance to experience math through art, creativity, and cultural exchange — planting seeds of confidence and discovery that can change lives.
As we raise funds to make this dream a reality, we welcome anyone who believes in education, creativity, and global empowerment to join us at: https://gofund.me/024d46cdf . Every donation, every act of support, helps us continue this mission — proving that learning can be fun, family-centered, and transformational no matter where you are in the world.
Keychain Karnival isn’t just about math — it’s about love, legacy, and learning that lasts a lifetime.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Without a doubt, my mother taught me everything I know about work — not just the act of working, but the heart behind it. She was my first example of discipline, grace, and unstoppable drive. As a single mom and first-generation entrepreneur, she built her life from her own two hands. My mother was a self-made cosmetologist, barber, and beautician, whose gift became the heartbeat of our neighborhood.
I remember Saturdays vividly — the sound of laughter, the hum of hair dryers, and the constant rhythm of women coming and going. Once the mothers in our community learned about my mom’s talent, they stopped doing their daughters’ hair and started sending them to her. What began as a small passion quickly became a full-blown business built on word-of-mouth, love, and trust. Her hands didn’t just style hair — they built confidence and community.
When I reached high school, she transitioned into a new chapter, driving for Bi-State Transportation for 11 years before joining Greyhound. But even behind the wheel, she never stopped creating. My mother was a Jack of all trades — she could fix brakes, alternators, and oil leaks with her father’s guidance. She was a self-taught seamstress, crafting clothes, designing purses, and making jewelry she learned from her sister. Every skill she picked up turned into another stream of income, another example of how faith and determination can make something out of nothing.
I didn’t just watch her work — I absorbed her strength. During college, I worked two or three jobs at a time because it was ingrained in me to never give up. Even now, 15 years into entrepreneurship, I still carry that same grit.
And now, I see her reflection in my son, Kaionta Dabney. He, too, works two to three jobs during his college breaks — not because I told him to, but because he’s seen it lived. Three generations of resilience, creativity, and faith.
My mother’s legacy wasn’t just about working hard — it was about working with purpose. She showed me that your hands can build more than a living — they can build a legacy. And every time I create, teach, or lead, I feel her presence guiding me, reminding me that work, when done with love, becomes something sacred.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, there were many times I almost gave up. Balancing a full-time 9-to-5 job, raising my son, caring for my mother, and still trying to find time to build my dream often felt impossible. There were days I questioned whether I had the strength to keep going — but my faith, my son, and the legacy of my mother kept me anchored.
Since my son Kaionta was the face of Keychain Karnival as a child, there came a point when the pressure became too heavy for him. He just wanted to be a kid. I had to step back, breathe, and remind myself that our journey was never meant to rush. During his school breaks, we worked slowly, steadily — learning, growing, and continuing our business one bead at a time.
When we finally legalized Keychain Karnival, the pandemic hit. It felt like the world stopped — and with it, our momentum. I remember hosting workshops, promoting events, pouring our hearts into every flyer and post — yet no one signed up. It was discouraging. We had five back-to-back cancellations. Still, I refused to let that be the end of our story.
Then came our breakthrough — Better Family Life. They gave us our first chance to run a summer camp program. It became the testing ground where we ironed out the kinks, refined our process, and rediscovered our spark. From that partnership, doors began to open. We were invited back for the Normandy School District After-School Program, serving five schools during the 2021–2022 school year. That moment reignited everything we’d been fighting for.
Even after that, the road wasn’t smooth. We faced rejection after rejection — calls unreturned, emails unanswered, and comments like “your program costs too much.” At community events, while others gravitated toward food and retail booths, our table on math literacy sometimes stood unnoticed. But we didn’t stop. We learned to be selective, to understand our audience, and to grow smarter in how we shared our mission.
There are still challenges. But I’ve learned that struggles are not signs to stop — they’re signals to rise. Every “no” built resilience. Every quiet season taught patience. Every moment of doubt became fuel for perseverance.
Now, fifteen years later, Keychain Karnival stands stronger than ever — expanding into our Handwriting Series, our non-profit, and pursuing an opportunity to take our Math STEM Program to Ghana. I’ve come to realize that victory doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it whispers through the tears, through the waiting, through the steady faith that refuses to quit.
We are still growing, still learning, still creating — and every step forward is proof that giving up was never an option. Because when purpose calls, you answer — even when your hands are trembling.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
The cultural value I protect at all costs is respect — both giving it and expecting it in return — because it’s the foundation of how I was raised and who I am today. I was taught that respect and integrity should follow you everywhere you go, whether someone is watching or not. My mother always said, “Your word and your work ethic are your character — protect them.” That’s something I live by every day.
I believe in standing firm in who I am and knowing that even when life gets hard, there’s always a solution. I carry the mindset that hard work and discipline will always open doors. I’ve learned to approach challenges with faith and determination — not waiting for the perfect moment, but creating it.
Another value I hold close is self-belief. I’ve learned that no one can love you, push you, or believe in you like you can. Loving yourself isn’t arrogance — it’s a form of strength and self-respect. It means knowing that you are worthy, valued, and capable even when the world tries to convince you otherwise.
I also believe in growth — there’s always room to become wiser, kinder, and more patient. Protecting my peace, my purpose, and my integrity allows me to keep growing without losing sight of who I am.
At the end of the day, I protect these values because they’re not just lessons — they’re my inheritance. They’re the pieces of my culture, my family, and my faith that remind me daily: you were built for this — keep shining, keep striving, and never let anyone dim your light.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
If I retired tomorrow, I believe my customers would miss the heart behind what I do — the passion, the purpose, and the personal touch that goes far beyond teaching math. They would miss the joy, creativity, and encouragement that fill every workshop, every conversation, every learning moment.
Keychain Karnival isn’t just a program — it’s an experience. It’s the laughter when a student realizes they can solve a math problem through art. It’s the pride on a parent’s face when their child finds confidence in a subject they once feared. It’s the sense of belonging, of family, that we create in every space we enter.
My customers would miss how I make math feel possible — how I show students that they are brilliant, even when they’ve been told otherwise. They would miss the energy, the compassion, and the creativity that turn learning into celebration.
They’d also miss the deeper connection — the feeling of being seen, valued, and capable of greatness. Because what I do isn’t just about math or art; it’s about believing in people. It’s about planting seeds of self-worth, discipline, and resilience that last long after the lesson ends.
If I retired tomorrow, I hope what they’d miss most isn’t just me — but the spirit of possibility that Keychain Karnival represents. And I pray that spirit continues to live on in every student, parent, and partner we’ve ever touched.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://keychain-karnival-llc.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: https://bit.ly/InstagramKeychainKarnivalLLC
- Linkedin: https://bit.ly/LinkedInKeychainKarnival
- Facebook: https://bit.ly/FacebookKeychainKarnival
- Youtube: https://bit.ly/YouTubeKeychainKarnival
Image Credits
Kaionta R. Dabney – CEO & Founder of Keychain Karnival
Owner & Creator of PAST.Candids Photography
