Meet Mathiba Kgopa of Khayalam

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathiba Kgopa.

Mathiba, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Mathiba Kgopa, originally from South Africa but I have been in Denver for five years. And in the USA for ten years. I received a Peace Corp Volunteer Scholarship in 2010 to come and study here in the USA. I graduated from New England College with a degree in Communications and with a minor in Theater. And two years ago, I graduated from Regis University with an MBA in Marketing.

Three years ago, my husband and I started our photo booth business with the idea of starting a side gig. What began as a side gig turned into a full-time job filled with memories that will be cherished forever. We found ourselves expanding to other states and continually thinking of going to other cities. These all stopped when COVID-19 happened.

How do you adjust during a global pandemic, how do you fathom the fact that jobs will be lost, leaving people unemployed? Even though things open up, how do I risk sending my photo booth attendant to an event knowing that they can potentially get COVID-19? When events booking dropped, I spent about three weeks thinking of the word “essential.” During that time, I watched the news and was baffled by the 14% of the unemployment rate.

My neighborhood church Foodbank lines stretched to about a mile radius. I was about to start submitting numerous resumes when I realized that, as business owners, we have to start creating new jobs; we have to learn from our learning from the COVID-19 and start new beginnings. Although I have not abandoned my photo booth business, I had to use my skills to help farmers that threw milk down the drain, the restaurants that had to adapt quickly by providing the service online, etc. I had to come up with an idea that supports local businesses while taking into consideration the less air pollution we have when people drive less. The three weeks of thinking birthed Khayalam, which means “my home” in South African.

“Khayalam,” the name fits perfectly! During these unrepentant times, I have never seen so many people working together, even at their lowest moments. Regardless of the social distancing, people still make it possible to celebrate the 90th birthday by drive-thru, Blue Angels, Thunderbirds flew over New York to salute the front-liners who are battling the virus. We were also inspired by the front liners to do our part.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business, in general, is not that easy. As a minority woman in business, just in general is tough. Often, I asked my husband to handle some of the conversations because he is respected. However, when I started the Khayalam platform, I created the website myself. I learned everything from YouTube and is very important for women to start creating businesses because that’s how we are going to be taken serious.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Khayalam – what should we know?
We own photo booth businesses here in Denver, we have Choice Photo Booths and Fun Snaps Photo Booth in Texas. Khayalam is a marketplace of virtual gift cards for local restaurants, farmers, bakeries & florists. Use your recipient’s address to search for local partners, select the type of gift, select the business, and that’s it! Your loved one will instantly receive a customized email with the virtual gift card that can be redeemed at the selected vendor. 

Our features:
Local: Our platform is fully equipped with geolocation searches, online payment, and services provided by our partners.
Instant: Your recipient will receive an email immediately with a barcode and the selected store/vendor.
Personalized: Personalize your give with a customizable note.
Track: Check the virtual gift card balance by using the barcode provided.

Why work with us:
We’re Local: Find the nearest store/vendor with our local search. By so doing, you’re helping them shopping locally while learning more about their neighborhood.
We’re Environmental Friendly: Shrink your world. Buy locally.
We’re introducing a new way of giving: During the COVID-19, we saw a 14% increase in unemployment, meaning that some people receiving a virtual gift card to a local farmer could be very beneficial.

Pricing:

• $50-$500 virtual gift cards for Khayalam
• For Photo Booth is based on the number of hours you would like to be there starting at $500

Contact Info:

• Address: 210 South Osceola, Denver, 80219
• Website: https://khayalam.com/
• Phone: 720-515-0495
• Email: khayalamessential@gmail.com
• Other: https://www.choicephotobooths.com/blog/

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