How did Kyler Caldwell turn a bake sale into a socially-conscious venture? Inspired by his personal health struggles, the curious freshman founded a nutrition bar company that aims to help others. When he’s not running a business, he’s exploring a unique set of interests ranging from adopting sustainable home-building techniques that benefit low-income communities to using disordered proteins to improve wound-healing dressings. Somehow he still has time to practice guitar, journal, and play sports. Learn more about his journey from Japan to the Academy. 

Talk about your journey to the Academy. What were you looking for in an undergraduate program?

Throughout my junior year of high school, I spent dozens of hours scrolling through different universities, majors, and programs to the point where everything blurred together. That was until I came across the Academy’s website, which started scrolling sideways. As I read about the major, I became excited by the emphasis on diversity and flexibility. A combination of arts-design, tech, business, and communication was unlike anything I’d seen before and sounded like the perfect program to fit my interest in arts and entertainment. I love everything from music to movies and video games to literature because every time I engage in new artwork, I feel a great sense of discovery. The Academy’s four areas would allow me to dive deeper into arts and entertainment but also give me the freedom to explore new fields and discover new interests.

What are you most looking forward to in the Academy?

I can’t wait to delve into new disciplines and industries that I don’t have experience with. I’ve never written a line of code before and I’m not the most fluent with Adobe Illustrator, but those kinds of skills are exactly what I want to develop. Working with the wide range of skill sets and personalities that make up Cohort 9 feels like the best way to grow individually and as a team.

What are three goals you want to accomplish during your time at the Academy and/or USC? 

I’d like to invent a useful product using the Academy’s maker space, compose music for an indie video game, and win an intramural sports championship with an awesome team.

 Let's say you were miraculously provided $1,000,000 in seed funding tomorrow, what would you create? 

One thing I'm interested in is integrating sustainable materials like chitin, bamboo, and recycled wood with kanawatsugi (金輪継), a Japanese method of carpentry that only uses wood. No nails, screws, or anything else. The wood planks are cut so that multiple pieces can interlock, allowing people to create strong houses that can withstand harsh weather conditions with just their hands. I would love to find a way to recycle materials and prepare the components so that quality housing can be built quickly in low-income communities. 

 I've also been looking into applying Tardigrade Disordered Proteins as a component in emergency wound-healing dressings. These disordered proteins can survive extreme temperatures without denaturing and maintain membrane integrity while dehydrated, which would be a great way to prevent infection and maintain a stable environment around deep wounds for long periods of time. This may help people who live far away from medical treatment centers.

 What is your proudest achievement to date?

I founded and run Genki Products Japan — a company that produces and sells nutrition bars. We have little to no food waste, donate a meal to students in need with every bar sold, and use sustainable packaging. We also work with the government to employ people with cognitive disabilities — a marginalized group in Japan. I started this business because I spent a lot of time in the hospital struggling with severe malnutrition, which damaged my vital organs and caused many side effects. I was fortunate enough to receive treatment, but many others aren’t, so once I recovered, it became important for me to try and help others who are malnourished and food insecure. What started off as a bake sale turned into a real business, and it makes me extremely happy to see the growth of the project and the people we’re helping.

Describe one thing most people don't know about you.

I do a lot of journaling. Dumping everything in my head onto paper has been a great way for me to organize my thoughts and flush out creative ideas.

 What is one thing a significant person in your life taught you that you'd like to share?

Growing up with siblings taught me to treat life like a joke because, in the end, it doesn't really matter. It may sound morbid but I think of it light-heartedly because this mindset really helped me roll with the punches and take a playful approach to the challenges I tackle.

What is one skill/thing that you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic?

I bought a big music textbook and began studying theory along with the guitar halfway through the pandemic. While I still have a lot to learn, I've loved every minute of involving myself with music so much that I hope to take up a minor somewhere in the audio space.

 If you could be any kitchen appliance, what would you be and why? 

A tortilla warmer because everything tastes better on a tortilla.

What do you like to do/watch/read during your downtime? 

I love to play all kinds of sports with my friends. We’ll jump around from basketball, soccer, rugby, volleyball, you name it. We’re not any good, but it’s fun for us and the passersby.

Live experiences on any scale, whether it's an underground rock concert, a pro sports match, an art exhibit, or anything else. The energy that comes from the audience or the subject is infectious, with people from various walks of life coming together for one thing.

 What do you consider the most impactful invention in history and why? 

The printing press, because it’s the foundation of humans sharing ideas on a massive scale that impacts the lives of others for better or worse.

 What would the title of your autobiography be?

FRESH Encounters: Kyler Caldwell