The Chicago Journal

Introducing Leilani Kristina: Why This Mixed Race Millennial Loves Working with Others Who Give Back

Working for brands that one fully believes embody their own ideals is indeed a game-changer. For Leilani Kristina, having such opportunities has allowed her to grow more and bloom to be the artist she was always born to be. Today, she is successfully working with brands that forward the things she believes in and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

Leilani Kristina is an influencer, brand ambassador, model, dancer, singer, and more–the true epitome of an entertainer. After seeing the late Prince perform on an awards show, she was driven to become a professional dancer. Consequently, hearing Mariah Carey effortlessly land high notes motivated her to sing. And so, from the bits and pieces of inspiration she picked up from the world’s greatest icons, Leilani aspired to become a legend of her own: a little bit of everything yet captivatingly good always.

Leilani Kristina is a mixed-race indigenous millennial. She moved a great deal as a military child, which opened her eyes to different cultures and how there’s always beauty to find in people from all walks of life. After seeing many parts of the world, Leilani became aware of how much potential she had to fill the gaps she saw in her travels. Hence, she loved working with brands, shows, and individuals who tirelessly give back to their community.

Leilani Kristina has walked the runways of Melange, various New York-based designers, and the New York Fashion Week. She has also won Fashion Coffee’s COVID-friendly fashion and talent competition in Pride and became a runner-up in the Pose category. Leilani is also currently on the Board of Directors of a law firm in Washington DC, representing sex trafficking survivors and sex workers.

But behind her rather fabulous career, Leilani Kristina has had her fair share of hardships. Despite being successful in her many passions today, it is not to say that her path has not been without flaws. At 14, she had numerous ear and throat surgeries to address major ear infections and multiple scar tissues. At 16, she fought her way against asthma and an auto-immune condition to pursue dancing. At 21, Leilani faced what were some of the most challenging battles of her life, as she experienced being exploited by a stalker and harasser.

In spite of it all, Leilani Kristina remained as passionate as she had been since day 1. Her experiences have made her stronger and pushed her to make an impact on others. Zooming in to today, Leilani is a Survivor Leader, currently hailed as an expert against gender-based violence against women, stalking, harassment, and human rights for indigenous people.

“Being a multi-ethnic person has always been a blessing in being able to fit in many realms, which has been most helpful in my work in human rights as well as being an equally proud survivor of abuses such as exploitation, severe resentful stalking, harassment, etc. It has honestly not only made me strong but has been a whole motivation on how not to treat people and approach the world—to be the direct opposite of all that,” shared Leilani Kristina. 

In five years, Leilani Kristina aims to perform more in the arts and the entertainment industry. She aspires to take part in an impactful movement and hopes to pave the way for other culturally-diverse artists like herself to enter the field. 

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what color or colors you are, how much you are discounted, what you have been through, what was done to you, or even have against you. If you have faith in God, then you can always flip the narrative of your life,” Leilani Kristina said.To learn more about Leilani Kristina, visit her website.

Stryker the Cat Is Releasing an NFT Collection to Help Vulnerable Animals

There is no shortage of unique concepts in the crypto space. As such, it can be challenging for new ventures to stand out in the highly competitive industry. Nevertheless, one upcoming collection is making waves and is taking the NFT scene by storm for its stunning designs and awe-inspiring advocacy—Stryker the Cat.

The one-of-a-kind project takes inspiration from the beloved social media sensation, Stryker the Cat. Because of his love for raw chicken and cute antics, he quickly became viral. As a result, the adorable kitten has amassed a huge following on TikTok and Instagram of almost 10 million users.

For Stryker’s seventh birthday, his owners decided to honor their precious pet by creating a non-fungible token collection for him. This allows his loyal followers to feel closer to the lovable feline by owning one-of-a-kind art pieces that are based on his image.

The Stryker the Cat NFT collection includes 8,888 digital artworks with fun and quirky variations of the cat’s image, including Batman Stryker, Venom Stryker, Spiderman Stryker, and many other fun iterations. 

But aside from that, there is a more meaningful cause behind the creation of the collection. Stryker’s owners realize that they possess an extraordinary opportunity to raise money for animals in need.

Helping save exploited animals is an advocacy that is dear to them because Stryker had a rough early life. When the Savannah cat was younger, he used to spend long hours in a tiny cage instead of roaming around freely. 

Luckily, his current owners decided to take him in, and the energetic cat’s life has never been better. Since then, Stryker and his fur-parents have taken on the mission to help other species, most especially exotic ones who are in less than favorable situations and circumstances.

For this reason, a portion of the proceeds earned from the NFT collection will be donated to the Zoological Wildlife Foundation, an organization dedicated to educating the public about rare and endangered animal species in captivity and the wild. 

The collection is only the first of many to come as part of an ongoing effort to create a significant impact in the world. The people behind the outstanding project remain committed to their goal of safeguarding as many animals as possible. As his owners perfectly summed up, “It’s not enough anymore for him to bring joy to the millions and give everyone a good laugh or a smile. He wants to build a real community that will have a huge ripple effect in the real world.”

Moving forward, they plan to release more significant projects and even collaborate with other social media personalities, A-list celebrities, and other like-minded individuals who share the same advocacy. Fans and NFT enthusiasts should be on the lookout for the release of the Stryker the Cat NFT collection on October 28th. In the meantime, stay updated with the latest developments and announcements, or you can also check out Stryker’s latest adventures by visiting its official website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok accounts.