Starting October 2026

A little color.A little conversation.A beautiful moment.

Kiana Pene is 13. She loves doing nails, and she loves helping people. Polished With Love is her plan to bring the two together: painting the nails of people in hospice care and listening to the stories they want to tell.

Kiana leaning over a woman's hand, carefully doing her nails
Kiana smiling at SoFi Stadium, holding a K-pop lightstick

Kiana's story

She loves nails. She loves people. So she's putting them together.

Kiana loves nails, makeup, fashion and K-pop. Doing nails is the thing she could do for hours. She also has a big heart for people, and she notices when someone needs a little extra care.

So she asked herself a simple question: how could something she already loves make someone else's day better?

Her answer is Polished With Love. Kiana wants to visit people in hospice care, people who are near the end of their lives, and give them a fresh set of nails and her full attention. Her twin sister, Kalia, will be right beside her as her helper.

"I want to take something I already love and use it to make someone else's day better."

Kiana Pene, age 13, founder of Polished With Love

NailsMakeupFashionK-popHelping people

Meet the team

Two sisters, one big idea.

Kiana leads Polished With Love. Her twin sister, Kalia, will be right beside her at every event as her helper. Kalia will set up, keep the supplies clean and organized, and help each visit run smoothly, so Kiana can give every person her full attention.

Kiana Pene

Founder and event lead

Kalia Pene

Event helper

Twin sisters Kalia and Kiana Pene standing side by side in a hallway, with their names drawn in pink

Our vision

Everyone deserves to feel good and to be heard. Especially near the end of life.

A chance to feel good

In hospice, many choices are made for you. Picking your own color is a choice that's all yours. A fresh manicure, a gentle hand and a little pampering can help someone feel like themselves again.

A chance to tell their story

Doing someone's nails means sitting face to face for a while, and that's the perfect time to talk. Kiana will ask about music, family and favorite memories, and then she'll listen. Every person has a story worth hearing.

Bigger than one girl

Kiana is starting in the South Bay, but the idea can travel. Once she has shown it works, she'll write down how she did it so other teens can start Polished With Love in their own towns.

Young people who serve

Polished With Love shows that a teenager doesn't have to wait to make a difference. What you love to do can become a gift for someone else.

The nails are what we do. The conversation is why we're there.

The plan

From an idea to the first visit

Polished With Love is just getting started. Here's how Kiana gets from idea to her first event.

  1. 1

    Happening now

    Find

    Find hospices and care homes near us in the South Bay.

  2. 2

    Next

    Connect

    Reach out and meet the people who care for residents every day.

  3. 3

    Then

    Share

    Share the idea and learn their rules for products, safety and privacy.

  4. 4

    Then

    Schedule

    Set a date for the first Polished With Love event.

  5. 5

    The big day

    Do it

    Kiana and Kalia hold the first event, then learn and grow from there.

What a visit will look like

Five simple moments for every person Kiana meets

Step 1

Choose

They pick their own color. It's their moment, so it's their choice.

Step 2

Chat

Kiana says hello, and they talk about anything they want.

Step 3

Polish

She does their nails using only the products and steps the hospice approves.

Step 4

Listen

She slows down and lets them share their stories and memories.

Step 5

Show

They see their finished nails, and Kiana thanks them for their time.

How we'll care

Dignity comes first, every visit

The hospice leads.

Staff will decide who Kiana visits, which products she uses, and how everything is cleaned.

An adult is always there.

Kiana and Kalia will never visit alone.

Their story belongs to them.

Names, photos and stories will be shared only with permission from the person and their family.

We would love your support.

Businesses, organizations and neighbors can help Kiana launch Polished With Love and grow it into something bigger than herself. Tell us a little about yourself, and we'll be in touch.