FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Simons Foundation’s Infinite Sums Initiative Multiplies Kyne Santos’ Influencer Impact with a Virtual Math Series and Festival Appearance in Rural Spencer, Indiana
August 15, 2025
SPENCER, IN — Spencer Pride is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Kyne Santos, the globally recognized drag queen, author, and math communicator behind the popular TikTok account @onlinekyne, made possible with support from the Simons Foundation as part of their Infinite Sums initiative, to help bring the beauty inherent in math to life through the cultural experience of drag to rural Indiana and beyond. This collaboration will bring Kyne’s unique blend of education and entertainment to a wider audience through a weekly virtual series in September and a featured appearance at Spencer Pride’s festival on October 4, 2025 in south central Indiana.
In September, Kyne will lead a special virtual series focused on making complex mathematical topics accessible and engaging for all learners. The series is designed to inspire curiosity and demonstrate that math is not only a fundamental skill but also a creative and artistic pursuit. The four weekly sessions will introduce Kyne and talk about math concepts utilized in real world applications like AI and technology, cover data and cryptography and how math is used to make our online experiences a bit safer, and also talk about math history and important figures that have changed the mathematical landscape.
“I am absolutely thrilled to partner with Spencer Pride and the Simons Foundation to bring a little bit of sparkle to math education in the rural Midwest and beyond,” said Kyne Santos. “The Spencer Pride Festival is the perfect place to show that drag and mathematics are both about creativity and self-expression. I can’t wait to connect with everyone, both in person and through my virtual series, and prove that math truly is for every single person.”
The celebration will continue in person as Kyne takes the stage at the 2025 Spencer Pride Festival on Saturday, October 4th at the historic Tivoli Theatre in Spencer, Indiana. Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and focus on rural LGBTQ+ visibility, the festival will serve as a platform for Kyne to share her personal journey and her advocacy for bringing queerness to STEM and STEM to the queer community.
Kyne’s festival presentation, The Power of Math, will be free and all are welcome to attend. As seats are limited, those interested in attending should plan to arrive well in advance of the 2:30 PM show time. Kyne will be greeting her fans and signing autographs at the conclusion of the presentation.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kyne to the Spencer Pride family, and we are profoundly grateful to the Simons Foundation for their transformative generosity,” said Jonathan Balash, president of Spencer Pride. “Kyne’s work perfectly aligns with our mission to celebrate and educate. By combining her passion for math with her vibrant presence as a drag queen, Kyne is an undeniable force for good. Her engagement will empower our community, particularly our youth, to embrace their identities while pursuing their passions in science and technology.”
“We are thrilled to launch Infinite Sums, our newest national initiative, with partners like Spencer Pride and the incredible Kyne Santos,” said Ivvet Modinou, senior vice president of Science, Society & Culture at the Simons Foundation. “The goal of Infinite Sums is to empower community leaders to become ‘math ambassadors,’ providing them with the resources to reshape how people see and feel about mathematics. Kyne’s work is the perfect example of this in action—she is showing us all how to build vibrant, culturally relevant programs that prove math is a source of creativity and connection for everyone.”
Kyne Santos, who holds a Bachelor of Mathematics, has built a massive social media following of over two million followers by shattering stereotypes and promoting the idea that math is for everyone. Her work, including her book Math in Drag, has been a powerful tool for celebrating queer identity within academic fields.
For more information, follow @SpencerPrideInc , @onlinekyne and @simondsfoundation on social media or visit their websites at spencerpride.org, onlinekyne.com or simonsfoundation.org.
Media Contact and Inquiries:
Elisabeth Solchik, Vice President & Development Director, Spencer Pride
765.414.1842, elisabeth@spencerpride.org
About Spencer Pride:
Spencer Pride is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization based in Spencer, Indiana, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural LGBTQ+ people in south central Indiana. They achieve this by fostering allyship and understanding through education and advocacy, creating safe spaces, and addressing social inequities. Spencer Pride operates the Spencer Pride commUnity center, and hosts a variety of programming, including health and wellness services, in addition to the annual Spencer Pride Festival in October.
About Kyne Santos:
Kyne Santos, known online as @onlinekyne, is a drag queen, author, and math communicator. With over two million followers on social media, she has become a leading voice in making STEM education fun and accessible. A featured speaker for the Simons Foundation, she is the author of “Math in Drag” and a graduate of the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics.
About Simons Foundation:
The Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division seeks to provide opportunities for people to forge a connection to science — whether for the first time or a lifetime. Through our initiatives, we work to inspire a feeling of awe and wonder, foster connections between people and science, and support environments that provide a sense of belonging. The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement. We believe in asking big questions and providing sustained support to researchers working to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
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