Sola Salons, the largest salon studio concept in the country, proudly announces its 2026 Faces of Sola Visionaries, nine beauty and wellness entrepreneurs driving industry change and community impact.
This year’s visionaries include a bridal hairstylist who founded the Sensory Chair Project, a hairstylist and educator who’s been with Sola Salons nearly two decades, and a Google-employee-turned-hairstylist who founded a trauma-informed medical sanctuary that engineers custom, texturally accurate cranial prostheses, ensuring no one has to compromise their cultural identity to heal.
With nearly 100 years of combined industry experience, this year’s diverse class of recipients comes from all walks of life with expertise spanning hair, tattoo, skincare, and more, but they share one common thread: their commitment to excellence both in and outside the salon.
“Every year, this long-standing program gives us the chance to recognize a group of incredible Sola Pros who represent the heart of this community,” said Daryl Hurst, President & COO of Sola Salons. “I love how our professionals always show up with passion, creativity, leadership and a real drive to raise the bar for what it means to build a business independently.”
“This year, we wanted to represent the community of Sola professionals in a more natural and holistic way,” added Tracy Ramos, Sola Director of Pro Community. “Rather than focusing on social media followings, we wanted to showcase people who were engaging in their communities – both within the industry and their local areas. We held video interviews with each applicant, and based our decision on the individuals’ personal stories, and the impact they are making in their communities. That’s why we are calling it the Faces of Sola Visionaries.”
Meet Your 2026 Faces of Sola Visionaries:
- Bridal Hair Abbey Jae | Wilmington, DE
- Barber Alex Sharkey | Cedar Knolls, NJ
- Tattoo Artist Alex Quinn | Warwick, RI
- Color Specialist and Hair Stylist Caroline Kim | Los Angeles, CA
- Esthetician Emily Clark | Chicago, IL
- Hair Stylist Pich Seng | Houston, TX
- Barber Rashleigh Béaton | Euless, TX
- Hair Stylist Rachel Swire | Atlanta, GA
- Hair Stylist and Cranial Prosthesis Victor Scotti, Jr. | Arlington, VA
Each of the 2026 Faces of Sola Visionaries brings a distinct expertise and mastery of their craft, from mentoring and educating the next generation of beauty professionals to leading nonprofit initiatives and driving meaningful change across the industry. This talented team has also participated in some of pop cultures’ biggest moments including the GRAMMYs, New York Fashion Week, the Emmy Awards, Milan Fashion Week and more.
They will have the opportunity to represent Sola Salons at a variety of events, photo shoots and editorial opportunities, while helping inspire the next generation of independent business owners.
“We want people of all walks of life, with all different kinds of stories to be able to picture themselves at Sola, and to picture a future,” Tracy said. “That’s what this is all about, to share those unique stories, and say to the industry, ‘Hey, look at our community of 20,000 professionals and the impact they’re making, not only
within Sola, but in the wider industry.'”
In its 11th year, the Faces of Sola is an annual program that spotlights some of the impressive entrepreneurs who make up the more than 21,000 professionals within the Sola community. The company’s mission is to not only provide spaces for independent professionals, but to support them with the tools, education and technology needed to build thriving businesses. This program gives the Sola community the chance to celebrate the achievements of some of the industry’s brightest.
To learn more about Sola Salons or how to join the community, visit www.solasalons.com.