Amika, the Brooklyn-born, B Corp-certified haircare brand, is celebrating this year’s mentorship program participants and grant winners. Amika’s annual “Rooted in Growth” grant and mentorship is an initiative designed to uplift and empower underrepresented entrepreneurs shaping the future of haircare.

Recipients will each receive a $50,000 grant, along with a four-month mentorship program and exclusive networking opportunities with amika executives and leading voices across the professional hair and beauty community. 

This year’s winners are:

• Monica Stevens: founder of MoKnowsHair
• Nikita Charuza: founder and CEO of SQUIGS
• Adey Olaoluwa: founder and CEO of The Frontal Queen 
• Cora & Stefan Miller: Co-founders of Young King Hair Care

Chelsea Riggs, CEO of amika, said, 

“We’re so proud to continue Rooted in Growth into its third year. As a brand founded on friendship and rooted in community, we believe access and mentorship are key to unlocking a more inclusive future in beauty. This program is our way of supporting the next generation of founders who are driving meaningful change, both behind the chair and beyond it.”

For the third year in a row, Amika is partnering with the Fifteen Percent Pledge to champion entrepreneurs whose voices and visions have been historically underrepresented. 

Amika and the Fifteen Percent Pledge are working to create more equitable pathways for founders from diverse backgrounds —spanning race, gender, identity, and economic experience —to access the funding, mentorship, and industry networks needed to grow and thrive.

With its salon-raised roots and decades of industry expertise, amika will guide these business owners as they scale, offering financial support as well as mentorship in product development, marketing, operations, and distribution.

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