Indianapolis native and master barber Pamela Jean ‘PJ’ Alexander has a powerful story to tell about how her barbershop We Kutz came to be on the west side of the city.
Alexander, 69, originally picked up barbering during her time in California. She relocated near Tinseltown as a task for her then employer Carrier. After her position dissolved, Alexander quickly pivoted to entrepreneurship. She began selling merchandise and apparel in popular social circles across Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Inglewood, CA.
“I believed that becoming an entrepreneur offered me job security in L.A.,” Alexander said.
As her entrepreneurial endeavors began coming to fruition, Alexander wanted more for herself and her family. She decided to put herself through barber school.
A photograph of the We Kutz Barber & Beauty Studio storefront. (Photo by/ Pamela Alexander)
After finishing barber school, Alexander opened the first We Kutz Barber and Beauty Studio in Inglewood. The location drew the presence of many celebrities, including Queen Latifah, Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox, and Indianapolis’ own Vivica A. Fox. Her original barbershop is still open to this day.
In 2009, A family emergency would cause Alexander to return to Indianapolis for the foreseeable future. During this time, she opened an Indianapolis location of We Kutz Barber & Beauty Studios.
Today, Alexander teaches at Kenny’s Academy of Barbering during the morning and cuts and styles hair at We Kutz in the afternoon.
Located at 558 West 25th Street, We Kutz is open every day (except Sundays) from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The barber and beauty studio take walk-ins as well as appointments. For more information, visit their website here. You can also contact Alexander at (310)-497-5993.
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Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham at (317)-762-7846 or email at NoralP@IndyRecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoralParham.
You can find Britteny Davidson inside her shop Kurlykoils, off W. 42nd St., tending to the many clients that walk through her doors. The business launched in 2016, with its main styling services focusing on curly hair care.
“I was actually looking for somebody to cut my hair curly. At the time, I couldn’t find any Black women. I did find a white lady, and she was booked out probably four months in advance,” said Davidson.
During her eight years in the beauty industry as a licensed cosmetologist, Davidson had never heard of anyone being booked out that far. She said, at the time, there were two other curl specialists in Indianapolis, but all three women were Caucasian.
Britteny Davidson is the owner of Kurlykoils, a forward-thinking salon with a mission to help people embrace their natural hair (Photo/ Jade Jackson)
“So, I said if I start this business being a Black woman, I know it’s going to do well, and it definitely has,” said Davidson.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, she did not start to venture into natural hair care until she started wearing her own hair natural in her twenties.
When she was younger, she would straighten her hair often.
Kurlykoils: The beginning
According to Davidson, natural hair care is not taught in standard beauty school curriculum. It is considered a specialty training that one has to pursue on their own.
“We’re missing the mark in beauty school. It just focuses on how to straighten the hair and how to cut the hair while it’s straight. So, this is a skill you have to seek to become an expert in,” said Davidson.
She had to travel to take classes that taught her how to perfect the curly craft.
She started serving clients on Lafayette Road inside what used to be Indianapolis Hair Studio. From there, she moved inside the Salon Lofts on College and Broad Ripple Ave.
After becoming a mother, she started the recruitment process to create Kurly Koils in 2017.
Deja Parker, a stylist inside Kurlykoils (Photo/Jade Jackson)
Deja Parker has been a Kurly Koils stylist for almost three years. She grew up around hair stylists, so doing hair came naturally to her.
Kurlykoils: The experience
“I always knew I wanted to do the natural side of hair, but I started second guessing myself because I didn’t see it here in Indiana. Then, when I finally saw Britteny, and I made my appointment with her, she reconfirmed for me to go off and set this as a goal,” said Parker.
She believes that stylists with expertise in natural hair care are scarce in the area but that their numbers will increase over time.
“It hasn’t been a part of the culture for long. Natural hair care is becoming more well known around the country, so I think it’s just taking its time to get here,” said Parker.
It is a journey, and part of her job is to help people navigate along that journey.
She said the working environment is peaceful, and the clients love to come in to enjoy the “realness” that they provide, which makes it feel like a second home.
They serve over 700 clients and style around 25 people on a weekly basis. Their clients return every three months for hair care maintenance.
“The amount of growth has been tremendous, and having stylists here now establishing those relationships and maintaining them has made the biggest difference,” said Davidson.
The goal for Kurly Koils is sustainability and changing the thought process surrounding natural hair.
Davidson wishes more stylists had a better understanding of natural hair and styling it.
“There are more textures than straight hair for sure, so it should definitely be taught in beauty school. It should be a federal guideline. I think it’s nice, especially for our younger clientele, to be able to embrace their hair,” said Davidson.
Contact staff writer Jade Jackson at 317-607-5792 or by email JadeJ@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON
Recorder Media Group President and CEO Robert Shegog will speak this week to an international group of women entrepreneurs on how to work with media outlets that focus on Black and brown communities.
The Startup Ladies are hosting the special Startup Study Hall on Wednesday, May 17, from 6-8 p.m.
Roughly a dozen women entrepreneurs from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela will attend the event hosted by the International Center of Indianapolis.
A similar event was held at the Heritage Group in 2019 before the start of the pandemic. Organizers say this is a great opportunity to meet with leaders from other countries.
One of Shegog’s talking points will cover inclusive advertising. He will advise those in attendance on how to communicate and collaborate with minority groups.
Recorder Media Group, which includes the Indianapolis Recorder and the Indiana Minority Business Magazine, is Indiana’s leading minority-owned communications company. The Recorder staff has won more than 60 journalism awards in the past three years.
COhatch downtown Indy is sponsoring the event located in the Circle Center Mall.
Taste of Innova Wings + Greens is a family business through and through. Owned and operated by mother-daughter duo Monique and Kara Hawkins, the restaurant offers homemade wings, collard greens and many more diverse flavors.
Taste of Innova first opened its doors at The Amp at 16 Tech, 1220 Waterway Blvd., Stall 8, in June of 2021 as a way to bring its family together during the pandemic. The eatery was one of many local minority-owned businesses that partnered with Gainbridge Fieldhouse Food Co. for a short mentorship and residency serving food during Pacers games as part of the Minority Guest Chef program.
Their stint at Gainbridge, serving wings and greens to hungry Pacers fans, did so well they were invited to become a permanent fixture in 2022. Now, the Hawkins team can be found on the fourth floor Club Level.
The Hawkins’ coveted menu lists 12 original wing flavors — including Italian Parm, African Pepper Zest, Savannah Heat, Island Jerk, Pan Asian curry and Uncle Nearest Innova Chile — collard greens with smoked turkey, chicken tender waffle sandwich, Innova mac and cheese and more.
Taste of Innova is open at The Amp at 16 Tech Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Orders can be placed at tasteofinnova.com or through Grubhub, Uber Eats and DoorDash. For more information, email info@tasteofinnova.com or call 765-400-0929.
If you have a minority-owned and operated business you would like to be featured in the Indiana Minority Business Magazine Directory, visit Indiana Minority Business Directory.
Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.
When the pandemic began in January 2020, it forced people across the country to adopt various lifestyle changes, including regular COVID-19 testing, stocking up on food and following stay-at-home orders.
As a result, like many others, Indianapolis native Ciera Howleit found herself inside for most of the pandemic. While inside, Howleit picked up different hobbies, one of which was doing nails. The closure of nail salons piqued Howleit’s interest in this hobby. Howleit did her mother and sisters’ nails, and over time, she started taking more clients.
Today, Howleit is the owner of Her Nail Diary, located on the west side of the city, where she has an array of services she provides to her clients. Listed below are Howleit’s booking website and other business information.
A Good Life Photo Co. is a headshot and personal branding photography studio founded in March 2019 by La’Meshia Hayes of Indianapolis.
Hayes founded the business after reading the book ‘Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. Hayes wanted to secure generational wealth for her and her family while exercising a craft where she excels: photography.
La’Meshia Hayes, owner of A Good Life Photo Co. (Photo/Hayes)
Like most entrepreneurs, Hayes attempted many ventures. However, her ability to capture the moment behind the lens sent her over the top online.
Today, Hayes’ photo studio has a package for every event, including proms, graduations, birthdays, holidays and more. Hayes has studio space but does not hesitate to travel to venues that will best capture the moment for a client.
A Good Life Photo Co. is located at 6256 La Pas Trail, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46268. Hayes and her staff can be reached on Facebook and Instagram. For email inquiries, contact Hayes at Agoodlifephoto@outlook.com
If you would like your business featured in the the minority business highlights, click here.
Taking bits and pieces of recipes from her grandmother and the excitement of presentation from her mother, Tasha Claytor created T Street Eatz.
“One day for her (grandmother’s) last birthday, I made some food for her,” Claytor said. “I was making a trip for her, a memorial trip, and I got a voicemail ranting and raving about how good my food was. And I was like, that’s it. I can cook.”
Claytor’s Elevated Comfort Food can be ordered online for delivery or pickup inside of City Market, 222 E Market St everyday Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Shirley Milligan and her husband have three daughters which meant they would spend a lot of time in local beauty supply stores.
Often owned by Non-Black people, the family would be disappointed by the lack of customer service they would receive from beauty supply businesses when shopping. That’s how Urban Beauty Supply was born.
Launched in February of 2020 just a month before the COVID-19 pandemic, the new business struggled to sell products curbside, but word of mouth spread and the shop started to get popular.
At Urban Beauty Supply they want you to be your best version. They offer a wide range of high-quality beauty, skincare and haircare products. From deep cleansers to the lightest moisturizers, you can get the most popular looks and brands in their store.
No matter what your skin or hair care needs are, Urban Beauty Supply said they are your one-stop shop to look great and maintain your healthy, beautiful skin.
Contact and hours:
5333 E. Thompson Road Indianapolis, IN 46237
(317) 875-1484
UrbanBeautySuppy1@Outlook.com
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Have a business? Sign it up for our business directory HERE.
A group of Indianapolis nonprofits have come together to create the Latino Business Support Network (LBSN). The network is committed to assisting Latino small business owners and entrepreneurs.
The LBSN’s primary focus is on building a stronger Latino business community in the city. Created by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), along with the other organizations, the network collaborates to provide resources and programs.
“The Latino community is an economically resilient community. As we have attempted to close the racial wealth gap, especially in Black and Latino communities, these are often the most underserved, overlooked and undeveloped,” said Executive Director of LISC, David Hampton.
He said the Indianapolis small business community is incredibly diverse. There are 14,000 Black businesses, 5,000 Latinx businesses and 2,000 Asian owned businesses.
His hope for the network is to create a greater commitment and investment to support the Latinx community.
“Between 2010 and 2020, the Latinx community has grown by 42% and so have Latinx businesses. However, the resources for Latinx businesses have continued to be incredibly limited,” said Hampton.
As the community grows, there is an increasing need for language access and access to capital and services to support.
The start of the network
Four organizations — Hispanic Business Council, La Plaza, Emprendedoras Latinas en Indiana and Indiana Latino Expo — have come together to form a group dedicated to supporting Latino-owned businesses in Indianapolis.
The Director of International & Latino Affairs with the City of Indianapolis, Ruth Morales, said the Latino community is the fastest growing population in Marion County.
Executive Vice President of for External Engagement at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Salena Scardina said a lot of stories go untold around Latino business, and this network is an opportunity to change that.
“Five years ago, I started a business, and I did not know what resources were available to me here. Latino-based businesses make up the largest minority sector of our entrepreneurship small businesses, and we don’t talk about that enough,” said Scardina.
By collaborating these organizations can provide better support and increase visibility for their work.
Jacqueline Belus, master colorist and extensionist and owner of Splash Hair Salon and Spa, takes pride in her business. The salon offers a home to a diverse group of hair designers, lash and brow artists and makeup artists and is also an open door for clientele from all walks of life, Belus said.
Belus opened her salon in Indianapolis 22 years ago, but her path there was a little unconventional. Belus was a traveling teaching stylist for many years and said she had not initially been interested in owning and operating her own salon. But as she began to work at different salons she began to realize they were not as welcoming or diverse in their offerings. So Belus decided to create a space that would be.
“A lot of salons only have one image and only cater to one type of client,” she said. “Even though it [Splash Salon] was high-end, it didn’t matter, I wanted people of all walks to come in and enjoy the experience.”
Each of the stylists at the salon has received “comprehensive training in various hair color and cutting techniques,” which include creating customized hair designs for clients of all hair types and backgrounds.
The salon also uses high-end products such as Kérastase — they were the first salon in Indiana to use and sell Kérastase— vegan products such as Phyto and Goldwell hair color, Belus said. Any products that are used during services are also available to purchase, including various styling tools.
“We’re going to love you and take care of you,” Belus said.
Splash Hair Salon and Spa is located at 4659 E. 82nd St., in the Clearwater Village Shopping Center. To schedule an appointment, visit splashhairsalon.com, call 317.576.9200 or email splashsalon@yahoo.com.
If there is a minority-owned and operated business you’d like to see featured in the Indiana Minority Business Magazine Directory, visit Indiana Minority Business Directory.
Contact staff writer Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @chloe_mcgowanxx.
