#WorthUp is a movement.

Hairdressers standing together; a community of powerful, creative, well-trained, entrepreneurial professionals. Know Our Worth!

WHY WORTH-UP?

Experience is a great teacher – even for experienced legends in the industry. Founders Ted Gibson and Jason Backe were inspired to establish Worth-Up Alliance based on their own careers as beauty-preneurs. Through trial and error, laughter and tears , Ted and Jason have navigated a career course that has included salon ownership, a network television series, a product line, spokesperson roles, and print, broadcast and digital media exposure. When the global pandemic struck in Q1 2020, Ted and Jason saw how lockdowns affected beauty professionals across the nation. 

They received calls from friends looking for advice, inspiration and the wisdom gleaned from experience. And they elected to pay their own wisdom and insights borne of experience forward. For such a time as this, Ted and Jason have committed to giving back to beauty entrepreneurs. Through the power of community, Worth-Up Alliance is identifying, investing in, nurturing and inspiring emerging entrepreneurs. Worth-Up Alliance is delivering the professional and financial support to help turn entrepreneurs’ dreams into reality and launch the careers of next gen beauty-preneurs

WHO DOES WORTH-UP ALLIANCE SERVE?

The Worth-Up initiative serves beauty entrepreneurs ready to take the next step in their career. The initiative supports successful hairdressers, make-up artists, estheticians, massage therapists and nail professionals who aspire to open a salon, formulate a product line, expand their business, make the leap from behind the chair to behind the scenes as an editorial stylist, or other notable career advance.

In addition, a Worth-Up Alliance cohort will be selected each year to work one-on-one with an industry elite mentor. Cohort members will be selected in an application process. And at the third and highest level, cohort members will be selected to pitch their concepts to a panel of judges to receive a $10,000 Worth-Up Alliance grant.

Focused Fundraising

Worth-Up Alliance has set a goal of raising $250,000 in six months to launch the initiative and begin initial grants. This funding will allow us to kick off the new year, inviting entrepreneurs to be mentored, present their business concept and be granted $10,000 to start their business by early next summer. Akin to a business preparing to make its initial public offering, Worth-Up Alliance is offering five investment tiers; described below:

Testimonials

Founders