Mission
A Journey Beyond the Chair
Beyond the Chair Co. was born from the realization that beauty professionals deserve more than just technical training—they deserve better education, labor protections, and a seat at the table of industry reform. Our journey began with a commitment to bridge the gap between trade education and the modern labor landscape, ensuring that every cosmetologist, barber, and technician can thrive within a fair and professional system.
Vision & Values
Our guiding principles for a sustainable, worker-centered beauty infrastructure.
Support models that align income with long-term security.
Sustainable Infrastructure
Modern Education
Align training with evolving workforce and economic realities.
Sustainable Infrastructure
Build durable systems that support stable, long-term beauty careers.
Modern Education
Align training with evolving workforce and economic realities.
Economic Stability
Support models that align income with long-term security.
Inclusive Leadership
Develop diverse leaders capable of guiding collective industry change.
Democratic Governance
Promote transparent decision-making and accountable institutional design.
Knowledge is power
Our Strategic Approach to Reform
Beyond the Chair Co. believes that industry literacy and leadership capacity are required for collective change. We translate complex systems—training structures, labor frameworks, and institutional roles—into general education and provide additional resources to help beauty and grooming professionals navigate the industry with greater clarity, coordination, and long-term leverage.
A Proven Model
we are adapting
We are modeling a beauty-industry version of what union-supported apprenticeships have built in the industrial trades: a coordinated system where training is standardized, credentials are portable, and workers gain stability earlier in their careers. One Indiana example shows what sustained infrastructure can produce at scale—apprenticeship-to-degree alignment, major annual investment in training, and high participation in structured programs.
Trade model reference: Indiana's Built to Succeed
85%+
union apprentices earned an associate degree through an apprenticeship-to-degree pathway
$54M+
invested annually in training
Healthcare & Retirement
benefits begin during training
union apprentices earned an associate degree through an apprenticeship-to-degree pathway
invested annually in training
of construction apprentices statewide enrolled in union training programs
Healthcare & Retirement
benefits begin during training
20,000+
$54M+
85%+
Our goal is to translate this system into beauty-sector infrastructure where training, credentials, leadership development, and workplace standards reinforce each other.
Reformative Solutions & Sustainable Impact
Our work is designed to strengthen the conditions that make beauty careers sustainable: structured training, clear advancement pathways, and workplace standards that support long-term stability. We focus on the practical bridge between what professionals are taught and what the workforce actually requires.
*93%
OF COMPLETED APPRENTICES ARE RETAINED 3 YEARS AFTER LICENSURE TO THE SALON, SHOP, OR SPA.
* Figures from Atarashii Apprentice Programs
*75%
FULL BOOKS OF APPRENTICE BY THE END OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.