Ouidad Stephen Wise

OUIDAD

A curl’s best friend

Sometimes, it’s hard to keep a good curl down. Ouidad is an internationally recognized stylist, salon owner, mother, author, global educator, mentor, philanthropist, and industry icon. She was the first recipient of the 2011 CEW Great Idea Award for Creating a new product category, Revolutionizing an existing category, Satisfying an unmet consumer needs, Changing consumer buying habits and, Cultivating an untapped market.

In 1984, she pioneered the curly hair industry by opening the first salon in the country to cater exclusively to curly hair. Since then, her trademarked cutting and styling techniques and specialized line of award-winning products have instilled confidence in curly and wavy-haired people everywhere. Because of her unparalleled experience, authority, and passion, editors at global fashion and beauty magazines and companies worldwide consult Ouidad regularly and consider her to be the world’s reigning “Queen of Curl.” Today the curl industry is worth more than $2 billion and growing.

Staunch supporters of breast cancer research, Ouidad and her husband, Peter, have created and embarked on an ongoing campaign, Curls for a Cure®, and partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to help raise funds for and awareness of breast cancer. They are committed to the cause and match donations dollar for dollar. In 2010, Ouidad was the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund’s Hall of Fame Cancer Survivor Honoree, representing the strength and courage of our community and giving current cancer patients hope for a better future.

A passionate and strong advocate of women entrepreneurs, Ouidad is regularly an industry speaker, sits on advisory boards, and is a mentor with Cosmetic Executive Women, consulting with entrepreneurs on their beauty brands.

Ouidad with husband Peter splits their time between Florida and her beloved beach in Rhode Island