Meet Khadijah
In the heart of Atlanta, GA, Khadijah runs a salon business that puts her neighborhood and community first. For Khadijah, entrepreneurship has always been about more than her passion for hair—it’s been a way to express her creativity, channel her inner work ethic, and beautify her community.
Originally from Philadelphia, Khadijah and her twin sister grew up working at their grandfather’s restaurant and practicing hair styles on each other. When she and her family moved to Atlanta, her passion for hair grew and she attended Atlanta Technical College.
“I’ve always loved to beautify. It felt natural to turn that passion into something bigger. After COVID, I wanted to bring services closer to people. But it wasn’t just about convenience—it was about creating opportunities for other stylists to grow too.”
Khadijah began working in her first salon, building a reputation for excellence in customer service. In 2014, she took a leap of faith and opened her first salon. After the pandemic, Khadijah’s vision for her business expanded to offer more flexible, pop-up options for stylists. By 2022, she opened a second location inside a train station and began offering hourly and daily booth rentals for stylists.
“I didn’t even know I needed Grameen America until I joined. Grameen America was a safety net that gave me room to pivot my business.”
While Khadijah’s business was successful, she still faced the financial obstacles of scaling operations. When Khadijah discovered Grameen America at a local networking event, initially she was hesitant from previously facing rejections for loans from banks. However, Khadijah was impressed with the low barriers to access loans, low interest rate, and peer networking.
“Grameen America made me push forward, build my brand, and open new horizons. Now I want to scream to every woman business owner to join. As an entrepreneur who has had loans and grants before, I never would’ve expected to be able to make weekly loan repayments, but it’s been nearly a year and I can’t imagine doing it differently.”
The extra capital allowed Khadijah to expand beauty services beyond hair and pivot her business model to offer memberships for stylists, which include skills-based classes, business, and rentals. Through Grameen America, Khadijah also found a supportive network of entrepreneurs who push each other to new levels of success.
“The networking has helped connect the dots by introducing me to other business owners in the community who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. We are our own family. Being part of a group of ladies who have my back isn’t always easy to find in the small business world, but we have a comradery I’ve been looking for.”
For Khadijah, one measure of success is the impact she has on her community. Her businesses are centrally located on the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, making it easier for her to collaborate with emerging talent. Every other month, she partners with local schools and community leaders to offer aspiring stylists mentorship, continuing education, and career pathway opportunities.
“Atlanta has been the best place for me as a Black entrepreneur and business owner. The city has allowed me to grow and scale with the neighborhood. There’s nowhere else in the world with this much connectedness. I want to be a resource for the community, not just a business.”
Khadijah remains committed to her neighborhood. She’s actively involved in local merchant associations and neighborhood meetings, working to create a more vibrant community.
“I hope to be an example that hard work and dedication pays off. Giving back to the community and creating jobs for young people is a way to continually uplift Black talent so we can live up to our full potential.”
Looking ahead, Khadijah dreams of taking her membership-based salon model global, creating a technology platform to better serve the needs of on-the-go stylists and clients. Ultimately, Khadijah hopes to retire from working behind the chair and shift her focus on branding, education, and community leadership.