01/1/2025

Thrive Hair Bar’s wins Pure Leaf Tea Break Grant to support the employee experience and personal development of Thrive Hair Bar’s team members.

12/11/2024

Thrive Hair Bar’s CEO, Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham joins actors Michelle Hurd, Jason George, and founder Youma Niangadou as a panelist for Inclusivity in Cosmetology Education hosted by US Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.

09/21/2024

Thrive Hair Bar opens the H Street Festival’s fashion stage with “Natural Hair Everywhere”, directed and choreographed by Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham.

11/21/2023

Thrive Hair Bar wins $5,000 Grant from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Coalition to Back Black Businesses

10/15/2023

Mayor Bowser “Investing in our local businesses = Fueling #DCsComeback & economic growth”, interview featuring Thrive Hair Bar’s CEO, Ajia

10/4/2023

Thrive Hair Bar’s CEO, Ajia, was the featured speaker for Mayor Bowser’s Great Streets Grant Recipient Press Event

06/10/2023 - Thrive Hair Bar DC’s Grand Opening

Thrive Hair Bar to open its first DC salon on H Street NE!

Washington, DC May 26, 2023 - Thrive Hair Bar DC is holding its grand opening at 528 H Street NE in Washington DC on Saturday, June 10, 2023 from 12pm to 6pm. Thrive Hair Bar is an express, natural hair salon that provides twists, braids, and blowouts by stylists who are trained to care for all hair textures. The Thrive Hair Bar experience includes services by stylists who embrace and cater to their client’s natural hair and their desire to wear it in its natural state; uses products to address the unique hair care needs of each client; and can have clients in-and-out of the salon in 90 minutes or less. Thrive Hair Bar’s mission is to normalize kinky, coily, and curly hair in all settings, including those personal, professional, and luxurious.

The Thrive Hair Bar DC location was a collaborative project realized by DMV women entrepreneurs including the founder of Thrive Hair Bar, Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham, local architect Kristina Crenshaw of 17/27 Design Studio, and DC interior designer Megan Capo of Cuphoe – all will be featured during the grand opening event. The grand opening event will also feature musical and dance performances from local artists, raffle prizes, an interview with local scientist and founder of Alodia Haircare, Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris, and an interview with the co-founder of Baby Tress, Hannah Choi. The public is invited to celebrate.
About Thrive Hair Bar

Thrive Hair Bar was founded in 2019 by Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham and opened its first salon in Arlington, Virginia in 2020 with the mission to normalize natural hair and to empower its clients to embrace their natural hair in all settings. To achieve this mission, Thrive Hair Bar prioritizes hair health above all, provides ongoing training to all employees, only using products free of “SPPAM” (Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates, Animal cruelty, and Mineral oil), and does not perform harmful chemical processes, color processes, nor extension services.

About 17/27 Design Studio

Specializing in restaurant, hospitality, and retail design, 17/27 is an interior architecture firm that builds visionary spaces with real world value led by Kristina Crenshaw, AIA, NCARB. Kristina is an accomplished architect licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia who has cultivated a wide-ranging portfolio encompassing restaurants, workspaces, residential amenity spaces, and retail stores that blend personality and practicality.

About Cuhpoe

Cuhpoe is a boutique interior design studio located in Washington, DC with a focus on hospitality, home and experiential environments. Cuhpoe was founded by Megan Capo, NCIDQ, to bridge the gap between interiors, architecture, and the many things in between. Cuhpoe frequently partners with developers, management companies, business and homeowners, contractors, architects, furniture procurement agents, artists, artisans and other designers to bring one of a kind visions to life.

About Alodia Haircare

Alodia Hair Care was officially launched in 2017 by Dr.Isfahan Chambers-Harris. Alodia Hair Care was born out of Dr. Isfahan’s personal experiences with unnatural, toxic hair care products. Today, the company is an international brand that offers luxury hair care products and services that are naturally, medically and nutritionally sound. The core of the business focuses on 3 areas: individual hair products, hair product kits, and scalp consultations. All 3 areas connect to Alodia Hair Care’s mission to help women Learn, Love, and Grow their hair.

About Baby Tress

Baby Tress was founded in 2018 by Hannah Choi and Aspen Kennard, an innovative team whose mission has always been to correct how underrepresented women of color are in the beauty industry through research, product development, branding, and storytelling. Their first tool, The Edge Styler,® was created by and for a diverse collective of women of color. Baby Tress creates hair styling tools and experiences that honor a legacy of hair care and self-expression.

06/05/2023

Thrive Hair Bar wins an $80,000 grant from Washington, D.C.’s Great Streets Retail Small Business Grant.

06/01/2022

Thrive Hair Bar founder and CEO, Ajia, joins VIP-X accelerator at Venture Lab, the entrepreneurship center at Wharton and earns a $4,000 grant from the accelerator. Learn more about Venture Lab at the University of Pennsylvania Here

05/01/2022

Thrive Hair Bar’s founder and CEO, Ajia, hosts a segment on hair care for Virginia’s Fairfax County Government to help transracial foster and adoptive families increase confidence and skills caring for children with different types of hair. See Segment Here