Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Keller.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Life has many challenges whether physical, emotional, financial or spiritual. I founded EBeauty Community Inc. After surviving breast cancer for a second time. I already owned the domain www.ebeauty.com and in 2010 created a non-profit organization that would support women undergoing treatment for cancer utilizing the EBeauty domain and the trademark Beauty Without Boundaries. The EBeauty website offers a number of programs and volunteer opportunities utilizing the support of local communities. Over the next year, two of my sisters-in-law were diagnosed with cancer. I provided a wig to one of my sisters-in-law and when she was finished with her treatment that sister-in-law offered the wig to the other. I immediately recognized that through EBeauty.com I could provide a much-needed service and facilitate a wig exchange program. My personal experience was the impetus for the wig exchange program. Wigs are donated to EBeauty from all over the country through a network of cancer resource centers, nurse navigators, hospitals, The American Cancer Society (ACS) and word of mouth. All donated wigs are professionally cleaned and refurbished and then inventoried at a storage facility located in Washington, DC. EBeauty currently has over 10000 wigs in its inventory. Wigs are requested via the Internet at www.ebeauty.com. Women can go online to select a wig, including its style, length, color and look. The wig is then shipped at no cost to each cancer patient who submits a request. EBeauty is the only organization nationwide that provides this service. ACS ran a similar program that was not Internet based and has since abandoned it and is now partnered with EBeauty.
Has it been a smooth road?
The expression is careful what you wish for comes to mind. When we started EBeauty, I said if we can help one woman on her road to recovery we would have been successful. To date, we have received and distributed over 17,000 wigs. It is apparent that there is a great need for our program. I would like to see us continue to grow our hospital partnerships so that we have 10 in our network by the end of this year. Our number one obstacle is in cleaning and refurbishing the wigs. When we started the Wig Exchange Program our wigs were clean for free. We now pay $4.00 per wig. We are currently exploring ideas to partner with beauty schools to help support this effort.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with EBeauty Community – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
EBeauty’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of women undergoing chemotherapy treatments through the implementation of our Wig Exchange Program, the EBeauty Community and through our hospital partnerships EBeauty’s primary objective is to provide women who could otherwise not afford a wig the opportunity to obtain a wig for free. Over the last 7 years, approximately 24,500 women have received and/or donated wigs through the Wig Exchange Program. Today, EBeauty runs the only national wig exchange program in the U.S. supporting women undergoing treatment for cancer.
The Wig Exchange Program seeks to help every cancer patient gain access to a quality wig for free. It’s a simple premise that has a powerful impact on women undergoing treatment for cancer, women who have completed cancer treatment donate their used wigs, which are then refurbished and distributed free of charge, to a woman undergoing treatment. The program has grown exponentially over the last two years. Between 2011 and 2015, EBeauty received over 5,000 wigs and cleaned, refurbished and provided over 2,500 wigs to women who are financially disadvantaged or live in remote locations. In 2015, EBeauty developed a partnership with Look Good Feel Better, a project of the American Cancer Society Personal Care and Products Council and The Professional Beauty Association. In 2016, wig donations and distribution increased by 70%. In 2017, we were able to meet the tremendous demand resulting from the Look Good Feel Better partnership while building new partnerships with the foremost hospitals in Miami, MD, VA and Washington, D.C. In March 2017, in partnership with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, we piloted “EBeauty Mobile”. Through this new program, we have been able to go directly to the women who need us the most. Based on the success of this model, in August, we replicated EBeauty Mobile at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital’s Lombardi Cancer Center. To date our hospital partners including; John Hopkins Hospital Systems, Inova, MedStar Georgetown, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Baptist Hospital allowing us to reach thousands of families.
Each day EBeauty make a difference in the lives of the women who receive wigs, women who donate, daughters, mothers, husbands, children, co-workers and working with organizations seeking to find the cure. EBeauty is presently seeking to expand its hospital partners to include four new hospitals this year.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Even though EBeauty started in Washington DC, the founder, (Me), relocated to Miami Beach and after falling in love with Miami, the culture and the people I am now a permanent resident. I was fortunate to be introduced to both Baptist and Sylvester hospital centers and introduce them to EBeauty. In 2017 we piloted EBeauty Mobile an, on-site wig program, at both hospitals. To-date Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer institute has distributed 350 wigs alone. After the success with Sylvester and Baptist we have expanded the program to DC, NY, Maryland, Virginia and Boston. Miami and South Florida offer an amazing opportunity to EBeauty.
We have cultivated extremely generous donors and at the same time have been able to support those that need our services the most.
There is nothing I dislike about Miami. Not even the traffic bothers me.
Contact Info:
- Address: EBeauty Community Inc.
1350 I Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005 - Website: www.EBeauty.com
- Phone: 202-468-2429
- Email: carolyn@ebeauty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebeauty_com_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebeautycommunity/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EBeauty_Com
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
