I’m Brooke Hill, co-founder and CEO of Swella, a braid salon that’s rethinking the way people experience hair braiding. Swella was built to make braiding more accessible, efficient, and enjoyable while also creating real economic opportunities for braiders. We’ve grown from Atlanta to Charlotte, building a strong community of clients and stylists along the way. As a 100% Black woman-owned business, I’m passionate about making the beauty industry more sustainable and empowering Black women in the process.

Swella also holds a utility patent on Unravl, a first-of-its-kind technology designed to remove a monotonous, time-consuming part of the braiding process, helping decrease braider burnout and improve efficiency. Looking ahead, my goal is to scale Swella through franchising, sharing the blueprint for success with other Black women so they can build thriving businesses of their own.