MEET THE OWNER

Hello, I’m Ndi.  A Nigerian born American, ambitious, tenacious, and enterprising.  A teammate, a team leader, a philanthropist. Growing up, I aspired to travel the world and meet as many people as I possibly could.  The joy of exploration for me is bipartite. I acquire new information and I give a little bit of myself also;  the exchange motivates my enjoyment of business and relationship building. In my adolescence, the goal was to become a doctor (I’m Nigerian of course) but I raised it even higher by endeavoring to obtain success in business.  Utilizing my creativity and ability to motivate others was the perfect combination for business.

 I joined the United States Marine Corps in search of an opportunity for global orientation (Japan, South Korea), and organizational leadership. It was my first introduction to SWOT analysis; I was challenged to think strategically when solving problems; there, lives were at stake.  I rapidly accelerated to the rank of Sergeant within my first enlistment.  Passion and presentation skills endorsed my matriculation in business.  I attended Albany State University and finished with a B.S. in Marketing.  Upon graduation I moved to Nashville, TN in pursuit of a job opportunity at XO Communications as an account manager. Promotions and accolades couldn’t fill the creativity void that began to grow so I sought more.  

For me, cosmetology had to be explored.  Of all the schools researched, Paul Mitchell The School had the most professional and rigorous curriculum so the choice was easy. I was promoted to Phase 2 ahead of schedule and won a sales competition awarding me an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas.  There, I met industry greats and got to pick their brains. I felt empowered and decided at that moment, I would transition into entrepreneurship. After graduating, I moved back to Washington, DC and trained at an Aveda focused salon, I also expanded my scope to extensions acquiring experiences and new skills along the way.  I then opened my own salon, Akpan Artistry, in the spring of 2018.  Business has been challenging but gratifying, I’ve been mentioned in publications such as Muna Luchi Bride magazine and the New York Times. I’ve also piqued an interest in finding solutions for women and men suffering hair loss. There is more to learn in the industry and I desire to grow my business through partnerships and collaborations.  Catapulted by that ambition, I completed an MBA program amidst the pandemic of 2020 at the University of the District of Columbia. Through my matriculation I won the D3 Innovation Conference in the Master of Business Administration category as well first place in the 3rd annual Business Research Conference.

I’m proud to say that my business is surviving COVID19 due in part to a strict compliance with CDC mandates, and an adaptability to change while leveraging technology.  Transactions and consultations are done via video call and in-person clients are comforted with a one-on-one service experience. The biggest lesson for me so far? In a world where it’s so common to look like you know what you’re doing, the greater reward comes from actually knowing and doing things right. All of my experiences have brought me here and I’ll never stop learning. 

I look forward to meeting you. Thank you for taking time to get to know a little more about me.