Motor City Match awardee seeks to increase representation in the beauty supply industry

• Jessica Kwalli founded Jessica Blair Beauty to increase representation in the beauty supply industry

• Jessica Blair Beauty provides space for Detroit entrepreneurs to showcase products through monthly pop-up events

• A $25,000 grant supported renovations at the Rosedale Park location

• Motor City Match has awarded $19.1M in cash grants; 85% of overall winners are minority-owned businesses, 70% are women-owned and 67% are owned by Detroit residents

FEBRUARY 21, 2025 (DETROIT) — Detroit Deputy Mayor Melia Howard and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) today celebrated the grand opening of Jessica Blair Beauty, a woman- and minority-owned beauty supply store located in Rosedale Park, marking the 179th Motor City Match business to open a brick-and-mortar location in the city.

After working in the healthcare field for years, including grueling hours during the pandemic, Jessica Blair Beauty founder Jessica Kwalli made a transformative leap from a career in healthcare to entrepreneurship. Her passion for beauty and hair care, combined with her realization of the lack of representation in the beauty supply industry, inspired her to open her own store in Detroit’s Rosedale Park neighborhood.

According to the Black-Owned Beauty Supply Association, only 7 percent of U.S. beauty supply stores are Black-owned. This contrasts with the Black hair care industry, which generates $2.5 billion annually and is expected to reach $6.9 billion by 2026.

“I never thought about owning a beauty supply store, even though I’ve always been interested in beauty and hair care,” Kwalli said. “We (Black Americans) spend so much money in beauty supply stores. Jessica Blair Beauty was born out of desperation – I wanted to (correct) something I saw wasn’t present, especially not in Detroit.”

Kwalli took her first steps toward this new path four years ago, dedicating eight months to researching the beauty supply industry, which she knew was difficult to break into. She developed a business plan and joined Motor City Match’s Develop track, a year later in Round 18. After viewing many properties over several years, Kwalli finally found her location in March 2024.

Jessica Blair Beauty is more than just a beauty supply store, says Kwalli. She envisions it as a community hub, showcasing well-known brands and local entrepreneurs.

“Representation in Detroit is extremely important, and I think other people have realized how important it is,” Kwalli said. “One of my biggest things was to provide a space for small businesses with skincare and haircare products and are struggling to break into the industry. We have a lot of people right here in Detroit who have these great products but just need help getting exposure.”

About 20% of Jessica Blair Beauty’s products will come from vetted Detroit small businesses, Kwalli says. She plans to host monthly pop-up events where local vendors can showcase their products and gain exposure. Her goal is to create a welcoming, family-oriented environment where customers feel comfortable asking questions and finding beauty solutions that work for them.

“Jessica saw a gap in the market, and instead of just talking about it, she took action," said Howard. “Through Motor City Match, we’re helping Detroiters like Jessica realize their business dreams while building up our neighborhood retail districts.”

Located at 18724 Grand River, Jessica Blair Beauty received a $25,000 grant from Motor City Match’s Round 26, which helped with updates and renovations to the space, including new flooring, paint, lighting, display shelves, signage and more. The store is open Monday-Friday from 12-7 PM and on Saturday from 10 AM-6 PM

“We love seeing Detroiters striving to correct representation issues in their city.”

said Sean Gray, vice president of Small Business Services at the DEGC, which manages the Motor City Match program. “Jessica’s commitment to her fellow Detroit entrepreneurs is evident, and we can’t wait to see the growth and cooperation of further additional small business owners.”

Through 27 rounds of Motor City Match:   

· Total cash grants: $19.1 million (Total leveraged investment: $102.7 million)  

· 85 percent are minority-owned businesses  

· 70 percent are women-owned businesses  

· 67 percent are businesses owned by Detroit residents

About Motor City Match   

Motor City Match is a unique partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit (EDC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of Southeast Michigan community development financial institutions and corporations including, Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Foundation, Hudson Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, New Economy Initiative, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Motor City Match applications are available quarterly. More information is available at www.MotorCityMatch.com.