Francis Tesmer didn’t initially plan on transforming the beauty industry. While building her decades-long career as a global entrepreneur, philanthropist, business executive and economic senator of the German Senate of Economy, Tesmer’s perspective shifted after she lost her mother to cancer.

“There was this moment in my life after that that I wanted to do something that would have a bigger impact on a lot of people, and I didn’t know what that was,” Tesmer tells Fashionista.

She began exploring potential projects in the health industry, but her longtime friend Rolf Lohse, founder of Rolfs Global, soon pointed her toward the beauty space. Fueled by her “deep belief” in women’s empowerment and success, Tesmer saw an opportunity to uplift beauty professionals in the U.S. — the overwhelming majority of whom are women — by expanding their access to higher education. Thus, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lead Rolfs Global Institute, powered by L’Oréal U.S.A. Professional Products Division, was born.

“At the end of the day, women are that source [of] inspiration of beauty and compassion and bringing us together and always looking for collaboration,” says Tesmer. “It’s in our DNA, right? So why not empower this group of people?”

For many beauty professionals, cosmetology school is the highest level of education, which can limit access to job opportunities that require college degrees. In response to this education gap, Lead offers what it claims is “the first college degree specifically designed for beauty professionals.” The program features two accelerated pathways to complete university-level degrees: Students can earn an Associate in Applied Science in Beauty and Wellness in two semesters from Mesa Community College (MCC) or a Bachelor of Applied Science in Advanced Leadership in four semesters from Arizona State University (ASU). Plus, students with a beauty license receive up to 30 college credits to put toward their degree.

With help from professors and university administrators, Lead tailored its program to provide a comprehensive curriculum spanning communications, science, psychology, mathematics, marketing, art and business management. Specific courses include Salon of the Future, Beauty Professional of the Future, The Science of Happiness, Transformational Leadership, The Science of Entrepreneurship and The Innovative Business of Creativity. Lead also emphasizes strengthening its students’ financial acumen to prepare them for professional success outside of the institute. As Lead’s founder and CEO, Tesmer emphasizes the program’s “holistic approach” to both beauty and business to ensure that students have mastered various areas of expertise.

With cost-effective college degree options, thanks to its expedited timelines, Lead also offers scholarship opportunities for beauty professionals. To date, Rolfs Global Institute has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships, which are available to students after they apply for the program. “[By] helping them with the finances, now you get thousands of people, tens of thousands of people, to now have access to this higher education,” Tesmer notes.

As for L’Oréal’s role in the program, the beauty conglomerate supports Lead students with scholarships and provides access to webinars, events, global media and digital support. With Lead expanding access to college degrees for beauty professionals, program graduates have the opportunity to apply for positions and explore potential careers at larger beauty companies, like L’Oréal. In a statement shared over email, the Lead team notes that “many of the graduates that work for L’Oréal have been able to enjoy promotions and next-level opportunities.”

To raise awareness for its educational opportunities geared toward aspiring beauty professionals, Lead visits high schools and universities across the country in addition to promoting its programs via social media. Lead is also releasing its first-ever documentary regarding the beauty industry’s workforce and their essential role in peoples’ lives later this year.

Tesmer has high hopes for what the program can do for the beauty industry: For one, she predicts it will further expand the industry’s workforce with educated professionals. She notes that while there may be clear career paths for aspiring hairstylists or salon owners, higher-paying positions with beauty brands (think brand marketing, product development or social media management) are largely inaccessible to those without college degrees. Lead aims to offer aspiring beauty professionals access to a wider job market while creating a broader net of strong applicants for hiring managers. On the client-facing side, Tesmer predicts that consumers will also encounter increasingly skilled cosmetologists, resulting in better beauty outcomes (aka fewer bad haircut crash outs).

“I want to reposition beauty, but with the help of its workforce,” she says. “When this workforce come[s] out and they are educated and they are proud and they are making [an] impact, this will help me to position this industry as a force of good and positive and transformation in a time we need it most.”

Looking ahead to the next five-to-seven years, Tesmer’s sights are set on expanding access to higher education for “hundreds of thousands of beauticians.” She also wants to take Lead global by introducing the program across Europe, Asia and Africa: “I want to bring it to different, diversified cultures,” Tesmer shares.

For those interested in a career in the beauty industry, Tesmer advises aspiring beauticians to “embrace innovation [and] modernization” and to contemplate the positive impact they can make on the world. “Lead is here to help everyone,” she says. “Lead is about creating leaders in the beauty industry.”

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