Despite many personal and professional challenges over the last 12 months, 2017 was an exciting year for Coils to Locs!

We continue to have conversations and develop relationships with healthcare providers, community leaders and supporters across the city.

It is wonderful to have individuals who understand our vision of making Afrocentric wigs available to black women in particular who want to use their health insurance to purchase wigs that look like their hair.  The lack of available (preferred) wigs that can be purchased via health insurance and the knowledge to cater to patients of color interested in these wigs is a healthcare disparity that we are poised to address in the Boston area.

With continued support, Coils to Locs is poised for success!

Here’s what we are doing in 2018:

• Launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise much needed funding for our initiative.
• Continuing conversations with supporters and stakeholders who are interested in the work that we are doing and who are positioned to help us reach our goals.
• Building a partnership with a local company to identify wig manufacturers.
• Solidifying the trademark of Coils to Locs for business purposes.
• Giving back by offering free health and wellness workshops for women of color touched by cancer in the community through our partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Lazarex Cancer Center Equity Group.

How can you help us reach our goals of a successful business launch in 2018?

• Sign up for our email list to keep track of our progress.
• Spread the word about Coils to Locs with family, friends, and associates and encourage them to join our email list.
• Refer us to leaders at hospitals and health centers who are willing to listen/work with us.
• If there are ways that you think you can help us with our launch or fundraising, contact us.
• Participate in our upcoming crowdfunding campaign (join our email list to be notified of the crowdfunding launch.
• Share our links on your social media pages.

A Special Thank You

There are so many individuals that have taken the time to have a “no strings attached” conversation to learn about what we are doing to address a healthcare disparity for women of color who want kinky curly wig styles. These individuals have referred me to others in the industry, offered advice, support, funding and more. We can’t thank them enough:

• Jonathan Jackson, PH.D, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Emily Gorton, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Evelyn Abayaah, Massachusetts General Hospital
• MGH Lazarex Cancer Center Equity Program
• Suffolk Law School Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic
• Thea James, M.D., Boston Medical Center
• Linda Meyers, Windows of Hope  at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Mark Kennedy, Boston Public Health Commission
• Bill Walczak, South End Community Health Center
• Jim McSherry, Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
• Kimberly Lyle, Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
• Tricia Young, TLE Consulting Group
• Liora Beer, Fairmount Innovation Lab
• Michael Sandman, SCORE
• Riley Rogers, SCORE
• The Coils to Locs Advisory Board
• Ujima Project
• Dorchester Food Community Co-op
• Fields Corner Business Lab
• Crystal Alston, The Kroc Center, Salvation Army
• Cheryl McCloud
• Liora Norwich
• Karen Burns White, Dana Farber
• Candace Burns, Dana Farber
• Josephine Shaddock
• Carolyn McCloud
• Paige Austin
• Victor Merritt
• Edward Shaddock
• Stephen McCloud

Here’s to a successful 2018 launch!