BLACK LIGHT

By Anthoni Haynes, President

Established in April 2022, ‘Black Light’ began as a podcast series hosted by Black World’s President, Anthoni Haynes, serving as a medium focusing on the talents and entrepreneurial pursuits of the Black and Latinx community at Stony Brook University.

Diamond Bolling is a hairdresser from Brooklyn who provides various hair services to the Stony Brook community. She started her hair business about two years ago, inspired by her passion for doing hair. Diamond credits her foundation with wanting to create space for Black women to feel comfortable and beautiful. Her future aspirations include becoming a lawyer and continuing to incorporate hair into her daily life. All bookings can be made through her Instagram account (@diamond.luxehair).

‘Brian.Cutz’ is the business name of an on-campus barber, Brian Rodriguez. Brian is a Stony Brook senior majoring in Business Management with a minor in Accounting. He offers services of all types, including trims, haircuts, and shape-ups. Samples of his work are available on his Instagram (@brian.cutz).

Brian began his business during the deep quarantine phase of the Covid-19 pandemic when his barber introduced the idea to him during an appointment, suggesting it would be a good chance for him. After investing time, money, and equipment into his craft, Brian has continued to excel at barbering for the past three years. He established his business because not only did it bring creativity and money, but it brought networking opportunities as well. Brian has enjoyed conversing with his clients, “They always say if you love what you’re doing, it would never feel like it is a job, and I can truly say that I’ve felt that way throughout the years.”

Rodriguez credits his identity as a Hispanic man “as motivation and keeps me on my toes. The fact that I come from struggle and can wake up every day and still have hope also

The Honey Studio was founded and operated by Arlins Arias. The business provides hair services to protect and style natural hair on campus. Established in February 2021, Arlins began her business as an outlet for Stony Brook students of color to have a business they can reach out to and do their hair. Arias states, “Hair being challenging to do for individuals and with little to no natural hair services in Long Island, I wanted to be that business available to students.” serves as a push. I want to give all of what my parents have given me and more.” Brian’s future goals include owning a barbershop, venturing into real estate, and continuing his entrepreneurship. If you would like to contact Brian, contact him via his Instagram account (@brian. cutz), phone number (631-3985103), or email (rodriguezb565@ gmail.com). BADGUY.

Arlins, a Hispanic woman, has motivated her to perfect her craft. Arias says, “I want people to remember The Honey Studio as that great hairstylist that “finessed” their hair. The Honey Studio has progressed significantly since its establishment, and Arlins is grateful for everyone that has trusted her with their crown. Looking into the future, Arlins does not aspire to continue doing hair. Arias is confident that everything she has learned about being an entrepreneur will be beneficial to help her in her career in the future. All bookings can be made through ‘The Honey Studio’ Instagram (@thehoney.studio_).

Welcome to ‘BADGUY.,’ a clothing brand all about blending streetwear and pop culture to bring you the best fashion from both worlds. We specialize in streetwear and pop culture-inspired fashion. Our brand focuses on providing high-quality, trendy clothing for our customers. Patrick Abel founded our brand and Richmond Boateng, two individuals with a passion for fashion and a vision to bring something fresh and new to the market. Our identities as first-generation children of immigrant parents have played a significant role in motivating us to succeed. Coming from backgrounds where our parents weren’t born in this country, we’ve seen firsthand the struggles and sacrifices they have made to provide for us and create a better life. We know our parents have high expectations for us, and we want to make them proud. This sense of responsibility and desire to make a difference drives us to be excellent in everything we do— Building a successful brand, excelling in school, or performing at our best on the track. clients feel good about their appearance, saying, “I feel like the prettiest girl in the world, and I love that I can make other women feel the same way after I do their hair. Not only do women get to feel this way, but I also get men right. Looking and feeling fresh is my main goal!”

Some of her future aspirations include expanding her brand and learning more skills to offer more services. She also plans to invest in herself and take on other ventures like learning how to do makeup and learning how to install extensions like weaves and wigs. All bookings for ‘Stylezbyce’ can be made through her business page on Instagram (@stylezby_ce), business number(516-468-8753), and personal Instagram account (admiree.ce).

‘BADGUY.’ sets an example for young people from similar backgrounds, showing that achieving your dreams with hard work and determination is possible. Our identities have given us a sense of purpose and motivation that fuels our ambition and helps us work daily to reach our goals. The future is bright for ‘BADGUY.,’ and we have big plans for the brand. ‘BADGUY.’ has always been an outlet for creativity, and we want to continue exploring new avenues and pushing boundaries. Whether exploring high fashion or creating short films, we’re open to trying new things and seeing where our creativity takes us. At ‘BADGUY.,’ we believe in offering high-quality, trendy clothing that our customers will love to wear. Whether you’re a streetwear or pop culture fan, we’ve got something for you. So come check us out and see what ‘BADGUY.’ has to offer! Remember, be the ‘BADGUY.’

‘Stylezbyce’ is the business name of Cierrah Thomas. Cierrah has been an entrepreneur since July 2020, deciding to take a chance with her skills and start her own business. Stylezbyce is a hair business offering protective styles, including knotless braids, natural twists, natural braids, passion twists, and loc retwists.

She started her hair business because she always wanted something of her own. She loves to see her