On a lively opening night in downtown Keene, community members gathered to celebrate the launch of J. Alexis Braiding Studio, a new business founded by Keene State College alum Jeadminas Alexis.
Alexis is no stranger to Keene. After moving from Haiti in 2016, she said she built her life in the city, attending middle school, high school and eventually college in Keene. Now, at just 23 years old, she is giving back to the same community by creating a space she said was long overdue.
“Every single time I had to do my hair, I had to drive an hour, two hours. I was like, you know what? Maybe let me just keep doing it myself,” Alexis said.
What began as a personal solution soon grew into a passion. Alexis said she taught herself how to braid, practicing consistently even when she felt discouraged at the start.
“I almost gave up at first because I was not great at it,” she said. “But then I kept being consistent with it, and it started getting better.”
Alexis said her first unofficial client came unexpectedly at a party. After telling someone she could braid, she found herself booked for an appointment the following Monday.
“It didn’t look like how it looks now,” she said, laughing. “But that’s how it started.”
From charging just $25 to cover product costs to steadily building a loyal client base, Alexis said she was able to turn a side skill into a growing business. The journey to opening her salon was far from easy.
“Time was the biggest challenge,” she explained. “I’m very new to business, and my degree is the furthest thing from it.”
Alexis said she graduated with a major in criminal justice and a minor in biology, and that she now works full-time as a probation officer while also balancing graduate and law school, all while launching her salon.
She said the process of securing and preparing the salon space also came with unexpected obstacles, including limited access to the building and a tight timeline to get everything ready.
“For two weeks, I had to drive from Burlington, Vermont, down here every weekend,” she said. “But I liked it enough that I wanted to focus on it.”
Despite the challenges, Alexis said she leaned on support from friends and family to bring her vision to life.
Her time at Keene State also played a major role in shaping her confidence. As the founder of the college’s Black Student Union (BSU), Alexis said she discovered her leadership abilities and learned to step outside her comfort zone.
“That’s something I always look back at,” she said. “It made me realize I’m more than capable of doing something big.”
Now officially open, J. Alexis Braiding Studio offers not only hair services but also a sense of accessibility and belonging for the community.
“It feels good knowing this is now open to the community,” Alexis said. “If someone wants to get their hair done last minute, they can just come here.”
According to Alexis, choosing Keene as the location was a natural decision.
“Keene is my hometown,” she said. “I knew what the community was lacking and what it needed.”
As for others who may be hesitant to pursue their own ideas, Alexis offered this advice:
“Just do it. Do it when you’re tired, when you’re afraid, when you don’t have any money, just do it. Everything comes with time.”
Elianny Nunez can be contacted at
enunez@kscequinox.com
