A Conversation with Miss Rizos

Beauty, Identity and Representation: A Conversation with Miss Rizos

In October 2022, the Global Centre for Pluralism had the pleasure to host Carolina Contreras, a Dominican-American entrepreneur, activist, CEO and founder of Miss Rizos, and 2021 Global Pluralism Award laureate. The event featured a conversation with Carolina about her life’s work, including starting a blog advocating for natural Afro-textured, curly hair, which evolved into a successful salon franchise, and then into a foundation dedicated to empowering young women and girls. Miss Rizos has empowered thousands of women and girls to celebrate their identity and reconsider long-held ideas about beauty and representation, while contesting anti-Black racism.

Carolina was joined by her colleague Awilda Ravelo and the conversation was followed by a live curly hair care tutorial led by Senior Stylist, Wendy Castillo. The team of inspiring women provided a very enriching conversation delving into the politics of hair, representation, and pluralism. Read more about Carolina’s work here 

About Miss Rizos 

Miss Rizos was born in 2011 as a blog where its creator, Carolina Contreras, also known as “Miss Rizos”, shared information and resources in Spanish about caring for Afro-curly hair. In a short time, Miss Rizos became a movement through social media that celebrated, educated and empowered Dominican women and people in other countries to love themselves just as they are. In 2014, Miss Rizos opened her first salon, an idea that arose from a need in the market to have a space dedicated specifically to curly hair care without the application of chemicals or heat. The salon creates the sustainability for all the social impact activities that are carried out with girls and women across the country, allowing Miss Rizos to become a social enterprise with an innovative, diverse and dynamic team.

Through beauty, education and empowerment, the team behind Miss Rizos hope to continue changing the world one curl at a time. 

 

Panellists

Carolina Contreras

CEO and Founder, Miss Rizos

Awilda Ravelo

Administrative Manager, Miss Rizos

Wendy Castillo

Senior Stylist, Miss Rizos