Atlanta HBCU Students Launch App for Grooming Industry

09.21.21
Atlanta HBCU Students Launch App for Grooming Industry (Photo: (Left to right) VP Donald Macintosh, CEO Stephon Greenlee and COO Denziel Tillman via Grumer)

Jersey CityThree Clark Atlanta University students joined forces over the pandemic to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams of developing a mobile grooming delivery service app.

Founders Stephon Greenlee, Donald Mcintosh and Denziel Tillman came up with the idea for Grumer from experiencing one too many risky haircuts from Atlanta barbers near the campus.

As out-of-state students, the trio acknowledged the experience of obtaining a perfect haircut was always a gamble because they did not know the barbers personally and most barbers did not have digital portfolios of their cuts.

“It wasn’t a good experience. Even our female counterparts on campus shared the same concerns about receiving beauty services. We saw the problem and tried to find a solution with Grumer,” Greenlee said, the chief executive officer.

The app, which launched Tuesday, connects clients to more than 700 Atlanta-area barbers, hair stylists, makeup artists, nail technicians, facialists, tattoo artists and massage artists. Professionals use it to showcase their work and open their availability for house calls.

Since the buzz of the app hit at the beginning of September, it has garnered interest from HBCU VC, Andreessen Horowitz, Lil Baby and Rick Ross. To celebrate the launch, free makeovers and scholarship opportunities were offered to low-income students in Atlanta.

“Two years ago, we had the idea, no money, no resources. There were points where I wanted to quit and now, two years later, I'm in rooms with Rick Ross,” Greenlee said.

Grumer is working to expand to New York and Los Angeles.

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