Chareen Fountain

The girl with the Kool-Aid stand is long gone. It’s been years since little Chareen Fountain, determined to both start a business and satisfy thirsty neighbors, set up shop on her porch in East Cleveland with a stack of cups and a pitcher of the sweet drink. Today, that savvy nine-year-old is known for more grown-up entrepreneurial efforts: Fountain is the CEO of Styles of Success Beauty Loft, a thriving salon that introduced professional beauty services to one of Cleveland’s inner-city communities; co-founder of Reesential Inc., a staffing company that connects employers with qualified personnel; and former owner of Harbor Bar & Grill and Olive Twyst Tapas Lounge, night spots that offered Northeast Ohioans a leisurely way to unwind. Her stint selling Kool-Aid doesn’t quite make the resume. However, the ambition and desire to that launched her beverage stand now influences career choices and charitable acts that benefit countless Clevelanders – far beyond her front porch. Fountain’s family isn’t surprised by her success. They remember her focus as a youth: how, while other relatives gathered to play card games, a teenaged Fountain was in another room styling the hair of local women, a skill that led her to enroll in cosmetology school while in the 11th grade. They also remember how she wasn’t content with a cosmetology license. While her peers partied and enjoyed the city’s nightlife, a 24-year-old Fountain purchased her first piece of real estate – and quickly accumulated a portfolio. That property eventually included Styles of Success, the salon she launched in 1998 with a staff of 17 barbers and beauticians. Plus, there were other pursuits. As if serving as a CEO, stylist and landlord wasn’t challenging enough, Fountain would also ultimately become a certified Funeral Service Technician, earn a diploma in forensic science and pursue a Bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University. The accomplishments are impressive. But it’s her triumph through adversity that everyone appreciates most. In June 2011, copper thieves sparked a building fire that gutted Styles of Success. The incident destroyed Fountain’s beloved salon, causing her to lose clients and forcing cherished staff members to find work elsewhere. Throw in the simultaneous end of her marriage, and Fountain’s dark period is the type from which many people do not emerge but she did. This is why she is so passionate about encouraging others.