When Michael Blair and his wife Jennifer founded Deka Lash in 2011, the reaction from Pittsburgh was raised eyebrows and roadblocks. He visited universities and incubators about funding and potential investment in the eyelash extension business.
“They couldn’t get their arms around this concept of eyelash and retail. It was just a really difficult thing to explain,” says Blair, who compares it to software as a service because of its recurring revenue model with customers who can buy a subscription.
“We really struck out when it came to talking to my network or the community here,” he says. “They wanted to invest in technology or AI-based companies.”