KEYA NEAL
Kolour Kulture/Texture VS Race Founder, Color Educator, DEI Consultant
Keya Neal is a former stylist of 28 years turned color educator, speaker, and DEI consultant who’s breaking the textural and racial boundaries segregating the pro hair industry. She is the founder of the Kolour Kulture and Texture VS Race, both focused on teaching stylists how to identify and work with hair of all textures. Additionally, Keya’s REPAIRations program partners with Texture VS Race Collab Coaches to provide underserved stylists with equitable education. Keya strives to provide Black stylists with equitable education, while championing diversity and inclusion behind the chair and behind the scenes of the salon industry.
MORE ABOUT KEYA
A stylist whose passion for color and texture is unmatched with over 25 years of experience, Keya Neal is leading a national revolution that is breaking textural boundaries that has long separated those in the hair industry. Keya’s passion for hair color and education led to the conception of Kolour Kulture, an educational resource for stylists who are particularly interested in the science of hair color and how it interacts with various hair textures. Keya launched her cornerstone education series “Texture Vs Race” at The Energizing Summit hosted by the American Board of Certified Hair Colorist (ABCH), which has since become a nationwide movement with a summit of its very own, and has amassed the support of top industry influences including but not limited to the board of the American Board of Certified Hair Colorist.
A stylist who is certified by the ABCH herself, Keya has seen immense support from the organization and was the first Black woman to be a keynote speaker for their Energizing Summit in 2019. Keya’s educational material regarding hair texture and color is held in such high regard that she has taught at various trade shows such as IBS Las Vegas, Premiere Orlando, Bronner Bros International Beauty Show, and more. She is quite literally re-writing the book on textured hair, and has been tapped by the ABCH to contribute to their standardized study portfolio regarding working with textured hair.
Keya’s passion for hair color is palpable every time she speaks about how she wants to crush the fears stylists have when working with hair unlike their own. This passion led to the creation of the Texture Vs Race Summit, which held its inaugural summit in New Orleans on February of 2018. Since then, Texture Vs Race has toured salons across the nation to educate and inspire stylists across the country. Not only is Texture Vs Race addressing the science of color and the structure behind the hair strand, but it’s also tackling the elephant in the room by connecting stylists of different backgrounds and ethnicities to help build understanding through knowledge.
Keya's burning passion has been the driving force behind many of her accomplishments, which include being published in national magazines, educating for brands such as Dudley, Influance, and Artease Colors, launching Kolour Kulture and Texture Vs Race, becoming ABCH certified, and becoming a member of Intercoiffure Canada America.
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