About me
Jason Backe has been a beauty entrepreneur, product developer, global spokesperson, premiere educator, and a salon owner for over twenty years. His previous salons were on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, Chevy Chase, Maryland, part of the Washington D.C. metro area and at the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Today he is the co-owner of Starring by Ted Gibson, the world’s first smart salon powered by Amazon and Alexa, in Los Angeles, California with his husband and business partner, celebrity stylist Ted Gibson.
In addition to his vast salon experience Jason, along with Ted, has developed two successful, luxury haircare lines sold across North America from high end department stores like Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Holt Renfrew in Canada and Target stores across the continent.
Jason’s client list has always been impressive. He satisfied New York City’s and Washington DC’s most influential people. From high powered executives, models, and influencers to some of the most recognized women in the word. Women such as Anne Hathaway, Tessa Thompson, Rene Zellweger, Priyanka Chopra, Madelyn Cline, Kate Walsh, and many more have trusted Jason with their professional appearances and personal beauty.
Because of his ability to offer practical advice, and his exuberant personality, Jason is a go-to for top editors and regularly quoted in the best beauty and fashion publications such as Allure, InStyle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle and The New York Times. He has also a been a guest on television shows like the Today show, Good Morning America, Rachael Ray and several regional news programs across America. Additionally, Jason’s work as a celebrity colorist has been extolled in Allure magazine’s Directory four years in a row, Insider’s Guide, Best of Beauty and Bridal Guide.
Jason built his career by working as a brand representative for some of the worlds leading product manufacturers; Global Purefessional for Aveda from 1998-2003, Clairol Global Color Director from 2008 – 2010, L’Oreal Professionnel Haircolor Ambassador 2010-2018 and most recently for The Crown Professional North American Ambassador. Through these opportunities, Jason has traveled the world educating stylists, salon owners and distributors in hair cutting, coloring and smoothing techniques and helped fellow entrepreneurs with social media skills, branding and business building. He excels at leading teams to success in whether it’s a salon hitting it retail goals or an international team of hairdressers putting on a mainstage performance. Jason has been relied upon to create memorable, impactful experiences for both the consumer and the professional.
Most recently Jason identified three challenges stopping beauty professionals from opening their own small businesses: a lack of professional education, a void when it comes to mentorship and networking, and limited availability to capital. To address these issues, he became founder of the Worth Up Alliance, a nonprofit organization created to mentor would-be beauty entrepreneurs to help turn their dreams into reality.
