Woman-Owned Barbershop to Open April 24 in NE Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – The odds were once certainly stacked against Lasheera Chambers. But the Black entrepreneur has come a long way, thanks to her fortitude, her haircutting skills and the nonprofit Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO). 

The next step on Chambers’ path to personal success will come April 24 when she opens her Queendom Cuts barbershop at 1726 N.E. Alberta St. in Portland. The 1,500-sq.ft. shop will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“Everyone is welcome, no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation. Come get crowned,”

said Chambers.

Chambers and her staff of five will provide haircuts, shaves, braids and fades. It’s difficult to find a barbershop that can do both a braid and fade, said Chambers, a licensed barber.

Men typically have to go to two different barbers to get their hair braided on the top and faded on the sides, she said.

“I can get it done all in one sitting, usually in about an hour,” said Chambers. “I will provide a service that no one else in Portland can do at the same time.”

The shop will charge from $30 for haircuts to $90 for a braid fade.

“I’m changing the stereotypes about barbers. I enjoy making people look better and feel better."

"To me, a haircut is more than just a service. It’s a conversation. It’s an experience.”

A Difficult Journey

It hasn’t been an easy journey for Chambers. With her birth mother in prison all of her childhood, Chambers grew up in an under-served Seattle community filled with gang violence, homelessness and drugs.

“Fighting to become more than a statistic was difficult,” said Chambers, 32. “My adoptive parents struggled on and off with addiction. Though they tried their hardest, they found it nearly impossible to keep a place to stay.”

As a teenager, Chambers was often homeless. She went from house to house trying to stay off the streets.   

Chambers’ aunts taught her as a child to braid hair. She started braiding classmates’ hair at school to earn a little money to eat. Later in life, she would cut hair for clients at her home. Chambers moved to Portland in 2010.

“I saw there was a need in this city for a person who was an all-around hair stylist,” she said. 

Chambers enrolled at Champions Barbering Institute in Portland. She heard of MESO through the school, where she graduated valedictorian, and became one of its clients three years ago.

With MESO’s Support

Located in N.E. Portland, MESO provides technical and financial assistance to unbanked, under-represented entrepreneurs – especially Black and Latino – in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties in Oregon, and Clark County, Wash.

“I had a business plan and a vision. MESO told me I had a unique idea,” she said. “MESO gave me access to a savings plan, provided business classes and helped me network with different people. They assisted me every step of the way.” 

Now that she’s on her way to business success, Chambers plans to help others in their journey.

“I’ve pushed myself out of poverty and I want to help others do the same. I am a master encourager. I’m uplifting and will give my customers a new perspective,” she said.

“This isn’t just about barbering. I’m changing lives, one haircut at a time."

"I want to make others better and convince them that they can do anything, despite their circumstances,” Chambers added. “I want to become the person I needed when I was younger.”