New AI-Powered Platform Supports Professional Beauty Industry Shift From Craft to Entrepreneurship

Manifest has introduced LumariPRO, a platform designed to help salon owners and independent beauty professionals manage operations and scale growth through AI-powered business tools, expert coaching, and tailored resources. The professional beauty industry has long excelled at training artists, but has struggled to prepare them for the realities of business ownership, digital operations, and higher expectations around business performance and client experience. Self-employed salon owners and independent stylists, which account for over one-third of the beauty workforce, take on responsibility for staffing, logistics, and long-term planning; there’s a need to pair their creative strengths with stronger business tools and support across the ecosystem. “Most beauty pros spend years mastering their artistry and craft before realizing that business ownership demands a completely different skillset and mindset,” said Paula Peralta, Hairstylist and Founding Ambassador for LumariPRO. “LumariPRO closes the gap by surrounding professionals with the kind of support most never get in beauty school: proven playbooks and a peer community that offers real-time financial insight, accountability, and encouragement.” The pro beauty industry is facing rising operating costs and tighter margins, while owners are also under growing pressure to meet higher client expectations around convenience and experience. In a recent survey of beauty …