Summit Salon Academy- Tacoma

What Summit Salon Academy- Tacoma does

Summit Salon Academy in Tacoma is a privately held, NACCAS-accredited beauty school operated as TSPA NW LLC in Tacoma, Washington, founded in 2006 and rebranded under its current name in 2014 alongside the Summit Salon Business Center (SSBC) curriculum. The academy offers three core instructional programs: a 1,600-hour Cosmetology program (tuition ~$20,000 plus a ~$2,900 kit), a 750-hour Esthetics program (tuition ~$14,000 plus a ~$3,000 kit), and a 500-hour Instructor Training program (tuition ~$4,500 plus a ~$350 kit). The school is authorized by the US Department of Education to disburse federal financial aid (school code 041701), making Title IV eligibility central to its tuition-funded revenue model. Students are taught on a campus located off I-5 at 3702 South Fife Street, Suite B102, in facilities that include a student-run salon and spa open to the public, where supervised students provide haircuts, color, facials, waxing, and nail services at modest price points.

The academy's technology stack is predominantly pedagogical rather than software-native: iPads are bundled into student kits for digital portfolio creation, and third-party platforms — Beautista (personal branding), Money EDU by Qnity (financial literacy), and the SSBC Level System — are integrated into instruction. Curricula are anchored by premier-tier partnerships with Redken (Premier School), Dermalogica (Partnership School), and PCA Skin (Associate School), supplemented by technology/tool partnerships with Bio-Therapeutic and Sam Villa. The school's go-to-market mixes paid digital (Google Ads/PPC), organic social (Instagram and Facebook), high-school recruitment, a beauty-career quiz lead magnet, alumni referrals, and signature community events such as the annual Hair BRA-Zaar, which has raised cumulatively more than $120,000 across 2024–2026 for HairToStay and the Sydney Berry Fund. The business is independently owned by a multi-partner group including Karen A Shea, Michael W Shea, Daniel Brassfield, Michael and Wendy Courter, and Brigid Peterson, with no external private equity, venture investment, or parent company structure disclosed.

Name

Summit Salon Academy- Tacoma

Legal name

TSPA NW LLC

Website

https://summitsalonacademy.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Summit Salon Academy in Tacoma is a NACCAS-accredited private beauty school offering cosmetology, esthetics, and instructor training programs, operating a student-run salon and spa on its Tacoma campus and serving aspiring beauty professionals in the South Puget Sound region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Beauty Education

NAICS

Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Beauty Salons (812112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cosmetology (General) (EDAOALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hair Styling & Cutting (EDAOALAB), Cosmetology Schools & Programs (HSALANAA), Esthetics & Skincare Training Programs (HSALANAB), Salon Business, Management & Retail Training (HSALANAK)

Keywords

• Cosmetology education
• Esthetics training
• Beauty school
• Instructor training
• Vocational beauty education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cosmetology Program Tuition: Primary revenue stream from 1,600-hour cosmetology program. Tuition of $20,000 plus $2,900 for textbooks and kit. Students receive iPad, professional tools, and industry-standard equipment.
2. Esthetics Program Tuition: Revenue from 750-hour esthetics program. Tuition of $14,000 plus $3,000 for textbooks and kit including Bio-Therapeutic tools.
3. Instructor Training Program Tuition: 500-hour instructor certification program. Tuition of $4,500 plus $350 for textbooks and kit. Federal financial aid not available for this program.
4. Guest Salon Services: Full-service student salon offering haircuts, color, facials, waxing, nails, and spa services to public at affordable prices. Services performed by students under instructor supervision.
5. Professional Products Retail: Sale of professional hair and skincare products including Redken, Dermalogica, and other salon products for at-home maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Summit Salon Academy - Tacoma is a state-licensed beauty school that delivers cosmetology (1,600 hours), esthetics (750 hours), and instructor training (500 hours) programs to individual students. It also operates a guest salon where students provide supervised hair, skin, and related services to the public as part of their hands-on training.

Product overview

Summit Salon Academy offers three main educational programs (Cosmetology, Esthetics, and Instructor Training) that prepare students for careers in the beauty industry. The academy operates a student-run salon and spa where students gain hands-on experience providing real client services. The programs incorporate business training through the Summit Salon Business Center curriculum, which teaches client building, goal setting, retail strategies, and financial literacy. Students receive iPads as part of their kits for digital portfolio creation and social media marketing. The institution partners with professional beauty brands including Redken, Dermalogica, PCA Skin, Bio-Therapeutic, Sam Villa, Olaplex, Brazilian Blowout, and Pulp Riot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cosmetology Program State-approved 1,600-hour cosmetology training program that prepares individual students for state licensure and entry-level careers in hair, skin, and nail services.
• Esthetics Program State-approved 750-hour esthetics training program that prepares individual students for state licensure and entry-level careers in skin care services.
• Instructor Training Program State-approved 500-hour instructor training program that prepares licensed cosmetology or esthetics professionals to become licensed instructors in the field.
• Guest Salon Services Student-run salon on the academy campus where supervised students provide hair, skin, and related beauty services to the local Tacoma public as part of their hands-on training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Esthetics program: 750 hours completed in 26 weeks full-time
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Summit Salon Business Center (SSBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry leader in business consulting for beauty professionals. Developed the Level System and business strategies used by salons nationwide. SSBC curriculum integrated into all programs. Owner Michael Shea was a consultant with SSBC traveling the country for 8 years. Partnership provides unique business training alongside technical education.
• RedkencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier School status with leading professional hair care brand. Students receive Redken principle-based training for color techniques, blonding, cutting, and styling. Redken products used in education. Access to Redken Symposium and contest opportunities like Sam Villa shadowing.
• DermalogicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership School status with leading professional skincare brand. Students trained in Dermalogica protocols for skin analysis, facials, and advanced treatments using their products and methodology.
• HairToStaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit providing scalp cooling treatments to help cancer patients preserve hair during chemotherapy. Annual Hair BRA-Zaar fundraiser benefits HairToStay and the Sydney Berry Fund. Has raised over $120,000+ combined through events. Academy featured in Beauty Industry Report for fundraising efforts.
• Sydney Berry FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFund within HairToStay created to subsidize younger women (40 and under) and beauty industry professionals for scalp cooling treatment. Named after industry leader and cancer survivor Sydney Berry.
• Professional Beauty Association (PBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents selected to attend PBA Beacon program connecting promising beauty students with top industry professionals. National networking and career development opportunity.
• Salon Network (Tacoma/Pierce County)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of salons across Tacoma and Pierce County area for student career placement and job opportunities. Career resources include access to employer network for graduate job placement.
• American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership providing scholarship resources and recognition. Winner of 2022 Community Involvement Award. Member access to scholarship calendar and industry resources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Salon Professional Academy (TSPA): Summit Salon Academy is part of the TSPA network of independently operated cosmetology and esthetics schools that share the SSBC business curriculum and Level System. The most directly comparable peer by model, curriculum, and partnership stack.
• Aveda Institutes: Network of premium cosmetology and esthetics schools tightly coupled to the Aveda brand, with a similar brand-partnered curriculum and admissions narrative. Comparable to Summit's Redken/Dermalogica Premier School positioning.
• Paul Mitchell Schools: National franchise of cosmetology trade schools built around the Paul Mitchell brand partnership and culture-driven admissions model. Highly comparable in brand-partnered trade-school mechanics.
• Empire Beauty Schools: One of the largest US chains of NACCAS-accredited cosmetology schools with comparable tuition structure, financial aid eligibility, and career-placement focus. Directly comparable trade-school operating model.
• Sassoon Academy: Premium cosmetology school built on the Vidal Sassoon brand with a high-touch technical curriculum. Comparable to Summit in brand-driven positioning and premium admissions narrative.
• Bellus Academy: NACCAS-accredited cosmetology and esthetics school with comparable program mix, kit-based premium tuition, and career placement services. Directly comparable private trade-school peer.
• Xenon International Academy: Private cosmetology and esthetics school offering comparable state-licensed programs with similar tuition and financial aid positioning. Directly comparable private trade-school peer.

Broad incumbents

• Tricoci University of Beauty Culture: Multi-location cosmetology and esthetics school with a broader regional footprint. Overlapping program offerings and student segments make it a relevant broader incumbent competitor.

Others

• Milady (MiladyPro / Milady Standard): Dominant provider of cosmetology/esthetics curriculum and licensing exam prep content used across many beauty schools. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but influential on the school's curriculum choices.
• Professional Beauty Association (PBA): National beauty industry association that Summit's students are channeled into via the Beacon program. Industry-body counterpart rather than a competitor; included because PBA signals and scholarships materially shape the school's positioning and student pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ssatacoma

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summit Salon Academy- Tacoma