34 year old, T. Barnes is the proprietor of T. Barnes Beauty, LLC, a beauty business that offers esthetic services, T. Barnes Organic Skincare line and A T. Barnes company, which plans events and produces art projects. T. Barnes has a bachelors in Sociology from New York University and a Masters (Summa Cum Laude) in history (with a concentration in African American Women’s history), from Western CT State University. She obtained her Connecticut certification in Esthetics from American Academy of Cosmetology in 2003 and completed her New York State Esthetic license program in 2006 from The Tarrytown School of Esthetics. She has been a business owner since the ripe age of 17 and combines her academic interest and passion for beauty with the motto: T. Barnes Beauty, where beauty is personal, emotional, spiritual and political.

A native of Texas, T. Barnes spent her childhood moving domestically from one sate to another and spent her last semester in High school studying in Moscow, Russia. At the young age of 12, TaNesha began planning small events for her school. She soon became president of the local NAACP and began planning workshops and seminars for other youth within the tri-state area. In college, she continued her political activism becoming the first Freshman President of the NYU NAACP college chapter in her second semester. Intrigued by the entertainment industry opportunities NYU afforded its students, she began a series of internships including Def Jam Records, Little Louie Vega Records, Boopers Night Club and Essence Magazine. At 19, echoes of ebony entertainment was created in her dark New York City dorm room. What started out as a small company that produced new artist showcases soon developed into a full artist development firm. echoes of ebony went on to produce showcases and concerts for both new and established artists.

Shortly after college, T. Barnes moved to Italy. In the undeniable fashion capitol of our world she found a new love, FASHION. During the mornings she worked for a small yet well-known designer, Ghissu, where she helped to create the designer’s first catalog. She even made trips back to the United States to host trunk shows to display the creativity of an emerging Italian talent. In the night she was able to pursue her love for organizing events by producing showcases in a small local Florentine bar, The Blob. Through her charm and organizing efforts she turned a small bar into a haven for would-be artists studying abroad from all over the world.

Returning to the states, TaNesha began working for Harriette Cole at Profundities, a life coaching, literary and style company providing production coordination for fashion photo shoots for Savoy magazine, literary tours, coordinated artist development for Alicia Keys and special events for the entertainment industry including a Bad Boy records summer retreat for Sean Combs. Inspired by Harriette’s vision and achievements she revamped echoes of ebony and for two years she ran the business full-time and produced event marketing projects for companies like Mauri Shoes. Therefore when the opportunity to purchase a salon was presented to her it was indeed the natural progression to combine her passion for beauty and business and utilize all of her acquired skills in the entertainment, fashion, literary and event industries.

T. Barnes owned Solace Lifestyle Salon and Day Spa for 7 years and it has transitioned into T. Barnes Beauty, LLC with a focused service, product and brand marketed to African American women. In an effort to combine the spa business with her academic passions she has currently formed a non profit organization, The House of Solace, which will house a small spa studio, bed and breakfast and Beyond Beauty, a program targeted at black women to address their overall physical, emotional, spiritual and financial needs. In the interim of the programs development she is working as a World History instructor at Pathways Academy for Boys, teaching 6th -8th grade and continuing to service her clientele in a private esthetics studio. T. Barnes is an entrepreneur at the core of her being, her desire to surround herself with people that create, for the uplift of the community, is the passionate drive behind each of her endeavors.