Belk College senior Ashleigh Thornton is featured in the November 2012 issue of Seventeen magazine, in an article spotlighting young entrepreneurs.
Ashleigh, a double major in Marketing and Spanish, started making all-natural hair-care products at home during her sophomore year. She had decided to stop processing her hair and was dismayed by the additives found in commercial products. After sharing her homemade concoctions with family and friends, Ashleigh founded Noire Naturals in September 2011.
The product line took off - in February, Ashleigh estimated that she was selling 100-200 items per month, not including wholesale distribution - and Ashleigh now has a partnership with Dudley Cosmetics to manufacture her products.
Earlier this year, Seventeen announced a nationwide contest for young entrepreneurs, "Make Your Own Money," Ashleigh submitted a detailed description of her business and an outline of her future plans. She learned this summer that she was one of three contest winners, earning a check for $2,000 and a complimentary membership in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in addition to the feature in the November magazine.
A native of Kansas City who now calls Greensboro home, Ashleigh was drawn to UNC Charlotte because of its easy access to big-city life. After beginning her academic career as a political science major, Ashleigh transferred to the Belk College. "It reminded me of myself - up and coming," she recalls.
Ashleigh has been active in campus organizations and has taken advantage of internship and networking opportunities, including summer internships at Hallmark and McGuire Woods Consulting, participating in a job-shadow with Bloomberg during the Democratic National Convention, and interning with the Charlotte Chamber this fall. Ashleigh also has been a Belk College Dean's Fellow for the past two years.
In addition to continuing to build Noire Naturals, Ashleigh's ambitions after graduation are focused on law school and politics. "I want to make a difference," she says.