MEET OUR CEO + FOUNDER
Riley Craig- Shaffer
owner/stylist
specializes in hand-tied extensions, blonding, dimensional colors and styling
Being strong is what has built Riley, her business, and career. Riley strives to help others in the hair industry to grow behind the chair and in life.
Riley has known since she was a little girl that hair was always her passion. Riley graduated from the Paul Mitchell the School Chicago in 2014 and while in school, she was on the Design Team, and attended Caper in Las Vegas, a student-based hair show, where she was one of the first 100 students Nationwide in the Paul Mitchell network to raise $3,000 for various charities. Through this, she met Magic Johnson, Betty White, Marie Osmand, and many more influential celebrities.
Riley was apart of Beacon winning a trip to the North American Hair Awards in Las Vegas during school, where she attended educational events and saw awards being handed to top-performing hair artists! During this time, she started a Toy Drive for the Mercy Home in Chicago, collecting donations while in school to help out the city of Chicago.
After graduating, Riley assisted a salon in Mansfield, TX for eight months and then decided to return back to Chicago to further her career assisting Margaret Pasiennik, owner of Salon Blonde, who had worked for Elizabeth Arden, running the Grand Hotel Salon, and as a platform artist for MANY big name hair brands.
Riley was a part of One Hope United in Chicago, where she loved doing charity and networking events in Chicago. Eventually, she decided to move back home to Springfield, IL and assist a salon in town where she built her clientele.
After being there for a little over a year, Riley knew there was more out there for her and decided to open her own salon. In May of 2017, the doors to Ri & Co Salon opened and she began building her brand.
Riley has traveled the US educating in Hand-tied Extensions, taken three different courses for hand-tied extensions, and travels to Chicago and California several times a year for continuing education.
Riley believes that education is what keeps her business and brand growing.
“You never stop growing and learning, not just in the hair industry, but in life in general,” Riley says.
Riley doesn’t let any new guest see their transformation until it’s completely finished, and says what makes her feel good is the moment she turns her guest in the chair around to see themselves in the mirror for their first look.