Douglas J Aveda Institute, Knoxville

Even the most successful entrepreneurs have to start somewhere. For Douglas Weaver, that somewhere was a basement. In 1967, he opened his first salon with a staff of six, performing beauty treatments in a space located below an arcade in East Lansing. Their talents attracted a following, though, allowing Douglas and his team to expand into a proper salon in Okemos after just a few years. Today, the Douglas J Aveda Institute empire includes an entire family of Aveda concept salons and schools sprinkled throughout Michigan, Illinois, and Tennessee.

At the East Lansing location, professional stylists and aestheticians perform a diverse selection of treatments using Aveda's naturally derived products. This includes everything from custom cuts and color to makeup applications, as well as spa services like Elemental Nature facials and hot-stone massages.