​Tameka Jones, a 2003 Saint Paul College graduate, will be featured on the HULU television series The Small Business Revolution, Season 6. The show will follow Tameka on her journey as a small business owner who launched her lipstick line Lip Esteem and reemerged her girls' group LADY amid the COVID pandemic and civil unrest in the Twin Cities. Her story of service to others truly goes from inner beauty to outer beauty in many remarkable ways.

At a difficult time in her life, Tameka sought meaning and purpose. Tameka called Saint Paul College right as an Esthetics course was about to start. On government assistance and with just $25 in her pocket, college didn't seem possible. When she heard the application cost was just $20 (applications are now free at Saint Paul College), she applied immediately. That investment paid off as she found a new focus for her life. Tameka described her teachers as very demanding, but that was precisely the kick-start needed to learn her craft well. After graduation, with a passion for helping women and girls see their inner beauty through her work in makeup, she established LADY (Leader Achiever Determined Youth) as a mentoring group to help girls' grades 5-12 improve their self-esteem.

Last year, following a job furlough due to COVID, she started her makeup brand using plant-based, cruelty-free, gluten-free, clean, and environmentally safe products. This business grew, and she continued to take entrepreneur classes when noticed by Deluxe Corporation. With a budget of $500,000, Deluxe Corporation and the Small Business Revolution help fund six small businesses and their respective communities with the support they need to scale up their businesses. The show will demonstrate how small companies can succeed in today's challenging climate. The Small Business Revolution Season 6 will begin airing on the HULU network this fall.

Tameka now serves as a role model for many women in the beauty and business world. She owes much of her success to the demanding, loving, caring education she received at Saint Paul College, which gave her the confidence and determination needed to make the most of herself. As a result of her impactful education, she encourages many others to be the best they can be.

Read more about Tameka's story in Twin Cities Business and the Star Tribune. Photos courtesy of Tameka Jones.