ezza: manicures for the modern woman
The nail salon for the woman who needs her polish to be as sleek as her pantsuit.
Project Description
The nail salon for the woman who needs her polish to be as sleek as her pantsuit
Our story started with our own personal frustration of not being able to find a go-to nail salon during business school. Why couldn’t we book appointments online? Why did we need to tip in cash (and who carries cash these days)? Why did quality vary so much within the same salon? The whole process was inconvenient, inefficient, and outdated.
Our approach is simple. We are disrupting the nail industry by providing high-quality manicures without the fuss.
CONVENIENCE
We accommodate your busy life by offering seamless online booking, affordable membership options, and early morning hours. And our gratuity-included pricing means you never have to bring cash. No more sacrificing your weekends or lunch hour for nail care or trips to the ATM!
CONSISTENT QUALITY
We specialize in manicures. No facials, waxing, or even pedicures. All of our technician training is designed to give you the perfect manicure, every time. In fact, ezza comes from the Italian word "esatto," meaning "exactly." No more inconsistent manicure quality!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
We collect and save your nail care preferences when you book online, so your technician can always hit the ground running. You can even pick your polish color before your appointment and we’ll have it ready for you upon your arrival. And with free wi-fi and tablet access, we invite and encourage multitasking. No more hour-long productivity dead zone!
OUR VALUES AND VISION
ezza is about more than just nails. From pops of our signature empower-mint green color, to our playlist of female power anthems, to the portraits of boss female icons Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sheryl Sandberg, the entire experience is designed to make our customers feel confident and empowered. We want women to leave ezza feeling like they can run the world, so we're building our business with these core values:
EMPOWER WOMEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MANICURE TABLE : We believe in the incredible leadership potential of both the women we serve and the women we employ.
CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO: We believe there is a huge opportunity to disrupt the nail industry, elevating the existing experience for both our customers and our employees. Check out this New York Times expose to learn more!
STRIVE FOR EZZALENCE: We are constantly looking to innovate and improve. We want our staff and customers to give us honest, critical feedback so we can learn and grow from it.
SUPPORT OUR SQUAD: Our employees are family. We foster a community of women who encourage each other to shatter glass ceilings and have fun doing so -- all while taking home a fair living wage in an ethical workplace.
OUR JOURNEY
The idea for ezza began in the fall of 2016, shortly after we started our MBA program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Ale recognized that there was a huge opportunity to improve the current nail salon options for busy, modern women. We didn’t know many people in the nail industry, but set out to learn everything we could. That’s one of the reasons why Ale decided to go to nail school. At one point, she was running ezza, going to nail school and attending business school full-time!
As we learned more about the industry, it became clear that recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining great nail technicians would be critically important to the success of ezza. That’s where Kim comes in. Before business school, both of us had worked at Teach For America, and Kim has 9 years of experience developing and managing talent. Together, we set out to build a business that would empower women on both sides of the manicure table.
We launched our pop-up salon in Chicago’s Gold Coast in October 2016 and heard from countless customers and members how long they’d been searching for an option like ezza. Now we’re preparing to open our first full-time location in the River North neighborhood, close to where many of our customers live and work.
All of your contributions will help us raise the funds we need to open our very first ezza. Thank you for your support and stay polished with ezzasalon.com!
REWARDS
NEWSLETTER SHOUT OUT
Thanks for giving to our campaign! We pay homage to you for your support by featuring your name in our newsletter.
"HUSTLER" MANICURE
A go-getter basic manicure tailored to your preferences. We'll prep your cuticles, buff and shape your nails, and apply that perfect coat of polish.
"THE BOSS" NO-CHIP MANICURE
A no-chip gel manicure that's built to last. Ruth Bader Ginsberg doesn't have time for chipped nails, and neither should you.
MEN'S PERFORMANCE SHIRT
Treat Yourself To The Ultimate Performance Shirt! This Shirt Features 100% Moisture-Wicking Polyester, UPF 50+ Sun Protection, Tagless Neck Label For Comfort, And Double-Needle Hem For Durability.
"THE BOSS" MEMBERSHIP
FEMALE EMPOWER-MINT T-SHIRT
American Apparel Super-Soft Crewneck T-Shirt With A Custom Design Made To Invoke Confidence And Empowerment.
PREMIUM ezza LUXURY COLLECTION
A Very Special Reward That Contains A Beautiful Green Ezza Tote, A Rose Gold Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle That Keeps Drinks Hot And Cold For Hours, Our Favorite, Award-Winning Cuticle Oil And Hand Lotion, And Luxury French Soap All In A Green And Gold Cosmetic Bag.
ezza GOLF DRI-FIT MICRO PIQUE PERFORMANCE + SHAKER
You'll Get A Premium Polo By Nike That Offers Plenty Of Comfort To Practice Your New Moves On The Golf Course. The 28 Oz. Shaker Is Perfect For Protein Shakes And Smoothies.
EXCLUSIVE MANICURE PARTY
Invite Your Friends/Coworkers To A Private Manicure Party At ezza. Experience This Ultimate Luxury Complete With Champagne And Small Bites.
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
How can I stay in touch?
We would love to stay in touch with you! We recommend signing up for our newsletter here and following us on Instagram and Facebook @ezzanails!
When will you open your first location and when can I get my manicures?
We are fundraising now so that we can open our first location in Chicago’s River North area. Our goal is to open our doors in early autumn! We will keep in touch with you throughout the summer so that you can track our progress towards opening. We hope you’ll book your first appointment as soon as we open our doors!
How do ezza memberships work?
Our members get our best prices for two manicures per month (with gratuity included, of course!) and access to exclusive ezza promotional events. Check out our website for more details on membership!
When will I receive my rewards?
You’ll receive your gift certificate for manicure services as well as any other ezza rewards in July. If you have any questions about this timeline, please contact us directly!
Thanks for giving to our campaign! We pay homage to you for your support by featuring your name in our newsletter.
Invest in a go-getter basic manicure for yourself or gift to a friend! We'll tailor your manicure to your preferences, prep your cuticles, buff and shape your nails, and apply that perfect coat of polish.
Invest in a no-chip manicure for yourself or gift to a friend! This no-chip gel manicure is built to last. Ruth Bader Ginsberg doesn't have time for chipped nails, and neither should you.
Treat yourself to the ultimate performance shirt! This shirt features 100% moisture-wicking polyester, UPF 50+ sun protection, tagless neck label for comfort, and double-needle hem for durability.
This membership includes two no-chip manicures a month.
American Apparel Super-Soft Crewneck t-shirt with a custom design made to invoke confidence and empowerment. You'll also be able to stay polished with our signature no-chip manicure.
A very special reward that contains a beautiful green ezza Tote, a Rose Gold Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle that keeps drinks hot and cold for hours, our favorite, award-winning Cuticle Oil and Hand Lotion, and luxury French Soap all in a green and gold cosmetic bag.
You'll get a premium polo by Nike that offers plenty of comfort to practice your new moves on the golf course with a multipurpose shaker. The 28 oz. shaker is perfect for protein shakes and smoothies.
Stay polished all year round with this annual membership that includes 12 months of regular manicures! (gratuity included)
Stay polished all year round with this annual membership that includes 12 months of no-chip manicures! (gratuity included)
Invite your friends/coworkers to a private manicure party at ezza. Experience this ultimate luxury complete with champagne and small bites.
Rewards
Thanks for giving to our campaign! We pay homage to you for your support by featuring your name in our newsletter.
Invest in a go-getter basic manicure for yourself or gift to a friend! We'll tailor your manicure to your preferences, prep your cuticles, buff and shape your nails, and apply that perfect coat of polish.
Invest in a no-chip manicure for yourself or gift to a friend! This no-chip gel manicure is built to last. Ruth Bader Ginsberg doesn't have time for chipped nails, and neither should you.
Treat yourself to the ultimate performance shirt! This shirt features 100% moisture-wicking polyester, UPF 50+ sun protection, tagless neck label for comfort, and double-needle hem for durability.
This membership includes two no-chip manicures a month.
American Apparel Super-Soft Crewneck t-shirt with a custom design made to invoke confidence and empowerment. You'll also be able to stay polished with our signature no-chip manicure.
A very special reward that contains a beautiful green ezza Tote, a Rose Gold Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle that keeps drinks hot and cold for hours, our favorite, award-winning Cuticle Oil and Hand Lotion, and luxury French Soap all in a green and gold cosmetic bag.
You'll get a premium polo by Nike that offers plenty of comfort to practice your new moves on the golf course with a multipurpose shaker. The 28 oz. shaker is perfect for protein shakes and smoothies.
Stay polished all year round with this annual membership that includes 12 months of regular manicures! (gratuity included)
Stay polished all year round with this annual membership that includes 12 months of no-chip manicures! (gratuity included)
Invite your friends/coworkers to a private manicure party at ezza. Experience this ultimate luxury complete with champagne and small bites.