Top People Changing Career Education Award

Larry Foster, Ed.D.

Larry Foster models transformational leadership in his role as chief operating officer of Tricoci University of Beauty Culture. While most makeovers don’t happen overnight, his initiatives are reshaping the landscape of beauty and career education through innovation, inclusion, and industry collaboration.

Working from the inside out, Foster reimagined Tricoci University’s curriculum by leading the removal of age, gender, and race from curriculum language and service menus, ensuring students and clients can anticipate an environment where they will be treated with dignity and respect. Foster reinforced this inclusive stance by initiating a groundbreaking partnership with the Vitality Wellness Project to bring student mental health education and wellness practices into the classroom, and with Sensory Safe to train educators and students on effectively and compassionately serving neurodiverse clients.

High school outreach initiatives such as Beauty Boot Camps are one of Foster’s strategies for attracting potential students. These camps serve the dual purpose of driving enrollment from a wider, more diverse pipeline of students and providing early exposure to career education. Whether or not campers choose to enroll at Tricoci University, they will have grasped what it means to pursue a career-minded education that will strengthen their abilities and open doors to trades they may not have previously considered.

Bridging his work at Tricoci University into industry expansion, Foster launched Beauty Blitz, one of the largest independent student events in beauty education with over 3,000 attendees, 25-plus vendors, two education stages, and salon hiring partners. His industry-facing podcast engages virtual audiences, too, by sharing cutting-edge practices in beauty education and career pathways with educators, industry leaders, and prospective students nationwide.

He further demonstrates his dedication to the broader scope of career education by advocating against harmful deregulation in licensure and educational standards across the states, developing unified messages, engaging policymakers, and building coalitions with peer institutions to protect both educational quality and consumer safety. Through his expansive efforts, he elevates awareness of the critical role career education plays in economic mobility and workforce development.

Foster regularly shares his experience and field-wide insights by speaking at conferences and events. He also co-hosts the “Daymakers” podcast with Daved Dolce, an inspirational platform for educators and industry professionals to hear the latest innovations in teaching, inclusion, student mental health, alumni success, and career outcomes.

Career education gains power as a dynamic and relevant force in today’s workforce ecosystem, thanks to Foster’s initiatives. By creating and utilizing diverse avenues of growth and engaging with partners like the Vitality Wellness Project and Sensory Safe, Foster has broadened the visibility of career education. Improved enrollment, retention, student wellbeing, licensure outcomes, and career readiness prove the effectiveness of his model, positioning Foster as a leader in both beauty and career education.