The Roanoker May/June 2024 - 29

small business
Jennifer Hayward, a brand
photographer, created this
artistic portrait, " Goddess
Rising, " as a nod to the
vulnerability and selfacceptance
that salon owner
Monica Slate aims to create
in her goddess gatherings and
community events. " When
I imagined this photograph,
before it came to fruition, it
was always Monica who I
envisioned could bring it to
life, " she says.
JENNIFER HAYWARD
And that's exactly what Slate hopes to achieve -
whether folks are sitting in the salon chair or donning
flower crowns for " A Night of Yaya. "
" Sometimes people have hard days, " she says. " They
just need to feel safe and relaxed, and that's what I want
to give them. "
To find out more about A New Slate, go to anewslatesalon.com.
THE
AERIALIST AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR:
LYNSEY WYATT
If you're going to leverage your business as a space to
build community, perhaps the greatest challenge is ensuring
that the community is inclusive and welcoming. That
challenge was a driving motivator for Lynsey Wyatt
when she founded her aerial arts and acrobatics studio,
Cirqulation, on Kirk Avenue in downtown Roanoke.
" One of the things I was frustrated with, both in my
industry and just in general in the world, was not feeling
like there was an affirming space where I could feel free
to express myself and find community, " she says.
So she decided to build that space for others - both
in her studio and through her wider engagements in the
community.
" She's gone on to really champion different
TheRoanoker.com
underrepresented populations in Roanoke through her
work, and I really appreciate that, " says photographer
Aaron Spicer, who points to Wyatt's aerial arts program
for LGBTQ+ youth as one example.
And this year, Wyatt also helped launch The Creative's
Social Hour - a collaborative effort with local dance
group Mental Health in Motion - to help artists connect.
Each month, the gathering features a different artist
or performer, with others invited out for networking and
support.
Through it all, Wyatt says Roanoke has been a space
where she could build her business around her own values
... and find others who resonated with them: " I feel like
there is opportunity here to experiment and to set culture
forth that, in its way, is kind of radical, " she says.
To find out more about Cirqulation and the Creative's
Social Hour, go to cirqulation.com.
To capture the spirit of Lynsey
Wyatt's work, Aaron Spicer
shot the Cirqulation founder
in her studio, awash in aerial
silks. " This image stood out to
me because it mostly obscures
her face but still reads as a true
portrait, " he says. " The work
that Lynsey has been doing in
the community is without ego,
but still imbued with her unique
point of view and talents, and I
think this portrait comes close
to telling that story. "
AARON SPICER
MAY/JUNE 2024 29
JENNIFER HAYWARD: COURTESY NIKKI DASKALAKIS / MONICA SLATE: COURTESY OF JENNIFER HAYWARD / LYNSEY WYATT: COURTESY OF AARON SPICER / AARON SPICER: COURTESY OF KATRINA MORROW

http://www.anewslatesalon.com http://www.cirqulation.com http://www.TheRoanoker.com

The Roanoker May/June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker May/June 2024