Dr. Tye and Courtney Caldwell are emerging tech founders, entrepreneurs, inventors, coaches, and industry disruptors dedicated to empowering corporate intra-preneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners. As the post-exit founders of ShearShare–the largest salon and barbershop space rental marketplace–they revolutionized the beauty and barbering industry by matching licensed professionals to unused salon space. Stylists rent flexible, affordable space to work by the day in more than 1,017 cities, and salon/barbershop/spa owners make money on their empty suites and stations. Dubbed the “creators of HAIRbnb,” the Caldwells’ expertise spans technology, business strategy, parenting, wellness, and leadership, earning them recognition from major industry leaders and media outlets. 

Prior to co-founding ShearShare, Inc., Courtney spent two decades building winning teams in tech marketing and held leadership positions in both early-stage and late-stage technology organizations: vice president of marketing for Marketing Advocate, global director of Oracle’s worldwide digital marketing strategy and innovations group, head of digital demand generation and JAPAC field marketing at RightNow Technologies. Her leadership in demand and revenue generation at RightNow Technologies was instrumental in the $1.45B acquisition of the company.

Courtney was named a 2024 EY Women in Innovation, a 2023 Cosmopolitan + Digital Undivided “New C-Suite” Honoree, a 2022 Hype Hair magazine 30 for 30, first African-American female to be inducted into the 2021 Texas Military Institute Hall of Fame, Inc. magazine 2019 Female Founders 100 list, is the first African-American female to be named the SMU Cox School of Business Outstanding Young Alumna, the 2019 Ada Lovelace Female Tech Founder of the Year, is a 2018 Dallas Business Journal Women in Technology, and the 2017 L’Oreal Women in Digital NEXT Generation Award winner.

Dr. Tye is the first African-American male member-elect to the Professional Beauty Association’s Advisory Council and is a frequent guest lecturer at barber colleges and hairstyling institutes around the globe. His #1 best-selling book, Mentored by Failure: A 5-Point Guide to Long-Term Success in the Beauty & Style Industry, is often used for continuing education curriculum. Dr. Tye owned and operated an award-winning salon in Dallas, Texas, which was the genesis behind ShearShare. Prior to pioneering space-as-a-service for the second largest industry for freelancers and independent contractors, Tye worked in beauty for 30+ years as a celebrity master barber-stylist and educator, and now offers his decades of industry knowledge as a startup, wellness, and executive coach. 

Tye received the 2024 Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts Award of Excellence for best integrated mobile experience, was named a Top 19 Sharing Economy Startups Founder in 2024,  a 2023 Power 100 Business Leaders of Color, an Inno Fire Award winner, a Pitchbook Black Founder to Watch 2023, Tech Tribune’s 2022 Best Tech Startups in McKinney, and a next-generation technology creator by L’Oreal. 

Beyond emerging tech, Dr. Tye and Courtney are proud parents of an NFL athlete and are passionate about mentoring fellow entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and sharing their journey to inspire the next generation of leaders.