Ben Medalie and Boone Whiteside

In less than three years, Ben Medalie (StComm’18) and Boone Whiteside (StComm’18) have taken their hair care product venture from a Denver apartment stovetop to a $4.5 million, international award-winning business. The friends met at CU and realized they were both frustrated with toxic and lab-engineered hair products they saw dominating the industry. Soon after, Ben and Boone developed their hair care brand, Highland— named after Highland Street in North Boulder, where Boone grew up. Highland products are created with sustainable, earth-conscious ingredients that improve scalp and hair health.