Leadership

Elena Rosas is an entrepreneur and the founder and Executive Director of HER Life Journey. She was born and raised in the Colonia neighborhood in Oxnard, California, and is second-generation Mexican American.

Elena’s humble beginnings taught her to value a hard day’s work, while at the same time recognizing that if she wanted a different future, she needed to take greater risks. As she ventured into the hair industry and left her community of Oxnard, she invested in her education at some of the best academies in New York and Canada, becoming certified as a Master Colorist, Master Hair Stylist, Balayage Specialist, and most recently certified in the Hair Dreams Extensions.

Elena developed her business acumen when she joined her husband and his family to expand their automotive business to multiple locations in Ventura County. She taught herself accounting, payroll, and how to manage through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. This experience led her to create, Empower HER Hair, a thriving hair and beauty enterprise located in Westlake Village.

Elena’s love and commitment to the women she serves are realized as soon as you meet her. She longs to know the full story of who women are underneath the make-up and before the hair transformation. She wants to know what clients have been through, what they have overcome, and provide them a space to fully see themselves.

It was during one of the most difficult moments of her life, three years ago, that Elena turned those questions towards herself. She was at the top of her game; thriving, expanding, and teaching others when a family member had a justice-involved experience. It rocked her to her core. All that she knew and understood came crashing down. She turned to God and got down on her knees, praying for the Lord to help her find her full purpose.

That prayer led her to a nonprofit organization that provides shelter and recovery services for women and children. It was there, that Elena first sat with women in transitional living and shared their life experiences. She admired the courage and the strength in the women who society often calls broken. These women inspired her. She inspired them. And without even realizing it, the vision of HER Life Journey was born.

Today, Elena and the team at HER Life Journey are providing peer support to women taking their first steps towards a new life outside of transitional living and homelessness. She provides women with a safe space to share their fears and challenges as they focus on their recovery and well-being. She holds their hands and celebrates with them on the days when they reunite with their children and holds them in prayer when life’s inevitable disappointments appear.

Elena’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit has set the foundation and vision for HER Life Journey. In the coming months, the organization plans to expand the number of women they serve and eventually provide faith-based counseling in addition to peer support, beauty services, seminars, and a social enterprise focused on employment and entrepreneurship.