Chantel Francis Created A Beauty Supply Vending Machine For BIPOC Students That Is Expanding Across New York Colleges
Entrepreneur Chantel Francis is behind a beauty supply vending machine taking over New York campuses.
Hello Beauty
The Hello Beauty founder, who was raised in The Bronx, told AFROTECH™ that the idea for the company, which formed in October 2024, was conceived while in college. According to her LinkedIn, she graduated from State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport in 2024, where she earned a bachelor of applied science degree. She recalled being inconvenienced while searching for beauty and personal care products, which were often hard to find.
“As a college student, I often felt that my campus didn’t have what I needed when it came to beauty and personal care,” she explained.
“It wasn’t inclusive, and finding the right products meant going off-campus and driving long distances. That’s when I thought, ‘What if we had a vending machine? It wouldn’t take up much space, but it could have everything students need right where they are.’ That idea became the foundation for Hello Beauty,” she shared with AFROTECH™.
Francis said the breakthrough for the venture came after she won a campus pitch competition. A mentor from the Small Business Development Center invited her to compete. The win provided her with resources and the confidence to secure her first location in January 2025 in partnership with SUNY Brockport. The machine caters to BIPOC students with items such as durags, bonnets, bobby pins, got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Hairspray, skincare products, Vaseline, and more.
A LinkedIn post confirmed that she met with SUNY Brockport President Dr. Heidi Macpherson and SUNY Chancellor John King when the vending machine first launched on campus.
Expansion
Francis added a second location to her portfolio. In August 2025, she announced on LinkedIn that Hello Beauty expanded to the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville.
She told AFROTECH™ that she has a third location set to debut next week at another campus and hopes to bring her vending machine to all 62 locations within SUNY’s network.
“What started as a vision to make beauty and self-care products more accessible to students on campus is now becoming reality. To the SUNY Morrisville community thank you for welcoming Hello Beauty with open arms,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
“This is only the beginning. Our mission is to expand across all SUNY Networks, creating spaces where every student feels seen, supported, and celebrated. I’m thankful for the trust, the support, and the opportunity to grow alongside students who inspire this journey every day,” she continued in the post.
