We Are Cortex | Tashara Earl

What drives an entrepreneur? Is it inspiration from family members who owned a business? Is it fierce devotion to putting your hometown on the map? Is it an idle thought that wanders in while matching paint colors at Home Depot?

For Tashara Earl — St. Louis native and serial entrepreneur — it could be a little of everything. She’s the founder of Fusion Entertainment Management, which provides a range of services to create and manage artists and events.

But lately, she’s primarily identifying as the founder and CEO of Cortex-based Shades of Color, a 5-year-old startup that uses AI to personalize and recommend a range of beauty products to customers while connecting them with niche beauty brands.

“I came up with this idea through my personal frustrations. I have the hardest time finding foundation that matches my skin tone,” Earl said. “One day in Home Depot, I saw you could scan to find your paint color. And I said, ‘Wow! Why can't we do this with foundation?’”

Eventually, the idea pivoted into a fully AI-powered marketplace in a segment — personalized beauty tech — that’s expected to reach $130.93 billion by 2029.

Earl was also inspired by a grandmother, who ran a South St. Louis restaurant, and an aunt who ran a beauty shop named Shades of Color (“I brought the name back into the family”). But she really credits her immersion in Cortex’s suite of entrepreneurship workshops for propelling her businesses forward.

In fact, it was during a Square One Bootcamp session working on G-Drobe 360 that the inspiration for Shades of Color took hold. “As an entrepreneur, it doesn't stop. Like we have ideas every single day,” she said. “Square One was a game changer. I was able to learn more about how to start a business, how to effectively run it.”

She credits Cortex programs for helping her build an enduring network and for teaching her how to properly pitch her business to raise money. But mostly, she’s sold on Square One and the Cortex community because, she said, the support never stops.

“Cortex is amazing. I never feel left out,” she said. “I always feel like I have people, anyone in Cortex, that I can go to to ask questions or to build connections. Cortex has your back.”

We Are Cortex celebrates the individuals who power our vibrant district.