Sharmadean Reid: The Founder Transforming Beauty and Business

Introduction

Sharmadean Reid is a British entrepreneur, writer and creative consultant known for building businesses across beauty, technology, media and women’s professional development.

She first became widely known as the founder of WAH Nails, a creative nail salon that helped bring modern nail art into British fashion culture. She later created Beautystack, The Stack World and the bathing and body-care brand 39BC.

Her work has a clear purpose. She wants women to have greater access to money, business knowledge, professional networks and leadership opportunities.

Quick Facts

Detail	Verified information
Full name	Sharmadean Alexandria Reid
Public name	Sharmadean Reid
Birth month and year	May 1984
Age	42 years old as of July 2026
Birthplace	Wolverhampton, England
Nationality	British
Profession	Entrepreneur, writer and creative consultant
Education	Central Saint Martins
Known for	WAH Nails, Beautystack, The Stack World and 39BC
Major honour	MBE in 2015
Book	New Methods for Women
Latest business focus	39BC

Who Is Sharmadean Reid?

Sharmadean Reid is a British founder who has worked across several connected industries. These include nail care, beauty services, technology, publishing, professional networking and personal care.

She is not known for building only one company. Instead, her career shows how one business idea can lead to another.

WAH Nails began with fashion, music and nail art. Beautystack used technology to support beauty professionals. The Stack World created a wider community for ambitious women. Her later work with 39BC moved into bathing, fragrance and body care.

This ability to move between creative and commercial work has made her a recognised voice in modern British entrepreneurship.

Early Life in Wolverhampton

Sharmadean was born in Wolverhampton, England, in May 1984.

She has spoken publicly about growing up in a working-class, single-parent household. As the eldest daughter, she learned to become responsible and independent at an early age.

She began working while she was still young. Through newspapers, magazines, fashion and music, she discovered a larger world beyond her hometown.

These early interests helped develop her curiosity about culture, communication and business. They also encouraged her ambition to study and work in London.

Education at Central Saint Martins

Reid studied fashion communication at Central Saint Martins, which is part of the University of the Arts London.

The course brought together visual culture, publishing, fashion, communication and creative ideas. It gave her a useful foundation for the career she later built.

Her education was not limited to designing clothes. She learned how images, stories, magazines, communities and brands can influence the way people think.

The University of the Arts London later recognised her professional impact by making her an Honorary Fellow in 2024.

The Beginning of WAH

Before opening a salon, Sharmadean created WAH as an independent publication and cultural community.

Sources differ slightly on whether the original project began in 2005 or 2006. However, reliable accounts agree that it started while she was studying and combined subjects such as fashion, music, women’s culture and creativity.

WAH gave young women a place to express ideas that were not always represented in traditional media.

This early project also showed one of Reid’s most important business skills: building a community before creating a product.

How WAH Nails Changed Nail Culture

In 2009, Reid opened the first WAH Nails salon in Dalston, East London.

At the time, many nail salons offered standard colours and simple treatments. WAH Nails presented nail art as a form of fashion and personal expression.

Customers could choose detailed patterns, bold colours and designs inspired by music, street culture and clothing trends. The salon also became a social space where customers could meet, talk and enjoy the experience.

The business quickly gained attention. WAH Nails later appeared in major retail locations, including Selfridges and Topshop’s Oxford Street store.

It also worked with fashion and lifestyle brands and became closely connected with London’s creative scene.

WAH Nails showed that a beauty salon could become much more than a place providing a service. It could also become a recognised cultural brand.

From Beauty Salons to Technology

After building WAH Nails, Reid began looking more closely at the business problems faced by independent beauty professionals.

Many talented beauty workers struggled to show their work, manage bookings and build direct relationships with customers.

This problem inspired Beautystack.

Founded in 2017, Beautystack was designed as a visual platform where people could discover beauty treatments through photographs and book the professionals who created them.

The idea was simple. A user could see a hairstyle, nail design or beauty treatment they liked and then find the person responsible for that work.

Beautystack connected beauty services with digital discovery, social networking and online booking.

A Major Venture-Capital Achievement

Building a technology company required outside investment.

Penguin has described Reid as the first Black woman in the United Kingdom to raise more than £1 million in venture-capital funding.

This was an important achievement because women, particularly Black women, have historically received only a small share of major startup investment.

The funding helped Beautystack grow its technology, team and business model.

However, the achievement also had a wider meaning. It gave other underrepresented founders an example of what could be possible in the British startup industry.

Readers interested in other forms of women’s influence in British leadership can also see how different industries are becoming more open to female decision-makers.

Why Beautystack Became The Stack World

Beautystack depended heavily on people booking in-person beauty treatments.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted salons and face-to-face services, the company faced a serious challenge. Reid responded by changing the direction of the business.

In 2021, she introduced The Stack World.

The new platform expanded beyond beauty appointments. It became a media, networking and professional community created to support women in business and work.

Members could access events, workshops, conversations, educational content and professional connections.

The platform focused on helping women increase their income, build useful networks and become more confident in their careers.

This work places Reid within a wider group of modern British women shaping media and culture.

The Stack World Acquisition

In July 2026, Sharmadean announced that The Stack World had been acquired by CLIQ.

She explained that the platform had grown from a pandemic-era change of direction into a large community. Over five years, it organised thousands of events and worked with major international brands.

The acquisition marked a new stage for the community.

It also allowed Reid to direct more of her energy towards 39BC and her wider work involving ownership, culture and community building.

What Is 39BC?

39BC is Reid’s bathing and body-care business.

The brand takes inspiration from historical bathing traditions and the idea that an everyday bath or shower can become a meaningful personal ritual.

Its early products included scented oil body cleansers designed to clean and moisturise the skin.

The name and visual identity reflect the ancient world, but the products are made for modern customers.

With 39BC, Reid returned to the beauty industry from a new direction. Instead of focusing on salon services or booking technology, she entered the consumer product market.

The business combines fragrance, skin care, storytelling, history and luxury design.

New Methods for Women

In June 2024, Penguin Life published Reid’s first book, New Methods for Women.

The book shares practical ideas about work, ambition, relationships, identity, confidence and independence.

Its central message is that women should not always have to reduce themselves to fit systems that were not designed for them. Instead, they can test new ways of working and living.

The book is based on lessons from Reid’s experience as a founder, creative professional, mentor and community builder.

It also reflects a theme that appears throughout her career: women need useful knowledge, strong networks and greater control over their decisions.

Writing and Public Speaking

Sharmadean has also worked as a writer, columnist and public speaker.

She wrote the Bossing It advice column for The Guardian, answering questions about work, management and career challenges.

She has delivered talks about entrepreneurship, technology, women’s economic power and community-led business.

Her TEDx talk explored how technology could help beauty professionals gain more visibility and control over their work.

Through interviews and public events, she often discusses startup funding, business ownership, leadership and the need to close the gender leadership gap.

MBE and Other Recognition

Reid received an MBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the nail and beauty industry.

The honour recognised the influence of WAH Nails and her contribution to modern British beauty culture.

Her other recognised achievements include a Cosmetic Executive Women Achiever Award and the Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award.

She was also named an Honorary Fellow of the University of the Arts London in 2024.

These honours reflect more than commercial success. They recognise her work in creativity, innovation, business leadership and support for women.

Her Business Philosophy

Community has played an important role in nearly every project Reid has created.

WAH began as a publication and cultural group before becoming a salon. Beautystack connected customers with beauty professionals. The Stack World helped women meet, learn and build professional relationships.

Even 39BC is being developed through storytelling, public founder updates and discussions about the process of building a brand.

Her approach shows that successful businesses do not always begin with a product.

They can begin with a group of people who share an interest, problem or goal.

Once a trusted community exists, a founder can create products and services that answer its real needs.

Impact on Beauty and Business

Sharmadean helped make creative nail art more visible within British fashion and popular culture.

She also showed that beauty professionals could use digital technology to promote their work and reach customers directly.

Her fundraising success challenged common ideas about who can build and finance a major technology company.

Through The Stack World, she created opportunities for women to share knowledge, develop professional connections and discuss money more openly.

Her work has connected beauty with serious conversations about economics, technology and ownership.

Why Her Career Matters

Reid’s career matters because it shows how creative knowledge can become a strong business foundation.

She did not enter the technology industry through a traditional computing background. She entered it by understanding the real problems experienced by beauty workers and customers.

She also proved that beauty should not be treated as an unimportant subject. It is a large industry that creates jobs, develops trends and gives many independent workers a source of income.

Her journey offers a useful lesson for new founders: start by understanding a genuine problem, build a trusted community and remain willing to change when circumstances demand it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sharmadean Reid famous for?

She is best known for founding WAH Nails, Beautystack, The Stack World and 39BC. She is also known for supporting women’s economic independence and leadership.

Where was Sharmadean Reid born?

She was born in Wolverhampton, England.

How old is Sharmadean Reid?

Official UK company records show that she was born in May 1984. She was 42 years old as of July 2026.

What did she study?

She studied fashion communication at Central Saint Martins in London.

What was WAH Nails?

WAH Nails was a creative nail salon and beauty brand known for bold nail art, fashion connections and a strong community identity.

What was Beautystack?

Beautystack was a digital platform that helped customers discover and book independent beauty professionals through images of their work.

What is The Stack World?

The Stack World was created as a media, events and professional community for ambitious women. In July 2026, Reid announced that it had been acquired by CLIQ.

What is 39BC?

39BC is a bathing and body-care brand inspired by historical bathing rituals, fragrance and daily personal care.

Did Sharmadean Reid receive an MBE?

Yes. She received an MBE in 2015 for services to the nail and beauty industry.

What book did she write?

She wrote New Methods for Women, which was published by Penguin Life in June 2024.

Conclusion

Sharmadean Reid has built a career by connecting creativity with practical business ideas.

From WAH Nails to Beautystack, The Stack World and 39BC, each project has responded to a different need. Her businesses have helped make nail art more visible, supported independent beauty professionals and created stronger professional networks for women.

Her journey also shows the importance of adapting. When market conditions changed, she was willing to reshape her business rather than remain tied to one idea.

Today, she remains an influential British founder whose work brings together beauty, technology, media, culture and women’s economic power.