Sam Villa Named Beauty Changes Lives Legacy Award Recipient for Lifetime of Mentorship and Education

Some awards mark a moment. Others mark a life. The Beauty Changes Lives Legacy Award, presented at this year’s annual gala, is firmly the latter, and there is no more fitting recipient than Sam Villa, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Sam Villa Company.

The Legacy Award is reserved for those whose contributions to the professional beauty industry are not measured in seasons or trends, but in decades of impact that ripple across generations. This year, it went to a man who has spent his career doing one thing above all else: making people feel seen.

A Career Built on People, Not Just Hair

Sam Villa has been a fixture in professional beauty education for decades, perhaps best known for his 34 years with Redken, where he became an educator with purpose, passion, and an unmistakable heart for his craft. His platform has grown far beyond the salon chair. As a master educator, platform artist, and industry advocate, Villa has reached stylists at every stage of their career, from students just figuring out how to hold their shears to seasoned professionals looking to rediscover their spark.

Beauty Changes Lives President and Executive Director Lisa Roeberg put it simply: “Sam Villa represents everything Beauty Changes Lives believes about the power of education to transform lives. His legacy is seen in every stylist he has inspired to see this industry as more than a job, but as a meaningful, lifelong path.”

That legacy was not built alone. Villa is quick to credit the people who made it possible, including his 40-year friendship with Beth Carson and Kurt Garehime, who became his co-founders at the Sam Villa Company 18 years ago, his wife Lisa, his son Mateo, and an ArTeam that has brought his vision to life at every turn.

On Legacy: What You Leave Inside People

What struck many about Villa’s acceptance remarks was not the gratitude, though there was plenty of it. It was the philosophy underneath.

“Legacy is not what you leave behind for people,” Villa said. “It’s what you leave inside people, what you build into others.”

He reflected on how a career in beauty looks from the inside, the back-to-back bookings, the skipped lunches, the relentless performance of it all, and how, somehow, in the accumulation of all those small moments, a life of purpose gets built.

“When you begin your journey in this industry, you don’t think about legacy, you think about survival,” he said. “Yet somehow, year after year, haircut after haircut, class after class, stage after stage, all those little moments became a life dedicated to people.”

It is a message that will resonate with any beauty professional who has ever wondered whether it is all worth it. Villa’s answer, consistently and emphatically, is yes.

What’s Next

With Kevin Cameron stepping in as the new President and CEO of the Sam Villa Company, Villa is entering what he describes as an entirely new chapter, and he sounds genuinely energized by it.

“I’m more curious and inspired now than ever,” Villa shared. “For the first time in a long time, there’s something new brewing in my heart, and I’m excited to share it with everyone soon.”

The brand’s ArTeam and in-house squad remain at the center of that forward momentum, carrying Sam Villa’s creative vision into its next phase.

The Advice He Gives His Son

Perhaps the most enduring takeaway from Villa’s remarks was the lesson he passed along to his son Mateo: “Success means nothing if you don’t use it to help other people. So no matter where your life takes you, make sure to help others in any way possible. You will be rewarded.”

In an industry that can sometimes run on ego and trend cycles, that kind of grounded generosity stands out. It is also exactly why the Beauty Changes Lives Legacy Award found its rightful recipient this year.

Congratulations, Sam!