Scottsdale entrepreneur Vanessa Molica, a longtime lash artist, educator and owner of The Lash and Sugar Company, announced the upcoming beta launch of Emvari, a software platform designed to replace the traditional salon front desk.
Local need drives innovation
After 16 years in the beauty industry and operating three East Valley salons, Molica grew frustrated with existing booking tools that still required heavy staff involvement. “The booking tools were clunky, the payment flow never felt like something I’d want to put in front of a client,” she said. “I got tired of waiting for someone to build what salons actually needed, so I decided to build it myself.”
How Emvari works
Emvari automates appointment scheduling, customer check‑ins, payments and other administrative tasks. Its centerpiece is a self‑service kiosk where clients can check in and complete payments without a front‑desk employee. The system also handles tipping directly on the screen, eliminating an awkward interaction for both client and provider.
Molica believes the kiosk can reduce payroll costs and free staff to focus on delivering services. “That’s a real cost in payroll, in time, and in the attention it pulls away from the actual client experience,” she explained.
Funding and rollout
The platform has been self‑funded, with Molica investing close to $1 million over the past 18 months. She emphasized that avoiding outside investors allows her to prioritize salon owners rather than investor returns.
Emvari will begin beta testing on November 15, with a broader public rollout planned for 2027. Early participants will receive three months of complimentary access once payment processing is live. After the beta, the introductory subscription will be $29 per month for solo operators, with pricing for larger salons to be determined based on size and features.
Target market
Initially, Emvari will focus on independent salon operators, professionals renting individual suites, and small businesses with two to five service providers. While the platform is also being built for larger multi‑location salons, the first phase will concentrate on smaller operators to refine the product.
Looking ahead
Molica says the long‑term goal is to simplify salon operations so owners and employees can spend less time on administrative work and more time on their craft. “The throughline is the same: make the business side of running a salon simpler and more profitable, so the people doing this work can focus on what they’re actually good at,” she said.
Interested salon owners can join the waitlist at emvari.com or contact [email protected] for more information.
Original reporting: Scottsdale Progress — read the source article.
