One female business owner in Fort Greene is empowering women in the community through beauty and style.

Carol Thomas owns the Just Because hair salon on Carlton Avenue. For the past decade, she has worked alongside the Fort Greene and Myrtle Avenue associations to serve the homeless community.

Together and with the help of Beauty in Transition, a project designed to combat homeless through improved self-image, they provide free makeovers and beauty services to women in shelters.

"We just want every single woman to just come in and feel pampered,” she says. “Whoever is out there that is just feeling a little insecure and just a little, you know, a little shy about themselves or just need that encouragement, that they can always find that comfort in the salon.”

Thomas also is recognized for starting the Prom Queen Project to help teens in the community look their best on prom night – all for free.

As a female business owner, Thomas says she believes her purpose goes further than just offering salon services.

She says she also utilizes her salon space to curate fashion shows and beauty workshops that provide women of all ages an opportunity to learn beauty tips and tricks.

Alongside managing her salon and community outreach efforts, Thomas says she is also working on creating an all-natural hair care line.