Steller Kindness Project

We want to celebrate people who are positively impacting others, sometimes without even realizing it.

Back in September of 2017, the heaviness of the world got too hopeless for Katie. It felt like every time she logged into her social media there was another story of hate, pain, and devastation. The constant stream of tragic stories fueled her hopes for a better world. If fear is contagious, why can’t kindness be? We shouldn’t ignore the sad stories, but what if we started shining a brighter light on the stories of stories of hope, kindness, and inspiring people in our community?

Katie put this question out on her social media:

“Tell me a story. Tell me about someone who has impacted your life, and inspired you with their quiet acts of kindness.”

The messages started pouring in, and it became clear that there is a deep need to be reminded that being kind is never a wasted action, and the impact can create a ripple effect of good.

Who is Katie Steller?

Katie Steller is the owner of Steller Hair Company, a values-driven hair salon in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2019, Katie founded the Steller Kindness Project, a nonprofit with a mission to connect with overlooked and underserved people through deliberate acts of kindness that acknowledge our shared humanity.

Katie’s story has been featured in national media, including CNN and the CBS special “The Gift.” In 2022, the North American Hairstyling Awards honored Katie and her team at Steller Hair Company with “Inspiring Salon of the Year.” Katie has a vision of growing the Steller Kindness Project into a national movement and believes that small acts of kindness can generate powerful ripple effects.

What is the Steller Kindness Project?

With her signature red stylist’s chair in tow, Katie has personally given hundreds of free haircuts to Twin Cities area community members in need, often meeting them on the side of the road. To date, she has used the Steller Kindness Project as a vehicle to provide over 450 haircuts, raise over $5,000 for encampment relief, and distribute thousands of basic needs items to unhoused individuals.

The Steller Kindness Project is a platform for celebrate people who are positively impacting others, sometimes without even realizing it. Our multiple projects are meant to inspire. We believe that if we want to see macro changes in our word, it needs to start on a micro level. It starts with showing up and being kind to the person right in front of you.

You may recognize us by "The Red Chair Projects,” as we’ve recently seen a tremendous positive impact in the community from each Red Chair Project. Read more about each of our Red Chair Projects by checking out our Blog page.

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How does the Steller Kindness Project work?

PARNTering on projects to promote contagious kindness

By partnering with local volunteers and not-for-profit companies that already make a great positive impact on their communities, we’re able to spread kindness and support for these communities further than ever before. Whether it’s working with hair stylists and barbers to give hundreds of haircuts to unhoused individuals, teaming up with a safe house to package hygiene kits for encampment communities, or partnering with a well-known local restaurant to cook meals for those facing food insecurity or homelessness, the Steller Kindness Project is continuously creating more projects to aid those in our community who need it the most.

Have an idea for a project that could cause a ripple effect of kindness in your community? Share your thoughts with us by emailing us at getinvolved@stellerkindnessproject.com .

Sharing Stories, Spreading Kindness

It is so powerful when someone authentically shares the impact another person had on their life. We ask that people “nominate” someone for a project, which means sharing why/how their kindness matters.

We then invite the nominee to come in to Steller Hair Company for any hair service of their choosing! In a world full of social media and indirect connection, we love the opportunity to sit down with someone in person and have an organic conversation about who they are, the impact of kindness, and what inspires them to show up in the way they do. Check out our Stories page to read more about how these wonderful people are choosing to show up and be kind to those around them.

Liz Giel

Liz Giel is a co-founder and partner at The Coven and the owner of Hierophant, a strategic insights consultancy for bold brands. An award-winning strategic design leader with a demonstrated track record of designing effective marketing programs, Liz has an extensive background in leading innovative marketing research approaches, revealing insights that inspire groundbreaking creative opportunities. Liz earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and MS in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design. She has spent over fifteen years working in market research and advertising firms. Outside of the office, Liz is a passionate volunteer and human rights advocate, fluent Spanish speaker, and entrepreneur focused on designing environments for all people to thrive.

Lily Hijazi-Sacay

Lily Hijazi-Sacay has been the program manager for Forward Global Women since March 2021 and works as an advocacy manager at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota which is one the biggest social service providers in the state. In her work Lily has worked extensively on advocacy, lobbying, and grassroots organizing in the areas of voting, women’s issues, housing, and health with numerous organizations that work within Minnesota and abroad. She also spent time overseas in Amman, Jordan working on a health education project in refugee communities with the Red Crescent, where she became fluent in Arabic. Lily earned her BA in Political Science and Arabic from the University of Minnesota. She has spent over five years of experience in the nonprofit and political sectors in Minnesota and abroad.

Rebecca Sharbono

Rebecca Sharbono is a talent development professional with over 20 years of program management, people management, training/enablement, and leadership development experience across the non-profit and for-profit sectors alike. The red thread is her dedication to and passion for personal growth, social change, and helping others discover their best self. What Rebecca brings to Steller Kindness is an expertise to think strategically, identify ideas/problems, synthesize them, and take action on options for progress upward and onward. When not working, she enjoys checking out new restaurants in town, catching a show at one of the many local venues, playing Mario Kart with her family (she is a fierce competitor), and hanging out with friends.