Overview: Reclaiming Beauty Beyond Hair
Flow Foundation is turning personal family experiences with cancer and alopecia into a movement of empowerment. The non-profit provides free community events and custom wigs for women in Minneapolis.
Hair can often tell a woman’s story, but for many women navigating medical hair loss, that journey can feel isolating.
This September, during Alopecia Awareness Month, local nonprofit Flow Foundation hopes to change the narrative and create a sanctuary of healing and celebration.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the organization will host The Crown Within, a free community event designed to empower women experiencing alopecia and hair loss from medical treatments.
“It’s a space for them to be themselves, whatever that looks like, whether it’s wearing something on their crown or not,” said Milka Fisiha, co-founder of Flow Foundations.
For Fisiha and her husband, founder Getinet Alemu, the mission is personal. The couple launched the Flow Foundation after watching close family members navigate the emotional and physical toll of hair loss.
“My mom’s going through hair loss right now…and she’s navigating that at the moment,” Fisiha said.
In addition to hosting supportive spaces, the Flow Foundation provides personalized, high-quality wigs tailored to each recipient. The organization takes pride in offering custom color and texture matching, a crucial detail for Black and Brown women whose hair textures are often overlooked in standard hair replacement options.
Currently, approximately 15 women are on a waiting list to receive custom wigs. At the upcoming Sept. 19 gathering, the foundation hopes to raise funds to clear that list and serve every woman waiting for her crown.
Event details
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
- Time: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Location: The Neu Neu |514 N. 3rd St. #1010, Minneapolis, MN 55401
- Highlights: Live music, raffle prizes, guest speakers and a complimentary breakfast.