Elilai is a proud Triangle native who grew up in the Apex/Cary area. She’ll be attending cosmetology school to continue building her future career in hair, but she’s already gained valuable experience and learned so much during her time helping at the salon. She loves getting to know each guest and is passionate about making every client feel welcomed, comfortable, and genuinely cared for from the moment they walk through the door.

Her unique name, Elilai (ellie-lie), has tropical roots and comes from the beautiful island of Palau, which is on the complete other side of the world, closer to Japan than the United States. It’s also the name of the gorgeous white flowers with yellow centers that are used to make leis in Hawaii and other tropical islands.

When she’s not at the salon, Elilai is surrounded by four wonderful (and slightly crazy) cats. While only one is officially hers, a sweet tuxedo cat named Zaza, she happily claims them all as part of the family.