Founded by the multi award-winning cosmetologist and educator, Gladys Afolayan, Kulture Institute was born to address a large education gap in the beauty industry. The traditional curriculum focus on euro-centric hair textures meant an increasing percentage of the population were underserved. Clients with Afro and mixed textured hair struggled to find trained hair stylist with knowledge specialized to their hair type. A hairdresser by trade, Gladys saw firsthand in her the lengths clients with Afro textured hair would go for quality hair care. With people traveling from neighboring cities and waiting months for appointments. Additionally, many of her peers in the industry were turning away clients due to their lack of training on afro texture hair.  It became clear that something had to be done to champion the need for more diversity in beauty education. In 2022, the Kulture Institute was launched to train the next generation of beauty, hair and cosmetology students.