Founder: Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton
Cyndi grew up in Queens in a big Columbian family (her mom has 14 brothers and sisters). She learned a lot from her mother, who is an aesthetician and has her own medi-spa. Cyndi started working from a young age - first in modelling, then night life, fashion, blogging, and hospitality, with other various gigs along the way. Cyndi and her husband came up with the idea for Chillhouse on a random Sunday, when they were considering going to get a massage, but realized all the options in NYC were either super expensive high-end spas, or kind of seedy, below-market establishments. They thought that the city needed a self-care sweet spot right in between, that was aspirational yet accessible.
Chillhouse is a wellness company reimagining self-care and modernizing the antiquated spa industry. The first location brought together a café offering lattes and functional beverages with manicures and massages. From there, the company expanded to creating product (such as press on nails), selling product from other wellness brands (such as GOLDE's turmeric latte blend), an additional location with new services (such as facials, pedicures, and sauna), and an editorial platform called The Chill Times. Chillhouse's fun and funky vibe (and Cyndi's hard work) has helped it to grow from one location in the Lower East Side to a multifaceted national brand with a massive digital followership.
“It's a combination of things I’d say that have allowed us to continue pushing forward versus standing still. I think mine and my husband's own personal perseverance is critical. We personally realize what the potential of Chillhouse can be in the long run and we keep that target in our minds, no matter what obstacles are thrown our way." - Cyndi
Sources: gossamer, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Forbes, The Everygirl, Chillhouse website