Inspired by her son and determined to make haircuts safer, Keishla Rivera is transforming a deeply personal challenge into an inclusive barbering career. We go behind the chair with the award-winning barber, educator and advocate, to learn more about her mission to better serve clients with sensory differences.
For Keishla, AKA KNStarz, her career in barbering began with a search for something she couldn’t find. The 33-year-old mother of three entered the industry because her youngest son, diagnosed with autism, found haircuts extremely difficult and traumatic.
When Keishla struggled to find a barber who understood his needs, she decided to become that person herself. “I enrolled in barber school so I could become that safe space for him,” said Keishla.
That decision launched a career that has developed into a much wider mission. Today, Keishla is licensed in Massachusetts as a barber, cosmetologist and esthetician, and more than 80% of her clientele are children, many of whom have autism or sensory processing differences.
For Keishla, every appointment begins with patience, understanding and the recognition that success looks different for every client.
“Every haircut is about creating trust, not trauma,” she said. “My goal is to change the way families experience haircuts and to show the barbering industry that inclusion isn’t a specialty. It’s something we should all strive for.”
A Milestone Moment
It’s only been around three years since Keishla started her career as a barber, but her impact has already earned major recognition.
At the 2026 CT Barber Expo, she was named Rookie of the Year, marking an emotional full-circle moment. Only a few years earlier, Keishla had attended the event as a barber student, looking up at the professionals on stage and wondering whether she would ever stand alongside them. Her first competition resulted in a Top Five finish, experience she used as motivation for the next.
“Winning this year wasn’t just about receiving a trophy,” Keishla said. “It represented every early morning, every late night, every sacrifice, every family that trusted me with their child, and every moment I questioned whether I was good enough.”
Education with Purpose
Now a StyleCraft Pro Educator, Keishla teaches techniques and demonstrates tools that help other barbers build confidence. As an ambassador for Anti Broke Barber Club, she also encourages barbers to think beyond technical ability and approach their careers with an entrepreneurial mindset. She sees education as an opportunity to offer the kind of guidance that can completely change the direction of someone’s career.
Her position with Sensory Safe Solutions is more personal, though. Through the role, Keishla educates barbers and beauty professionals about working with children and adults with sensory differences. Her training covers behavior, communication and practical ways to create safer, more respectful service environments.
“Whether I’m cutting hair, teaching a class, or speaking on stage, I’m simply serving people in different ways,” Keishla said.
Behind the chair, her toolkit includes the StyleCraft Instinct Clipper, Purple Reign Trimmer, Gamma+ Xceed Clipper, StyleCraft blow dryers and flat iron, but some of her most valuable tools can’t be plugged in. A weighted cape, sensory toys and visual supports help clients navigate appointments, while patience and flexibility remain essential. “Every client is different, and sometimes the best tool you can have is the ability to adapt to their needs,” she said.
The specialty that once made her feel different has become her greatest strength, opening doors while allowing her to provide a service families urgently need. That mission is also driving the creation of INFINITY BY KNSTARZ, a sensory-friendly haircut space designed to give more families access to an environment where they feel safe, welcomed and understood.
Reflecting on her rapid rise, Keishla’s advice to her younger self would be simple: “Stop comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter ten.”