Borner’s Barber College · 501(c)(3) · Los Angeles & Pasadena
The Borner’s Foundation helps aspiring barbers build lucrative, sustainable careers — with the wraparound support they need to thrive in the classroom and far beyond it.
Our Story
Borner’s Barber College traces its roots to 1990, when Arthur and Velma Borner purchased the school then known as American Barber College and gave it the family name — built on a simple conviction: that barbering is both a craft and a business, and that a good school owes its students both.
In 1995 the Borners relocated to South Western Avenue, planting roots in the South Los Angeles community the school still serves today. When a 2006 fire struck the campus, they rebuilt at 8913 South Western Avenue rather than close — keeping faith with the students and community who relied on them.
In 2019, Borner’s expanded for the first time, opening Borner’s Barber College Pasadena at 1284 North Lake Avenue and bringing its model — rigorous technical training paired with real business education — into the San Gabriel Valley.
Arthur Borner passed away in July 2023 after three and a half decades at the helm. The school continued under family leadership, with Joseph Brumfield — who joined in 2019 with the Pasadena opening — taking on day-to-day operations of both campuses.
Today, Borner’s operates two accredited campuses organized around a philosophy it calls “The Barber’s Bootcamp” — pairing cutting, shaving, styling, coloring, and chemical services with the finance and business education that separates a licensed barber from a successful one. The Borner’s Barber Network keeps graduates connected long after commencement.
The Borner’s Foundation carries that mission forward — so no aspiring barber is turned away for financial hardship, and every student facing real life challenges has the support to build a lasting career.
Our Campuses
Both Borner’s campuses sit in communities where stable, skilled work can be transformational. We keep tuition accessible and support services close because the students who need this pathway most often live right around the corner.
8913 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Anchored in South Los Angeles, this campus has served one of the city’s most underserved communities since 1995. It is the heartbeat of Borner’s training: barbering, cosmetology, and the business education that turns a license into a livelihood.
1284 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA
Opened in 2019 on North Lake Avenue, the Pasadena campus brings Borner’s model into one of Pasadena’s most underserved corridors. Many residents here face limited access to career-training resources; this campus exists to close that gap.
“We don’t just train barbers where it’s convenient. We train them where a chair can change a block.”
Life at the Los Angeles campus — the team on the floor, and a young neighbor in the chair.
Our Mission
Borner’s Foundation is dedicated to empowering aspiring barbers to build lucrative, sustainable careers — while ensuring they have the comprehensive support needed to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
Our Vision
“A future where every aspiring barber and cosmetologist — regardless of background or circumstance — has the resources, mentorship, and opportunity to build a thriving career and a meaningful life.”
We envision a Southern California where barbering is recognized as a powerful vehicle for economic mobility and community transformation — and where no student is turned away because of financial hardship.
What We Provide
We serve veterans, young people emancipated from foster care, clients of the California Department of Rehabilitation, and others facing significant life challenges — meeting each student where they are.
01 / Education
Scholarships and tuition assistance that open the door to an accredited barbering education — so financial hardship never decides who gets to pursue the craft.
02 / Stability
Money-management and business education that helps students turn a license into a livelihood — budgeting, saving, and building a sustainable career behind the chair.
03 / Wellbeing
Connections to health services and mental-wellness support, because thriving in the classroom starts with being well outside of it.
Workforce Initiatives
Barbering is one of the fastest paths from training to earning — a recession-resistant, portable, entrepreneurial trade. Our workforce initiatives connect students to employers, apprenticeships, and reentry and veteran pathways, so a license becomes a paycheck and a paycheck becomes a business.
Direct connections to shops and salons hiring licensed graduates across LA and the San Gabriel Valley.
Chair-time and mentorship with working barbers while students build speed, clientele, and confidence.
Licensing, leasing, pricing, and booth-rental coaching for graduates ready to run their own chair or shop.
Wraparound case support for veterans, justice-impacted adults, and foster-care alumni entering the trade.
Watch on InstagramH.E.R. Future in motion — tap to watch the reel on Instagram.
The H.E.R. Future Initiative
Barbering has long been a men’s room. H.E.R. Future changes that — a dedicated initiative that recruits, funds, mentors, and places women in a trade where they can own their time, their clientele, and their income.
Coming soon
Application releases March 2027.
Add your email to the early-interest list and be the first to know when H.E.R. Future opens.
By the Numbers
Every figure here represents a young person one step closer to standing behind their own chair.
Give
Your gift funds tuition, tools, and the wraparound support — financial literacy, health, and mental wellness — that helps students finish strong and thrive. The Borner’s Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3); contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
EIN available upon request
Online giving is on the way. For now, to make a gift or pledge, please email info@thebornersfoundation.org and we’ll take it from there.
Get Involved
Apply for a scholarship, hire our graduates, partner your school or shop with us, or lend your time. Email us and we’ll be in touch.
