Intercoiffure and Pivot Point Celebrate Excellence in Beauty Education

Intercoiffure and Pivot Point Celebrate Educational Leadership, Student Talent and Educator Excellence at the Fall Atelier

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Education was a strong focus throughout the 2026 Intercoiffure America Canada Fall Atelier in New York City, with three recognition programs honoring leadership in education, emerging talent and exceptional educators.

Pivot Point CEO Robert Passage took the stage to present the LEO Passage Gold Trophy, recognize the Student Contest finalists and winner, and celebrate five outstanding educators through the Honor the Teacher program. Both the student and teacher awards are supported by Wella Professionals.

Joakim Roos Receives the LEO Passage Gold Trophy

In recognition of a remarkable career dedicated to education, artistry and the advancement of the global beauty industry, Joakim Roos received the LEO Passage Gold Trophy.

Joakim began his career at age nine in a salon in Sweden. In 1996, Joakim was named Artistic Director of Pivot Point Asia, where he helped establish 45 schools across the region. More recently, he helped create Pivot Point’s 2027 Trend Collection and is co-leading the company’s global certification initiative. He also continues to participate in educator training and industry events around the world.

Joakim has earned numerous gold medals at European championships. In 2003, he trained the Chinese National Team for the World Championship, where the team earned eight gold medals. The following year, he joined the OMC Global Artistic Team and received the Hairdressing Oscar from the European Federation in Italy.

A member of Intercoiffure since 2004, Joakim has held numerous leadership positions, including Honorary President of Intercoiffure China, Artistic Director and Vice Artistic Director of Intercoiffure Sweden, chairman of the Intercoiffure World Academy, and member of its Central and Working Committees. He also serves as a Global Ambassador for Intercoiffure Mondial and founded the World Academy’s COLOURSTAR and MOVEMENTSTAR concepts.

His honors include the Intercoiffure Mondial Globe Educator Award and the rank of Commander. His global impact also includes developing education systems for major Asian salon chains and creating education and licensing programs for governments in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Through these accomplishments, Joakim reflects the values of Pivot Point founder Leo Passage: lifelong learning, educational excellence and a commitment to elevating the profession worldwide.

Watch Joakim’s acceptance speech >>

Recognizing the Industry’s Emerging Talent

The Student Contest gives beauty school students an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity, technical ability and emerging professional vision to an industry audience. This year’s theme was “The Tapestry of Texture.” The video showcases the finalists’ statements and their designs, created on Pivot Point CAP SERIES mannequins.

Bani Geet Kaur of Ogle School was named the 2026 Student Content winner and was recognized alongside her instructor, Rubenstine Zeigler.

The other finalists and their instructors were:

Kendyl Coburn, Paul Mitchell The School Columbus — instructor Megan Rauch
Mohamad Wafa Poty, known professionally as Wafa Bouty, Paul Mitchell Pasadena — instructor Terrah Haffner
Jaleiah McNeill, Aveda Fredric’s Institute Cincinnati — instructor Marie Pannell-Biggs
Kennedy Carter, Ogle School–Stafford — instructor Joycelyn Potier

The recognition celebrated not only the creativity of the students, but also the educators who helped them strengthen their skills, develop their ideas and bring their work to a professional level.

Honoring the Teachers

Intercoiffure’s Honor the Teacher program was created by Sheila Wilson and is led by Donna Gentile and Tracey Gobla of Intercoiffure America Canada.

Robert Passage joined Donna and Tracey in recognizing five outstanding educators whose influence extends far beyond technical instruction:

Gladys Afolayan — Kulture Institute, Calgary, Alberta
Lindsay Casha — Napa School of Cosmetology, Napa, California
Mimi Hawkins — Ogle School, Dallas/Mesquite, Texas
Dylan John — Paul Mitchell The School Boise, Idaho
Stephanie McLemore — College of DuPage, Addison, Illinois

At Intercoiffure, the honorees participated in a luncheon discussion on the evolving responsibilities of today’s beauty educators and the challenges their students face.

A key theme was that technical ability alone is not enough; career success also requires communication, professionalism, resilience and relationship-building:

Many students enter school needing greater support with communication, confidence and interpersonal skills.
Educators serve not only as instructors, mentors and motivators, but increasingly as parental figures.
Students must be taught—and held accountable for—professional standards such as attendance, punctuality, appearance, reliability and respect.

The discussion reinforced how dramatically the educator’s role has expanded. In a rapidly changing world, today’s instructors are not simply preparing students to pass an examination. They are helping students become confident, capable professionals prepared to serve clients, enter the workplace and build sustainable careers.

Celebrating Education

Together, the three recognition programs reflect the strong commitment of Intercoiffure and Pivot Point to education. At the heart of that commitment is a shared belief that the future of beauty depends on supporting people at every stage of their professional journey.

From recognizing established industry leaders to celebrating emerging talent and the educators who inspire them, these programs highlight the powerful connection between education, opportunity and the next generation of beauty professionals.

About Pivot Point International

Pivot Point International is a global leader in beauty education. They continue to set the standard for innovation in both school and professional learning. Students showcased their creativity using Pivot Point’s CAP SERIES mannequins, designed to deliver the most realistic educational experience available.

About Intercoiffure America/Canada

Intercoiffure is an international organization of elite hairdressers. They represent the highest standards in the beauty profession. Through events like the Fall Atelier and initiatives like the Student Contest, Intercoiffure fosters creativity and innovation among the next generation of beauty professionals.

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