The Story Behind GOAT
Greatest Of All Trained. Not a boast. A standard. A promise.
It Started in the Barber Chair
Ridge Awadallah has spent over 8 years in the automotive industry and owns The Laundry Spot on Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown. He knows business. He knows how to spot an opportunity. But GOAT Barber Academy didn’t start with a business plan — it started with a conversation.
One day, sitting in Alex Sierra’s chair, Ridge heard something that stopped him. Alex was talking about what was broken in barber education — how students were coming out of programs unable to work, unable to build a client base, unable to run a business. How talented people were being failed by a system that cared more about passing a test than building a career.
Ridge didn’t just listen. He acted. That conversation became GOAT Barber Academy.
Two People. One Mission.
Ridge Awadallah
Owner & Academy Director
Ridge brings 8+ years of business experience across the automotive industry and local entrepreneurship in Youngstown. He understands what it takes to build something from the ground up — and what it takes to sustain it. When he heard Alex’s vision he didn’t just see a school. He saw a movement that could change lives in his community. He put his resources, his network, and his business mind behind it and never looked back.
Alex Sierra
Co-Owner & Head Instructor
Alex Sierra has spent over 10 years building one of the most respected names in barbering in the Youngstown area. Award-winning competitor. Shop owner. Community builder. But after years of watching graduates come out of barber programs without the real-world skills to succeed, he knew something had to change. GOAT is his answer to a broken system — and his commitment to every student who walks through the door.
Why Youngstown
This city has always had talent. What it hasn’t always had is opportunity. GOAT Barber Academy is rooted in Youngstown because this is where the need is greatest and where the impact will be felt most. We’re not here to build something for Youngstown — we’re here to build something with Youngstown.
Alex built his career here. Ridge built his businesses here. GOAT will grow here first — and then take what we build to communities that need it everywhere.
The Vision
Most barber schools hand you a license and wish you luck. GOAT has a different plan.
We are building the shops our graduates will work in.
The five year vision for GOAT is bigger than one school. We are working toward a network of GOAT locations where our graduates don’t just leave with a license — they leave with a place to go. A chair waiting for them. A community already built around them. No searching, no starting from scratch, no hoping someone gives you a chance.
You earn your license at GOAT. You build your career at GOAT. That’s the difference.
What GOAT Means
Greatest Of All Trained.
It’s not a title you’re given. It’s a standard you earn. Every student who graduates from this program will leave knowing they were trained at the highest level — technically, professionally, and personally. That’s what we put our names on. That’s what we’re building.