Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Nakia Vestal, CEO and owner of DollMaker Lashes in Houston, TX, says that she never dreamed she’d be able to pull off running a business—and creating a brand, too—while doing it all on her own. But the beauty entrepreneur is doing just that. Her eyelash salon has been in business for over six years; this year she added a product line, too.
By taking courses on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal, Vestal was able to upgrade her business know-how on topics such as finances and social media marketing. “Everything was a learning experience for me—from A to Z,” she says. “With the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program, I was able to learn how to run my business professionally.”
Vestal applied for and received a $10,000 small business grant through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program. She used the funds to create branding for her new product
line, to create a website that could handle e-commerce, and to buy the supplies to start mass producing her products.
“The world’s going to know who DollMaker Lashes is,” says Vestal.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is a part of Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan to move the world forward for all. Sign up for the free courses at verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready
Nakia Vestal, CEO and owner of DollMaker Lashes in Houston, TX, says that she never dreamed she’d be able to pull off running a business—and creating a brand, too—while doing it all on her own. But the beauty entrepreneur is doing just that. Her eyelash salon has been in business for over six years; this year she added a product line, too.
By taking courses on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal, Vestal was able to upgrade her business know-how on topics such as finances and social media marketing. “Everything was a learning experience for me—from A to Z,” she says. “With the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program, I was able to learn how to run my business professionally.”
Vestal applied for and received a $10,000 small business grant through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program. She used the funds to create branding for her new product
line, to create a website that could handle e-commerce, and to buy the supplies to start mass producing her products.
“The world’s going to know who DollMaker Lashes is,” says Vestal.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is a part of Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan to move the world forward for all. Sign up for the free courses at verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready



![Miami art teacher melds science with art to teach students about the world | Verizon
Art teacher Lourdes Fuller firmly believes art class is a lab. The design cycle, she argues, is very much like the STEM process: You get an idea, draft it out and then step back and redesign. Fuller explains, “The scientific process is that you basically test your hypothesis. In art, youre testing your idea.”
Fuller argues that art and science have much in common: “In order to be any kind of scientist, you have to have a curiosity, and you have to observe the world, and all of that is art.”
In her art classes at Shenandoah Middle School Museums Magnet in Miami, FL, students use technology, including 1-1 devices provided by Verizon Innovative Learning to analyze plants, insects and more, all through the eyes of an artist. “They think they are doing nothing, but they are doing so much,” Fuller says. “They are doing science.”
Fuller’s passion for art extends to the social and emotional growth of students. “The most exciting moment for me is [when] students find and discover something with their eyes,” she says. “The more you see, the more you know and how you fit into the world.”
For educators interested in interdisciplinary lessons that combine STEM with art, visit Verizon Innovative Learning HQ (verizon.com/learning) for free resources and apps.
#VerizonInnovativeLearning, #CitizenVerizon, #Education, #STEM, #Technology Miami art teacher melds science with art to teach students about the world | Verizon](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eyUyy8WmlH8/mqdefault.jpg)






