— WORTH UP ALLIANCE
The people behind the mission.
WorthUp Alliance was built by two people who've lived this industry from the ground up and who know exactly what it takes to go from behind the chair to building something of your own.
— FOUNDER & CELEBRITY HAIRSTYLIST
Ted Gibson
Ted Gibson is a globally recognized beauty entrepreneur, celebrity hairstylist, and founder of TED GIBSON BEAUTY WELLNESS SCIENCE, a next-generation brand redefining beauty through performance, wellness, and science.
His editorial and runway work has appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Allure, with backstage credits at Chanel, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana. His celebrity clientele includes Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, Gabrielle Union, Sandra Oh, and Tessa Thompson, women who trust him not just for style and transformation.
Beyond the chair, Ted starred in the Paramount+ series Blowing LA, served as the resident hair expert on TLC's What Not to Wear, and has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Oprah. Born in North Carolina and raised across Germany, Hawaii, and Japan, Ted's global upbringing shaped a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and approaches to beauty that runs through everything he creates.
Inspired by his mother's dementia diagnosis, Ted began exploring the connection between internal wellness and external beauty — creating ASCENSION, a daily supplement blending Lion's Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Tremella, and blue-green algae to support cognition, resilience, and radiance.
Now based in Palm Springs, Ted has set out to build a program that gives talented beauty professionals the mentorship, community, and funding they need to turn their vision into a business. That mission is WorthUp Alliance.
— CO-FOUNDER & CELEBRITY COLORIST
Jason Backe
Jason Backe is a salon owner, celebrity colorist, and entrepreneur with twenty years of experience building some of the most recognized names in the beauty industry. As co-owner of Starring by Ted Gibson, the world's first smart salon powered by Amazon and Alexa, Jason has brought innovation and warmth to every space he's created, from Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
His work as a colorist has been recognized four years running in Allure's Best of Beauty directory, and his celebrity clientele includes Anne Hathaway, Priyanka Chopra, Renée Zellweger, Tessa Thompson, and Madelyn Cline. Known for his practical expertise and exuberant personality, Jason is regularly quoted in Allure, InStyle, Glamour, Elle, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times.
Beyond the salon, Jason has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Rachael Ray, and spent years as a Brand Ambassador for major professional haircare companies, traveling the world educating stylists, salon owners, and managers in technique and business building.
Jason has co-founded WorthUp Alliance to give the next generation of beauty entrepreneurs what he spent years learning the hard way, the mentorship, the business knowledge, and the community to build something that's truly theirs.