Shawn Gilstad
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Charlotte Players Inc$12,227
raised by 21 people
$5,000 goal
Meet Shawn! Shawn, born in the majestic mountains of East Tennessee, was one of seven kids raised by a loving mother and a superhero grandmother. He's a proud graduate of Chattanooga State Community College, where he majored in “Surviving a Big Family 101.”
In 2009, he swapped the mountain life for the sunny shores of Southwest Florida. Just a few years later, in 2012, Shawn unleashed his entrepreneurial spirit and opened his first business, Hair by Shawn and Company, which quickly became the place for perfect hair flips and fabulous gossip.
Not stopping there, Shawn teamed up with Sherrie Moody of the Charlotte Players to found the Charlotte County Imagination Library (CCIL). This isn't just any book club; it's an affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Since March 2012, CCIL has sent over 200,000 books to preschool children in Charlotte County, turning bedtime into a page-turning adventure.
In 2019, Shawn tied the knot with his soulmate, Dr. Dennis J. Gilstad, proving that true love really does exist. That same year, Shawn and Denny bought the historic Purple House in Punta Gorda. After a top-to-bottom renovation (think Extreme Makeover: Salon Edition), Shawn opened The Purple House Salon, where clients can get their hair done while soaking in the charm of history and a fresh coat of purple paint.
Shawn’s journey from the mountains to the beach, from books to beauty, and from single to soul-mingling bliss, is nothing short of a hair-raising tale of success and love!
Crack Me Up Sponsor
Comic Relief Sponsor