our story

Bruce Waight Sr. is a an award-winning business owner, professional barber, community advocate, and visionary from San Antonio, TX. He currently resides in Oklahoma City, OK.

After graduating from barber college in 2011 Bruce received his professional barbering license from the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Bruce has over 15 years of experience as a professional barber specializing in classic barbering services for all hair types.

In 2014, Bruce, along with co-founder Vanessa Morrison; an award-winning urbanist, community development professional, and graduate from the OU College of Architecture's Regional and City Planning Graduate Program, wanted to change how people experience and access the barbershop space and culture. They began their journey with a vision of eliminating obstacles and barriers, such as: lack of transportation, foster children living in shelter settings, health adversities, and more that make it difficult for some people to get to the barbershop.

In 2015 they purchased a 1960 Airstream Landyacht and, through the support of many including their talented and highly skilled great uncle, were able to fund, restore, and transition their vintage trailer into Oklahoma's first full service, self-sustaining licensed mobile barbershop. Bruce was also integral in getting legislation passed to help make mobile barbershops legal in the state of Oklahoma and launched in July of 2017. Bruce was then appointed by the Governor's office to serve on the Oklahoma Barber and Cosmetology Board and currently sat as the Barber representative and the Legislative Liaison from 2017-2021. En Root is nationally recognized and has been featured on several local and national platforms, including StoryCorps, the Library of Congress, Blavity, and more.

In 2018 Bruce expanded his entrepreneurial career and opened up his first storefront barbershop, Rooted Barber + Shop, with a mission to provide an inclusive barbershop and community space for OKC residents. Rooted hosts Oklahoma's first Artist in Residency Barbershop program, hosts a myriad of community events, and more. En Root retired in 2021 after serving hundreds of individuals, children, and families and positioned Rooted to open and run full-time.

Additionally, Bruce and Vanessa are the co-founders of Cut it Forward; a non-profit dedicated to providing culturally specific hair and skin care resources for foster and adopted children of color, and their caregivers. Bruce is also the founder of the Hair Collaborative and Rooted at the Homeless Alliance; a project he launched in collaboration with Bob Moore Subaru to provide a full-service barbershop at the Homeless Alliance’s Day shelter.