About

Millions of independent pros are forced into leases they don't need. ShopHop exists to change that.

ShopHop is the operating system for independent service professionals — stylists, barbers, nail techs, estheticians, tattooers — giving them the freedom to work where they want, when they want, without the burden of traditional leases. For the salons, studios, and shops with space to rent, every empty chair becomes new revenue. Think Airbnb meets Stripe for independent service professionals — a trusted platform that unlocks unused workspace and powers flexible work. Built in Chicago. For pros, everywhere.

The mission

The independent service economy is exploding, but the infrastructure hasn't kept up. Pros sign year-long leases for chairs they barely use. Salon owners watch revenue walk out the door every empty afternoon. ShopHop unlocks underutilized chairs, suites, and studios — letting independent professionals book them on demand, reducing fixed costs for workers while creating new revenue streams for owners.

What we do

ShopHop is the marketplace that turns idle chairs, suites, and studios into revenue while giving independent professionals the freedom to work without long-term leases.

We don't just list chairs. We power the entire transaction — from discovery to payout — so pros can focus on their craft and hosts can turn empty space into revenue.

We're not building a directory. We're building the infrastructure that the independent service economy has been missing.

The founder behind the mission

Malcolm Brown

Founder & CEO · Chicago, IL · Husband. Father. Builder.

ShopHop didn't start in Silicon Valley. It started with ink and impact. Years of running The Tattoo Lounge — turning a single chair into a thriving brand and franchise vision — gave Malcolm a front-row seat to the chair-rental economy and everything broken inside it.

He watched pros sign year-long leases for chairs they barely used. He watched shop owners lose revenue every empty afternoon. The problem wasn't talent. It was infrastructure. So he built it.

With over 15 years of entrepreneurial success, Malcolm leads ShopHop the same way he built the Lounge: principled, prophetic, and pro-first — turning lived experience into a platform the industry can finally trust.

Our values

• Pros first. Every decision starts with: does this make a working artist's life better?
• Trust by design. Verified IDs, insurance, secure payments — non-negotiable.
• Local energy. Strong shops build strong neighborhoods. We back both.

Founded in Chicago. Built by operators. Designed to empower the next generation of independent entrepreneurs.