CCBC Student, Center for Business Innovation and Trades
CCBC’s Elite 10 Business Program helped Erica take WhollyGloss from idea to unstoppable business.
Local entrepreneur and beauty brand founder Erica Bigger was looking for growth, clarity and a community that believed in her vision. At CCBC, she found a support system that helped turn her beauty brand, WhollyGloss, from an idea into a full-time, purpose-driven business.
She first connected with CCBC through its entrepreneurial network and later earned a spot in the college’s Center for Business Innovation and Trades’ Elite 10 Business Program.
“I heard about Elite 10 through my ongoing relationship with CCBC and their dedication to supporting local entrepreneurs,” she says.
Being selected was both humbling and exciting. It validated the vision behind WhollyGloss and gave me an opportunity to grow alongside other passionate entrepreneurs who are making a real difference in our communities.
Unlike many CCBC students who enroll to pursue degrees, Erica's path highlights how CCBC’s continuing education and small business programs help local startups. She remained involved through The Collective at CCBC Owings Mills, where WhollyGloss built a retail presence, reaching students and the community.
“I’ve stayed active by mentoring, helping women and men in business and creative entrepreneurship to succeed. It’s my way of giving back to a community that continues to pour into me,” Erica shares.
The idea for WhollyGloss emerged during a deeply personal chapter in Erica’s life. A challenging pregnancy shifted her perspective on beauty and wellness, inspiring her to create a brand grounded in healing, wholeness and faith. With a background in fashion merchandising, design and marketing, she blended creativity with purpose, building a brand that goes beyond cosmetics.
“WhollyGloss is my full-time venture and ministry in motion,” she says.
Looking ahead, she envisions WhollyGloss becoming a national beauty and wellness brand that empowers women and creates opportunities for mothers and young entrepreneurs.
Her advice to those considering entrepreneurship: Start with clarity and community. She credits CCBC with giving her both. “CCBC showed me that entrepreneurship is not just about launching an idea; it’s about sustaining a vision.”
Her message to future entrepreneurs: “Begin with your 'why’ and follow your faith in God and the calling that he has for you.”
Erica is part of the Fresh Faces 2025-26 cohort.