Meet the Judge: Chrystal Graves, Founder & CEO of LiQUiD

Chrystal Graves never planned on building a tech company. But after winning Missouri Startup Weekend in 2023, that’s exactly what she started doing. This year, Chrystal is returning to MOSW as a Friday night judge, just two years after walking into the event as a first-time participant with a last-minute ticket and a half-formed idea.

Originally from St. Louis, Graves didn’t always see herself as a stylist, much less a tech founder. She studied education at Talladega College and built her first salon in Columbia, Missouri, after one of her first clients, who also was a woman-owned business, wrote her a check to make it happen. That gesture helped launch a career that’s revolved around entrepreneurship—whether as a salon owner, nonprofit co-founder, or now, the CEO of LiQUiD, a data-powered platform reshaping how salon owners operate (that’s not a booking system).

“Salon owners were hiring me to help them make business decisions alongside them,” she said. “But I was relying on my own experience, and it was clear they needed something more—one place to run their business with real insights.”

That insight sparked a conversation over coffee the Thursday before Missouri Startup Weekend 2023. Her friend Wendy asked, “So, what’s next?”—and Graves didn’t have an answer. By the end of that conversation, she was signed up to pitch. Less than 24 hours later, she stepped on stage with a loosely formed idea and walked away 54 hours after that with the foundation of a tech company.

“I didn’t walk into Startup Weekend with a fully formed idea,” Graves said. “This wasn’t something I had been planning for months—it was a conversation over coffee that turned into an opportunity to build something real.”

Throughout the weekend, she assembled a team of close friends and total strangers, including an engineer who insisted on vetting her before agreeing to join. The resulting team brought together a mix of industry expertise, tech know-how, and energy that took her original idea from pitch to prototype in just a few days.

“The biggest aha moment for me over the weekend was realizing that even though I was the expert in the problem, I couldn’t build the solution alone,” she said. “That reinforced that solving big problems requires collaboration.”

Since that weekend, LiQUiD has moved fast. The platform launched its MVP just 60 days after development began, welcomed over 300 paid users in 72 hours, and has since raised more than $500,000 in funding. The company was also selected for Techstars—a program with a global acceptance rate of just 1–2%—and has been spotlighted at AfroTech, Harvard, and multiple national pitch competitions. Beyond the product, Graves has built a community of more than 13,000 salon professionals, expanding LiQUiD’s footprint far beyond Missouri.

She’s also the co-founder of The BOLD Academy, a nonprofit focused on empowering Black and Brown girls ages 12–17 through mentorship, education, and leadership. As a salon owner, mother of three, and community advocate, she’s spent her entire career building things that make life better for others—whether it’s one client, one student, or an entire industry. Welcome Chrystal to this year’s Friday night judge panel!

Q&A

What qualities are you looking for in a founder or idea during Friday night pitches? “I’m looking for a founder who is passionate, someone who truly believes in what they’re building, and experienced, meaning they have lived the problem and deeply understand it. They should be open-minded, willing to take feedback, pivot, and adapt when necessary. A strong founder is also a great listener, someone who listens twice as much as they talk, and charismatic and clear, able to communicate their idea simply and compellingly. If they can’t explain it in a way a 10-year-old would understand, they probably need to refine it. A great idea is important, but what truly stands out is a great founder—someone who is coachable, driven, and crystal clear on their vision.”

What excites you most about Missouri Startup Weekend 2025? “Honestly, what excites me most about Missouri Startup Weekend is getting to come back—not as a participant this time, but as someone who can witness the energy, excitement, and passion in the room from a whole new perspective.

It’s incredible to see so many people stepping up to pitch their ideas, take risks, and push themselves outside their comfort zones. Just being in that space again, but now as someone who can help, mentor, or inspire—that’s what excites me.

Even if someone’s idea isn’t the one selected, I love knowing that I might still be able to help them move forward. Because sometimes, all it takes is one conversation, one connection, or one moment of encouragement to change everything.”

What would you say to someone who’s nervous about pitching this year? “To anyone nervous about pitching their idea this weekend—nothing beats failure except not trying. The answer is already no if you don’t put yourself out there, so you might as well go all in. Whether you end up building your idea or not, you’re going to make incredible connections that could change everything for you. And if pitching feels overwhelming? Stick around. Join a team. You’ll learn, grow, and be part of something bigger than just one weekend. Either way, you win.”