Charles and Sharon Riser, co-CEOs of The TEMPLE: A Paul Mitchell Partner School, will speak as part of the FCC Moving Mountains Speaker Series on Wednesday, January 16 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Risers’ talk will focus on the importance of relationships in success and leadership.

As experienced entrepreneurs and business owners, Charles and Sharon Riser credit much of their success to making and maintaining face-to-face relationships, especially in a time when many people rely on social media and virtual connections. They also stress the importance of thoughtful planning when it comes to business goals.

“Having one plan is never enough to make you successful,” Sharon Riser said. “You can’t just have even a Plan A and a Plan B. What you really need is a Plan A through Z.”

For young people, it’s not just planning that makes a difference in finding career success. Charles says finding a good mentor and gaining hands-on experience is equally important when young people are trying to determine the career path that is best for them.

Charles and Sharon, who are married, both have decades of experience in the beauty industry. In 2005, they opened The TEMPLE: A Paul Mitchell Partner School, a well-known cosmetology school in downtown Frederick. The school has graduated more than 1,800 students. In 2015, they opened a second location in Annapolis.

Together, Charles and Sharon have received the Business Ethics Award from the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek, been named Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Entrepreneur Council of Frederick County, and were designated Business DoGood-ers at the 2017 Frederick County Do Good-er Awards.

The Risers’ talk is the third in the 2018-2019 Moving Mountain Speakers Series. The monthly series features inspiring professionals who share their life experiences and encourage teens and young adults to set the bar high in all areas of their lives.

The sessions are free and open to the public and will take place in the JBK Theater, located inside the Visual & Performing Arts Center on campus. No registration is required to attend. Teens and young adults who attend and sign in for three of the six sessions in an academic year are eligible to receive a certificate of leadership and participation.


In addition to Charles and Sharon Riser, upcoming Moving Mountain speakers include:

February 13, 2019
Darline Gilson and Briana Thezard, college students and co- founders of Vision 1804, a nonprofit serving Haiti “Answering to Our Calling”

March 20, 2019
Charlie Smith, State’s Attorney for Frederick County “Moving Mountains That Move”

April 10, 2019
James Hatch, FCC cybersecurity and technology professor "Interactive Cybersecurity: Are you ready?"


For more information about the series, contact Mike Pritchard at [email protected] or 301.846.2417. Frederick Community College makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities for College-sponsored events and programs. If you have accommodation needs, please call 301.846.2408. To request a sign language interpreter, please call 240.629.7819 or 301.846.2408 (Voice) or email interpreting. Sign language interpreters will not be automatically provided for College-sponsored events without a request for services. To guarantee accommodations, requests must be made at least five workdays in advance of a scheduled event.