Maria Lekkakos set her sights on becoming an aesthetician when she was still a teenager, completing her training in medical esthetics at 19 before opening her first skincare business in her early twenties. After being crowned Miss Massachusetts USA in 2004, her profile grew nationally, and she became sought after as a celebrity aesthetician, working with high-profile clients and on film productions. Her business later expanded in Wenham and evolved into what is today M. Lekkakos Skincare.
Marc Harris decided to become a hairstylist after getting a haircut on Newbury Street. He quickly worked his way up in the industry and eventually opened Salon Marc Harris in Boston. Over the years, he expanded the brand to multiple locations including Boston and New York.
Next Wave 2026 · Maria Lekkakos and Marc Harris
Maria Lekkakos and Marc Harris are part of Northshore’s Next Wave 2026, spotlighting 14 leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives helping shape what comes next for the region.
When the two successful entrepreneurs met, they recognized something in each other’s ambition and passion, and they’ve been partners in both life and business ever since.
“When we got together, we realized that we’re a lot more than just salon owners,” Harris says. “Even though we have a lot of things going on, we’re working on them together.”
Building Beyond Beauty
Since then, their empire has grown well beyond its beauty-business beginnings. Harris launched Area Salon Studios, which rents turnkey salon and esthetics spaces to beauty professionals across six locations in and around Boston.
The pair also acquired two commercial buildings in Wenham.
One they transformed into a mixed-use development. The other became home to another one of the couple’s brainstorms: a wine and cheese shop called Vin Fromage. Neither Lekkakos nor Harris knew anything about running a gourmet shop, but they were confident there would be a market for good wine and good cheese served with European ambience.
“We knew nothing about that business, but we do know business,” Harris says.
Looking Ahead Together
Somehow, the two still find time to hang out with their beloved standard poodles, ride their e-bikes around town, go out to eat, and travel, getting inspiration along the way for their endeavors back home.
And there are already more projects in the works. They have struck an agreement to develop an event space that will host groups of up to about 50; the vibe will be “kind of a modern Mediterranean, with a certain amount of sexiness to it,” Harris says. They are also in the early stages of organizing a Cape Ann wine festival, inspired by visits to the Nantucket Wine Festival.
As always, they expect to complement each other as they work together toward another successful result.
“We have different ideas and different ambitions,” Harris says. “But we’re both really creative thinkers, and we’ve always had a passion for what’s next.”
Explore Next Wave 2026
Discover the leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives bringing fresh ideas to the North Shore, from restaurants and retail to museums, music, and community philanthropy.
Join Us for the Next Wave Event
Join Northshore for the Next Wave event on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. aboard Beauport Cruiseline in Gloucester. Enjoy live music and local bites on Gloucester Harbor as we celebrate the people and ideas shaping the North Shore. Reserve your tickets and join us on the water.