By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
Photos courtesy of Calisto Harvalias and Beatbox
From the salon chair to the festival stage, Calisto Harvalias has built a career on creativity, style, and connecting with people. But his influence doesn’t stop at hair and marketing — Calisto is also a passionate supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, sponsoring Pride events and organizations across the U.S., including ride festivals in Atlanta Pride, Orlando, Wilton Manors, Palm Springs, and World Pride in Washington, D.C., this year alone. He is on the philanthropy board called Heartbeat of his company, Beatbox Beverages, where they have raised almost half a million dollars annually to various national charities, such as For The Kid In All Of Us, St. Jude’s, Lost-n-Found, Wounded Warrior Project, LGBTQ+ and Homeless Foundations, ASPCA, PETA, and so many more charities. We sat down with Calisto to talk about how he blends artistry with advocacy, why giving back is so important to him, and what keeps him inspired to make a difference during Pride and beyond.
You’re known for your work as a celebrity hair stylist and marketing innovator. How did your passion for creativity lead you to support LGBTQ+ events across the country?
I genuinely have a passion for giving back, and if I could, I would do philanthropy work full-time. I am from a time before equality was a thing, and I saw the mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community. So when I had the power to make a difference, I worked with so many brands that would only cater to the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month, and I thought What a cheesy cash grab that is. That is when I went directly to the CEOs of the companies I represented, spoke my mind, and shared how it came across. It basically tells the consumer that we want you to have pride, but, more importantly, we just want your money. And that just did not fit right with me. This was about five years before equality was enacted into law, and I created a program called Pride 365. The program stood on the initiative to stay with the LGBTQ+ community year-round, not to show up during Pride like a Fairweather friend. This became a hit and soon spread to most major consumer brands nationwide. This is when I took it a step further and said, now it’s time to give back not just to the LGBTQ+ community but to many other philanthropic efforts. We all play an intricate part in the world and must help one another in need.
Many probably saw you during Atlanta Pride in full body paint for the brand BeatBox, with which you’ve been sponsoring Pride festivals and other community events. What inspired you to combine your professional platform with your commitment to the LGBTQ+ community?
Beatbox has been such a fantastic brand to represent, because we truly stand on the principles of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect), and that makes me love Beatbox Beverages beyond measure. They let me stay true to my high energy, “out of the box,” outrageous self, all while bringing the party to cities all over the world. Stephanie Anderson is an incredibly talented Body painter who painted me for Atlanta and other Prides. Her talent is truly amazing. She let me live out my fantasy of being a real-life Beatbox.
How do you decide which events or causes to support, and what makes a cause resonate with you?
I am on the philanthropy board at Beatbox Beverages, named Heartbeat. At Beatbox Beverages, all employees have a say and a suggestion on where our philanthropy efforts go every quarter. This is where you get to see people’s love and passion for charities throughout the nation, and a lot of times, you discover beautiful charities you didn’t even realize existed, which I adore.
Personally, children and animals are my greatest passion in charity work. Children and youth in the LGBTQ+ community have much higher chances of harming themselves due to the adversity the world can give a queer child growing up. So, I am very passionate about volunteering my time to mentor children who might need a little extra love and encouragement to go on and become healthy, well-rounded, successful adults.
And animals are truly my life. I am originally from a horse farm, so I was raised with many animals, and they love you unconditionally, as you are, and that truly makes my heart so happy. So anytime I can help my fur friends out, I always do.
Can you share a favorite memory or moment from an event you’ve sponsored that really captured the spirit of giving and community?
For The Kid In All Of Us and their Toy Party has always been such a special charity to me. I believe no child should miss Santa during the holidays, and For The Kid truly does an amazing job with the toy drive every single year. Brian Isabel-Garcia is a dear friend of mine, and I am not only proud of all he does For The Kid, but the amazing person he is as well. It is people like him and the late Lynn Barfield who made me fall in love with For The Kid In All Of Us. If you are not familiar with the charity, please look into it. It absolutely changes children’s lives.
Beyond festivals and sponsorships, what advice would you give other creatives and business leaders who want to support LGBTQ+ causes in meaningful ways?
If your company does not currently have a philanthropy board, suggest starting and participating in one. It is a wonderful way to give back to charities you and your coworkers are passionate about. If you are an entrepreneur or work alone, there are community forums that serve as a sounding board for philanthropic efforts, where you can learn more about the charity and maybe be intrigued to volunteer your time or make a monetary donation. Find something you’re passionate about and invest in it, donate to it. I realize money can be tight in this economy, so if a monetary donation isn’t possible, think about volunteering your time. Most charities are desperately in need of volunteers.
Looking ahead, what’s next for you in combining your artistry, marketing savvy, and community support to make an impact during Pride and beyond?
The windshield is always bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason. I wake up every day and look forward to a new day, and try to make it the best day possible. I absolutely love giving back and doing my part to help my community, so I will continue to do so and represent brands that share those principles. Beatbox Beverages is really just now becoming a major brand, and I’m so very proud of our brand and work culture. If you haven’t discovered Beatbox yet, you can learn more about it at Beatboxbeverages.com.
I appreciate all of you at David Magazine, and thank you for all you do for the LGBTQ+ community. It truly takes a village to make a difference, so I will leave everyone with this: “Do your part to make the world a more beautiful place. Be kind to yourself and others because you’re worth it.”