Karen Albright
President
CoolSculpting University Certified
Karen Albright is the founder of BodyLase®, a medical spa with two locations in the Triangle. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and University of Connecticut School of Law. After practicing law with a large firm in Connecticut for several years, Karen moved to Raleigh in 1994 with her husband and children. Soon after coming to Raleigh, she taught legal writing at the University of North Carolina School of Law and Duke Law School.
In 2002, Karen opened BodyLase Laser Hair Removal with her husband, Dr. Daniel Albright. Karen has grown and expanded the company into a million-dollar business. BodyLase now has two locations and offers a multitude of cosmetic medical and traditional spa services.
In 2009, Karen was awarded the Women in Business Award by the Triangle Business Journal. In June of 2010, Karen was honored as Business Woman of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners Greater Raleigh Chapter. In 2011 and 2013, Karen was awarded the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Steady Growth and Profitability Award for the success of BodyLase. In 2011, Karen was named a Woman Extraordinaire by Business Leader Magazine. In 2012, Karen received the distinguished Top 50 Entrepreneurs. Karen was honored in 2016 with the NAWBO-Greater Raleigh Corporate Partner of the Year Award for her longstanding and proven commitment to the success of women‐owned businesses in our local area. She was also recently awarded the 2019 Enterprising Woman of the Year award. In 2023 Karen was appointed as President of the Entrepreneurs Organization, Raleigh Durham Chapter.
She currently resides in North Raleigh with her husband and rescue dog, Bear.
Cary
Alexandra Asciutto
Aesthetician
CoolSculpting University Certified
Alexandra was born in Hungary, Budapest, and moved to New York in 2014 where she attended Aesthetics school. In New York, she worked for White Orchid MedSpa in Brooklyn and specialized in laser hair removal, HydraFacial®, and Microneedling.
Ashley Celeone
Treatment Consultant
Originally from New York, Ashley graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and embarked on a successful career in real estate. Her passion for helping others led her to explore opportunities in the automotive industry, where she honed expertise in various departments, specializing in finance.
Kyah Chapman
Spa Assistant
Kyah was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, a town renowned for being the birthplace of the iconic Cheerwine.
Macy Crawford
Assistant Spa Manager
Macy grew up in the small town of Saluda, South Carolina. After graduating high school, Macy attended the College of Charleston, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management with a Music Industry Concentration, along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish.
Abby Whitescarver
Aesthetician
CoolSculpting University Certified
Abby has North Carolina roots and grew up in Southern Pines, located just outside the Triangle-area. She has a passion for all things skin-related.
Lauren Huffey
Aesthetician
Lauren was born and raised in Cary, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College and shortly after, she went to Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill to pursue her true passion in the skincare industry. In 2022, she graduated from Aveda Institute with honors and received her Esthetician License.
Lauren joined the BodyLase team in 2024 and loves performing Hydrafacial treatments creating personalized skincare routines with medical-grade products to achieve optimal results for her clients.
Anais Olivero
Physician Assistant
Anais, originally from Long Island, NY moved to NC in 2003 and received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from East Carolina University in 2011. She continued her education to receive her Masters of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies in 2016 and began her career in the Urgent Care setting.
Nicole Triplett
Spa Assistant
Nicole was born in Morrisville, NC where she currently resides as she completes her Associate’s degree. She joined the BodyLase team in 2023 and takes pride in supporting our injectors and aestheticians in helping clients look and feel their best!
Vanessa Settle
Spa Manager
Vanessa is originally from Maryland but relocated to North Carolina five years ago. She brings 10 years of management experience and is a licensed esthetician, combining her passion for leadership and skincare in her role as Spa Manager.
Stacie Velez, PA-C
Physician Assistant
CoolSculpting University Certified
Stacie is a board-certified Physician Assistant from New York City, where she practiced Obstetrics & Gynecology for 8 years.
Melanie Walden, PA-C
Physician Assistant
CoolSculpting University Certified
Melanie was born in a small town in Illinois and relocated to North Carolina in 2019 with her husband. She completed her undergraduate degree In Health Sciences at Aurora University in Illinois and went on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Maya Gray
Spa Concierge
Maya was born and raised in Raleigh and graduated from Carolina University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, all while excelling as a student-athlete on the volleyball team.
Sarah Castillo
Spa Concierge
Originally from sunny Southern California, Sarah Castillo’s life journey has taken her through California, Nebraska, and Mexico, giving her a rich blend of experiences. Fluent in Spanish, Sarah connects effortlessly with a diverse range of clients. She’s passionate about traveling, often heading to Mexico to visit family and enjoying road trips and beach getaways.
Jarissamar Callejas
Spa Assistant
Born in Dunn and raised in Johnston County, Jarissamar Callejas, better known as Jari, pursued her Associates in Science at Johnston Community College before earning her Phlebotomy certification.
Raleigh
Brittany Bulzan
Spa Director
Brittany has been dedicated to her career at BodyLase since 2008. As the Raleigh Spa Manager, Brittany loves to make sure every client has a wonderful experience while addressing all of their needs and concerns.
Andrea Cabrera
Marketing Specialist
Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Andrea earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in her home country where she worked as a journalist for several years before joining the communications department of her city’s Destination Marketing Organization.
Vanesa Castaneda-Reyes
Spa Concierge
Vanesa is a North Carolina native who has been into all things beauty and skincare since she can remember. She joined the BodyLase team in 2023 and is dedicated to ensuring every client has a fulfilling and positive experience.
Desiree Frizzell
Treatment Consultant
CoolSculpting University Certified
Desiree was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in speech pathology. While she has always enjoyed helping others, the speech field wasn’t where she felt completely fulfilled.
Rhonda Gately, NP
Nurse Practitioner
CoolSculpting University Certified
Rhonda has been working as a Nurse Practitioner in Massachusetts since 2000 and has recently relocated to North Carolina. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Rochester in New York and went on to obtain her Master’s of Science in Nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston.
Elizabeth Gunter
Executive Assistant
Facilities Manager
Elizabeth is a native North Carolinian and has lived in Raleigh since 1997. She joined BodyLase in 2019 as an executive assistant and has since moved to the role of Facilities Manager; utilizing her skills in organization systems and strategies to keep the spas neat and orderly. In her free time, she enjoys gardening with her daughter Mae.
Rita Hiester
Aesthetician
CoolSculpting University Certified
Rita, who joined the BodyLase team in 2014, was born in Lima, Peru, and has lived in Raleigh, NC most of her life. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and is happy that she can work with Spanish-speaking clients.
Rachael Lucas, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Originally from Nevada, Rachael moved to North Carolina to further her career and fell in love with the beautiful climate and state. She graduated from Duke University with a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies and worked for nearly a decade in thoracic surgery in Raleigh.
Leah McCullen
Assistant Spa Manager
Leah is originally from Durham, NC, and most recently lived in Sarasota, Florida where she interned for USDA followed by working in real estate. Leah attended Appalachian State University for Public Health and has always been passionate about health care and customer service. She loves working in the beauty industry and is excited to expand her knowledge in healthcare management and operations at BodyLase. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and being outside.
Gloria Mejia-Privado
Concierge Supervisor
Gloria is a North Carolina native, fluent in both English and Spanish. Her early passion for the medical industry and a newfound interest in skincare led her to Bodylase, where she works to expand her knowledge and help others feel confident in their own skin.
Victoria Morales
Spa Concierge
Victoria was born and raised in Southwest New Mexico, and she relocated to North Carolina in 2021.
She joined the BodyLase team in 2023. Her favorite part of the job is making clients feel welcomed and provide them with a truly luxurious experience.
Andrea Palomino
Operations Manager
Andrea joined the BodyLase team in 2015, bringing with her years of Customer Service experience and fluency in both Spanish and English. She graduated from East Carolina University earning a degree in Communications.
Laura Petro
Spa Manager
Laura joined the BodyLase team in early 2023, bringing in a wealth of experience in operations and business management within the beauty industry. Originally from Detroit, Laura relocated to the Raleigh-Durham area over a decade ago, and fell in love with its thriving business community.
Julia Pjetraj, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Julia is a North Carolina native who lives in Raleigh with her husband and three children. She attended UNC at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Rhiannon Rupkey
Aesthetician
CoolSculpting University Certified
Rhiannon, born in Wilmington is a North Carolina native. She graduated from the Aveda Institute achieving her dream of becoming an Aesthetician.
Kelly Smith
Aesthetician
Kelly is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated with honors from East Carolina University with a double major in political science and history. Immediately following college, Kelly worked as the transitional housing case manager for the Salvation Army Women and Children’s homeless shelter in Charlotte.
Malarie Thompson
Aesthetician
CoolSculpting University Certified
Originally from upstate New York, Malarie moved to North Carolina in 2013. Starting out in cosmetology, she always loved the industry but found her true passion in aesthetics. She graduated in 2015 from Aveda and has since been continuously advancing her education.
Sahar Reman
Injector Assistant, CPT
CoolSculpting University Certified
Sahar is a Triangle area native with several years of experience in the healthcare and beauty industry. She is a Biology graduate from NC State University with a minor in Psychology. Her passion for aesthetics stems from her interest in the intersection of science and beauty, and she aspires to become an injector in the future.
Sahar’s passion for aesthetics and beauty has been longstanding. With nine years of experience as a freelance and published makeup artist, her portfolio showcases magazine appearances and advertisement projects.
When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, traveling to new destinations, and sampling diverse cuisines.
Eva Porter
Spa Assistant
Eva was born into a military family stationed in Germany and has been accustomed to a life of movement and change from an early age. In 2021, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health from East Carolina University.
As a passionate advocate for wellness and skincare, Eva finds her role at BodyLase particularly fulfilling, as it allows her to merge her personal interests with her professional expertise.
Evelyn Nolasco
Injector Assistant
Evelyn is a North Carolina native with a background in legal studies, fluent in both English and Spanish. Although she enjoyed helping others with legal matters, her true passion lies in the beauty and healthcare industry.
Alex Chenney
Spa Assistant
Originally from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Alex found her second home at Meredith College. She pursued her love for both tennis and communication, playing on the tennis team and graduating with a degree in Mass Communication in 2021.
Alex has always had an interest in beauty and aesthetics, which led to her career at BodyLase. She thrives combining her passions of building relationships and the aesthetic industry. Alex enjoys building meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues alike.
Alex Ferree
Spa Concierge
Alex is a North Carolina native who entered the aesthetics industry early on and quickly developed a passion for skincare, skin treatments, and the transformative power of helping others feel beautiful.
With a dedication to guiding clients on their skincare journeys, Alex is committed to making each experience at BodyLase comfortable and exciting.
Ivree Dent
Spa Concierge
Ivree Dent, originally from Richmond, VA, moved to Durham, NC in 2020 to pursue her studies at North Carolina Central University.