THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE EXPERIENCE
Expertise, made personal.
Mateo House of Beauty brings together experienced professionals with a shared approach to personal care — thoughtful, highly individualized and never rushed. Each brings a different area of expertise, connected by the same commitment to making every experience feel personal.
FOUNDER · BEAUTY PROFESSIONAL
Mateo Ambrose Leonardo
AMBASSADOR OF BEAUTY · LICENSED MEDICAL ESTHETICIAN · LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST · CO-OWNER
Mateo brings a rare combination of hair and advanced skin expertise to his work at Mateo House of Beauty. Dual-licensed as a Medical Esthetician and Cosmetologist, his approach considers beauty more holistically — combining technical knowledge, experience and an instinct for what will look and feel right for the individual.
His work spans personalized hair design and color, advanced skin treatments and non-invasive technologies, always with an emphasis on refined, natural-looking results. Rather than following a formula, Mateo takes the time to understand each client, working with precision and restraint to create care that feels distinctly their own.
Calm, attentive and detail-driven, his philosophy is simple: listen first, understand what the client wants to achieve, and use experience to determine the best way to get there.
A CAREER IN BEAUTY
From Backstage to Behind the Chair.
Mateo's career has taken him from editorial and backstage environments to international touring and private client work. He began backstage at Fashion Week with Paulina Porizkova before spending seven years touring with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.
His work has since included artists and personalities such as Billy Joel, Gwen Stefani, Ricky Martin and Adele — experiences that helped shape the confidence, intuition and attention to detail he brings to every client today.
FOUNDER · BRAND & OPERATIONS
JT Leonardo
BRAND STRATEGY & OPERATIONS · CO-OWNER
JT Leonardo is the Co-Owner of Mateo House of Beauty, where he oversees the company's brand strategy, marketing, and operations. Working alongside his husband and business partner, Mateo, he focuses on creating exceptional client experiences while continually refining the systems that support the business behind the scenes.
With more than 30 years of experience in creative direction, branding, and strategic marketing, JT has built a career helping organizations communicate with clarity and purpose. Today, he is dedicated to growing Mateo House of Beauty through thoughtful marketing, streamlined operations, and distinctive client experiences that reflect the company's commitment to quality, innovation, and personalized care.
CLINICAL OVERSIGHT
Dr. Brenda Balch
LICENSED MEDICAL SPA CLINICIAN
Dr. Balch oversees the medical spa operations, clinical protocols, and client safety. She reviews all treatment plans and consent processes, ensuring that services are delivered safely, ethically, and with appropriate care.
Her expertise includes radio frequency and IPL technologies, with a focus on skin tightening, resurfacing, and corrective treatment. She provides clinical oversight and guidance for the studio’s advanced aesthetic services.
Dr. Balch’s role emphasizes thoughtful evaluation, personalized care, and safe treatment outcomes for every client.
MASSAGE THERAPIST
Giulia Cappelli
LICENSED MASSAGE. THERAPIST
Giulia brings more than three decades of experience to her work as a massage therapist. A graduate of the Swedish Institute in Manhattan, she began her practice in 1991 before spending many years in Los Angeles, where she developed extensive experience in deep tissue massage while working with chiropractic clients. Her work has given her particular expertise in addressing the muscles of the back and neck, along with comprehensive full-body massage.
Believing that massage is never one-size-fits-all, Giulia tailors each session to the individual — considering personal preferences, areas of concern, relevant history and the body's response to pressure and technique. Her approach may incorporate elements of craniosacral work, reflexology, acupressure, hot stones, energy balancing and essential oils when appropriate. Years of hands-on experience have also developed an intuitive quality to her work, allowing her to adjust each treatment as the body responds.
Giulia holds a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Santa Monica, with an emphasis in spiritual psychology. Her broader background includes serving as head of operations for a Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to rescuing domesticated wolves and wolfdogs, where she also helped develop therapeutic programming connecting people, nature and animals.
After thirty years on the West Coast, Giulia has returned to the Northeast, where her three children also now reside. She brings to Mateo House of Beauty a holistic philosophy grounded in presence, individualized care and genuine service to others.
ONE SHARED APPROACH
Different Expertise. One Standard of Care.
Our roles may be different, but our approach is the same: listen carefully, work thoughtfully and never treat personal care as one-size-fits-all. It's the standard behind every experience at Mateo House of Beauty.
COME MEET US
Your Experience Starts Here.
Discover expert care in a private setting where the attention is always personal.