<Downloadable PDF in the series is forthcoming. In the meantime, please refer to their Blog post>

Publication Date: June 19, 2025

Citation: Roelofse, E., (2025). Moment of Truth Playbook: Black Capital Studies. Institute for Quantum Innovation and Impact, Qii Moment of Truth Series (Qii MOT No. 1-27, published in 2025).

License: Open access under
CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0

Available at:  https://theqii.org/portfolio/william-l-burt/

When Dreams Rewrite Laws

When most people dream, they wake up and move on. But when this barber from Waterloo had a dream, he built it—literally. In that vision was Kut Kings Mobile Barbershop, a fully mobile barbershop designed to serve the sick, the shut-in, the single mom with four boys, and veterans who couldn’t travel far. He didn’t just imagine it—he drove to Indiana, bought the vehicle, and began the buildout.

Then came the barrier: his dream wasn’t legal in Iowa.

The law required four walls and a foundation—his wheels made it “invalid.” Instead of giving up, he launched a grassroots movement, rewrote legislation, and created a new category of barbershop altogether. It took 2.5 years, all his savings, and a stubborn refusal to quit.

This is William L. Burt’s Moment of Truth.