TEAM
Farai Simoyi
CEO & Founder
Farai Simoyi, from Fashion Designer to Fashion Executive, is the founder of The Narativ. Behind her, Simoyi has 15 years of experience designing and consulting for some of the most globally recognized celebrities with fashion brands and industry staples such as Beyonce, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake, and Rachel Roy to name a few.
Following her impressive competitive delivery in the first season of the ‘Netflix’ fashion design competition series, ‘Next in Fashion,’ Simoyi continues her mission to provide access and visibility to global artisans and designers in the U.S. market.
Ayo Agbede
CFO & Founder
Ayo Agbede is a New York City entrepreneur. A formal Investment Bank Analyst with Citigroup and UBS (United Bank of Switzerland), Agbede branched out to start a restaurant investment business after a decade on Wall Street. He was also an integral part of the first exclusive team of the Clinton Foundation . He has brought his finance and Wall Street experience to The Narativ from the inception of the company in 2017.
Johnathan Hayden
Creative Director
Johnathan Hayden is a local New York City Fashion Designer, debuting his namesake womenswear luxury brand at Tokyo Fashion Week. Having worked in nonprofit for over a decade, his designs focus on local manufacturing and hand beading and embroidery provides a community-focused, high fashion lens for creativity and accessibility for The Narativ Team.
Kwena Baloyi
Global Brand Curator
Kwena Baloyi passion lies in fashion- a medium she uses to express her ideas and beliefs, and a medium that has allowed her to carve a glowing reputation as a Brand Curator. Known for exuding confidence in her skin, Baloyi’s style is a captivating and inspiring representation of architectural dress- sculptures, extravagant headpiece, Afrofuturism, and the vibrant, colorful, and bold nature of traditional African wear. She devotes her experience and creative eye in scouting the next best brands and designers from around the globe..
Calvin Lyte
Branding & Marketing Consultant
Calvin Lyte is the Creative Director and co-founder of Paper Plus Rocket a multi-disciplinary Graphic Design Studio in Brooklyn, NY. He has spent over 13 years in the New York City advertising industry creating global campaigns for brands such as Cigna, Nikon, American Airlines, US Army, Verizon Wireless, Reebok and Burger King. Calvin earned his Madison Avenue stripes at agencies such as McCann, McGarryBowen, Publics, KBS, Possible and Burns Group to name a few.
Jaynelle Nicole
Social Media Strategist
Jaynelle Nicole, a Visual Story Teller, with a highly sought-after YouTube Channel, has been creating alluring content and innovative social media strategies for the past 6 years. Partnering with the likes of My African Pride, Tarte Cosmetics, and Shea Moisture to name a few, Nicole’s work has been celebrated globally.
Devora Wooden
Brand Manager
Devora Wooden, is a Brand Manager and Managing consultant with 20 years experience. Her work spans Beauty, Fashion, Finance, Entertainment, and the Airline Industry. Her company, Dig Deep LLC, is a full service creative consulting company with a focus on jewelry and accessory brands. Wooden has merged her business expertise with her creative vision to create a versatile combination and has brought her expertise to The Narativ since 2017.
Monica G. Cartas
Assistant Brand Scout
Monica Cartas, is a Fashion Content Creator hailing from Mexico, but currently residing in New York. After graduating from West Virginia University, Cartas partnered with The Narativ, curating content on all platforms and serving as the liaison between The Narativ and design partnerships. She brings fresh, unique, and innovative ideas, while focusing on adding new partners to the brand.