KAYENECHA DAUGHERTY-

FOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR  

Kayenecha Daugherty is a creative professional with over 20 years of experience designing entertainment and experiential events and connecting artists and brands with interested audiences. Rising through the music industry as one of the first Hidden Beach Recordings’ interns and then founding her own entertainment company Gypsy Soul about 20 years ago, she has built relationships and communities that are priceless. More recently, educating both professionals and youth through arts and music has evolved Kayenecha's professional passions leading her to leave her six-year position at the Grammy’s to dedicate herself to further building Creative Nomads and its youth program, Where Art Starts.

Educating arts professionals and youth through art has Kayenecha's undivided attention. She believes completely that emerging arts professionals without professional development and access to successful peers are less likely to fully realize their potential. She is also acutely aware that youth who have little to no access to arts, music, cultural programming, and wellness tools are deprived of discovering their vast capabilities to imagine and manifest their dreams or thrive abundantly in today's society. Art is too important to not support on a professional or youth level. She also believes that art can and should be used as a community and relationship-building tool to strengthen neighborhoods and cities.

Her personal goal is to provide more educational resources to both arts professionals and youth in ways that are fun, grow family and community cohesion, increase cultural cohesion, and promote positive personal identity growth for all involved.

Through Creative Nomads, she looks forward to connecting with instructors, other community partners, and funders who can assist in expanding the services of Creative Nomads to those who need and cherish art and wellness in their lives and the lives of everyone in our communities.

In 2019 she was names a Baltimore Homecoming Hero and in 2019 she was also named to The Kennedy Center’s inaugural Culture Caucus where she has provided opportunities for Baltimore-based artists to take the stage. Lastly, Kayenecha has led several community art-based mural projects, including a place-based visual art project that can be seen on The Ambassador Theatre's marquee in Baltimore. Creative Nomads designed and worked with the community to paint 6 murals, 5 of which are on The Ambassador as a beautification project as the venue undergoes renovation.

2023 Class of The Leadership

2023 Baltimore Magazine GameChanger

2023 - 2024 The Peale Community Advisory Team

2020-2024 Black Arts District Board Member

2020 -2024 The Blk ED Network Board Member

2019-2022 Kennedy Center Cultural Caucus Member

2019 Baltimore Homecoming Hero

2011 Billboard Women In Music Special Feature Nominee