The LeNoir Agency founder and CEO on building a firm that spans event production, public relations, brand staffing and community programming, from Tabitha Brown to LA County.
Tyra Nicole has spent more than 15 years building LeNoir Agency into a Los Angeles operation trusted by celebrities, spirits brands, cultural institutions and, now, county government. As Founder and CEO, she oversees event production, public relations, brand staffing and community programming under one roof, with a client history that has included Hulu, the American Heart Association, the Pan African Film Festival and Black Love.
Her latest win is a contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development for its 2026 Youth Summit, a project she pitched in 2025 and landed about eight months later. It arrives as LeNoir marks five years as the production partner behind some of the most personal events in Tabitha Brown’s growing business.
Five Years Inside Tabitha Brown’s Creative Rhythm
For five years, LeNoir Agency has produced every major event for Tabitha Brown, the actress, New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur. The work has ranged from intimate gatherings to, most recently, Tab’s Beach Club for her body mist launch.
“Honestly, not a lot has changed besides my own experience,” Tyra told Bacon Magazine. “Tabitha has been a supporter since the very first event we did together, and she’s always been easy to work with.”
What has grown over time is the shorthand between them. “What’s changed is that after five years, we know each other’s cadence. I understand her creative process, what she’s looking for visually, and how she wants the flow of an event to feel,” she said. “When you work with someone that long, the planning process becomes easier, smoother, and honestly more fun.”
For an independent agency, a relationship of that length with a talent of Brown’s reach represents steady repeat business and a signal of trust that every future client can see.
The 2024 Pivot Into Full-Service PR
Like many event businesses, LeNoir felt the slowdown that began around 2020. By 2024, Tyra decided the moment called for growth over waiting it out, and the agency expanded into full-service public relations, bringing on clients including Malinda Williams and Daphnique Springs.
“I’m a huge advocate for knowing when to pivot,” she said. “I believe things happen in your life and business for a reason. Around 2020, things slowed down, and by 2024 it felt like the right season to expand rather than stay where we were.”
She sees that willingness to evolve as the thing that keeps a business alive. “Learning to pivot and build on what you’re already doing is important; if you don’t think beyond your current work, you’ll stagnate, which is something I never want.”
The expansion came together alongside a key addition to the team. Around the same time, Indigo, now LeNoir’s Director of Public Relations, approached Tyra about working together. “It felt like divine alignment, and 2024 was the moment to expand.”
From Dodgers Games to the Fatherhood Block Party
LeNoir’s brand staffing business grew out of a single connection. Tyra met Kev, owner of MVA Experiential, and the two collaborated on several projects. When he needed staffing for Herradura Tequila and Jack Daniel’s activations at Dodgers games and concerts, LeNoir stepped in.
“It was a natural fit, and from there I built out a roster of event staff and brand ambassadors,” she said. “My goal has always been to be a one-stop shop, not just for my own clients, but for other agencies that need one or many of the other services we offer.”
That same approach carries into the agency’s community programming, which includes the Black Love Summit and the Fatherhood Block Party. According to Tyra, referrals drive a large share of the business, which makes every relationship an asset worth protecting.
“It’s the same with brand partnerships: everything is relationship-based,” she said. “I nurture those relationships because a lot of my business comes from referrals and people who’ve experienced our work firsthand. For me, it’s all about collaboration, never competition.”
Eight Months to a County Yes
Public-sector work rewards patience, and the Youth Summit contract proved it. Tyra pitched the proposal in 2025 and waited roughly eight months before learning LeNoir had been awarded the contract. This year’s gathering, the Built By Us Youth Summit, is a free event scheduled for Friday, October 16, at The Beehive in Los Angeles, with workshops, music, a resource fair, and programming centered on youth leadership and empowerment.
“We’re incredibly excited about the LA County Department of Youth Development’s Youth Summit,” she said. “Youth programming matters because young people are who will take over when we’re not here anymore. A lot of summits and conferences are built for millennials or older generations, but this generation is different. They’re built differently, and they deserve programming that’s relatable to them.”
Her approach, she said, was to give young attendees real tools and show them different paths forward. “The youth are the next generation, and they carry everything forward.”
The contract also widens LeNoir’s revenue base, adding a government partner to a portfolio built largely on entertainment, lifestyle and consumer brands.
Nine Years Without a 9-to-5
Tyra has been doing this work for more than 15 years, and for the last nine of them, she has brought home the bacon entirely through her own business. When asked about the moment it all felt real, she pointed to the life the agency has made possible.
“I can’t point to one single moment because I’m still amazed by what comes across my table,” she said. “But I will say: I’ve been doing this for over 15 years, and for the last nine of those years, I haven’t had a 9-to-5. Being able to have a child and pay my bills doing something I love, that, to me, is the moment.”
She is candid about the effort behind it. “In this economy, that’s not a privilege everyone has. It’s hard, I won’t pretend it isn’t, but I amaze myself with every project and every client. I can’t point to a single moment because every day I get to do this without added stress is a blessing.”
Her guiding philosophy stays simple: “Trust God, do the hard work, and when it pays off, give Him praise.”
