Exploring Life & Business with Dez Amakye of MONAD Agency

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dez Amakye.

Hi Dez, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Dez Amakye (@dokyii). I started my career in the entertainment space by co-founding a record label while studying pre-med at NYU.

At my core, I’ve always had a dream for being a dot connector, for both artists and brands. The label was my first exploration at making that dream a reality. After graduation, I turned the label into an agency under a new name MONAD Agency (the name of my company to this day).

After founding MONAD, I leveraged the success of my social media page (@monadnyc) into working in the corporate world, where I held brand partnerships roles at HYPEBEAST and Foot Locker, working with brands like Valentino, Gucci, Ray Ban, Disney, and Nike. Throughout my corporate life, I never took my eyes off my agency, I was continually growing my community in the background through content and events until one fateful day at Foot Locker when I was fired for my business being deemed a ‘conflict of interest’.

This was the ‘fire’ that I needed to go all into my dream of being that dot connector for artists in both LA and NYC. Days after I was fired, Nike reached out to me to collaborate on a Black History Month 2025 art exhibition, and the rest was truly history.

To date, we have hosted exhibitions in NYC, LA, Atlanta, Miami, Las Vegas, DC, London, and Paris — with more cities and continents to be reached this year.

While we travel globally, LA has always had a special place in my heart, so it’s truly fulfilling to be able to have showcased over 500 artists in LA so far with powerful themes that highlight culture and seek to give a voice to under-platformed communities.

Our most recent LA event was 1/31/26. We hosted our ‘We Belong Here’ photography exhibition at Rebecca Moyalem gallery in LA. This show stood as a visual declaration that every person has a place on this earth. It pushes back against systems that try to tell some people they are not welcome and instead affirms that every voice carries value and every life has a reason to be here. Through this show, we highlighted the multicultural landscape of Los Angeles, creating space for many identities, experiences, and perspectives. We want all voices to be heard and all stories to be seen.

Now MONAD Agency has evolved into a global arts organization that includes MONAD Gallery. LA is one of our key hubs, and provides a rich cultural background through which our exhibitions can be a medium for artistic storytelling.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road has been far from smooth; it took me 5 years to get to this point. As I started my journey outside the industry (as a pre-med student with no connections), I’ve always had to find creative ways to make my voice heard in the industry.

As I had no connections or investment in my business, I’ve seen many people start their journey’s and seemingly instantaneously find their way to “cool” opportunities with brand collaborations, team expansions, and venue lease signings. One of the most important things I learned from this period was to never compare my journey with anyone else’s. In some way, we ALL have an unfair advantage: some have smarts, some have money, some have beauty.

What I learned from my long journey to this point was that one of my unfair advantages is the Art of Endurance. I always had a feeling that I would build something of value in the world, I just had to keep showing up every day, no matter what.

While I was just learning the industry at this time, I used “YouTube University” as my mentor. Virgil Abloh interviews are one of the most important ways I got through the struggles. His interviews showed me that even if you come into the industry from left field (he was an engineer), consistency and talent will always be find their audience; it’s only a matter of time.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MONAD Agency?
Firstly, the name MONAD is a philosophical term, a MONAD is the most reducible form of perceptual reality. Within every artistic experience, MONAD’s are the source of that experience, they are the atoms of reality.

At MONAD Agency, we specialize in high-impact content creation and full-scale event production, crafting experiences that captivate audiences and elevate brands. We are driven by a passion for creativity and collaboration, bringing together art, design, and culture in ways that inspire communities worldwide. From brand partnerships and editorial projects to immersive exhibitions, our work reflects a commitment to supporting artists and creative visionaries at every stage of their journey.

Through MONAD Gallery and our broader creative initiatives, we provide a platform for artists to showcase their talent, share their stories, and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. We believe that every project (whether commercial or an experimental passion project) has the potential to leave a lasting impact.

We are proud that we blend community and commerce in a way very few brands do. While we host community exhibitions we also create content for brands like Nike, Meta, and Mowalola. We bring the high and low of the industry together and that will always be the core of our business.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I remember being a baby and listening to Michael Jackson songs on my parents headphones, singing along where I could. This used to fill me with so much pure joy — a feeling that I’ve subconsciously always been chasing through my creative projects ever since.

I believe true creativity comes from our childhood spirits. If we think too much, we lose that; this is why the best creativity comes when we’re least expecting it, when we’re being true to our child-like essence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://monadnyc.com
• Instagram: @monadnyc (business) , @dokyii (personal)
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monadagency/

Image Credits
Charles Fields