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"Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie...
(DE-FI) Global INC's Impact | Transforming Midwest Fashion
1,000+ Careers Accelerated Across Dayton, Cincinnati, & Beyond
Since 2013, (DE-FI) Global INC has transformed the Midwest fashion landscape, empowering over 1,000 emerging designers, models, and creative professionals in Dayton, Cincinnati, and beyond. Our multifaceted approach blends incubator programs, runway showcases, STEM integration, and workforce initiatives to build a resilient, inclusive fashion ecosystem that drives economic and cultural impact.
Through the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator and (DE‑FI) Global INC, we've provided critical tools, training, and mentorship for over a thousand individuals, transforming raw talent into industry-ready professionals. Our alumni have been featured in Vogue, Elle, and Women's Wear Daily, walked international runways, styled celebs at the Oscars and Grammys, and assumed leadership roles at CFDA via CFDA Connects and major fashion brands .
Innovating Across Fashion, STEM, and Workforce Development
From Local Incubator to Next-Gen Systems Innovator: Starting as a regional incubator, we've evolved into a cross-sector innovator, adding STEM, agriculture, and regenerative practices to our portfolio. The STEM Atelier fuses material science, digital fabrication, and environmental innovation to prepare students for careers at the intersection of fashion and technology .
Workforce Development Impact
Pioneers of Dayton’s first sewing workforce program in 2015, (DE-FI) lead the way to launch a first-of-its-kind industrial sewing initiative. By equipping learners with technical certification and direct access to opportunities in areas like protective gear production, we're filled local labor gaps and catalyzing economic development...and we launched our own independently run Train to Sew program via the Dayton Garment & Textile District.
Community Impact Beyond the Runway with Real Engagement
(DE‑FI) Gives Back: Our volunteer-driven "village" has built homes through Habitat for Humanity, led community gardens, organized disaster relief after tornadoes, and partnered with law enforcement and nonprofits to uplift underserved communities. Our participants contribute at least 40 service hours annually fusing development with civic renewal.
Why Our Impact Matters: Fashion Week & Public-Facing Programming
(DE‑FI) Global INC’s fashion week series, comprising Dayton Fashion Week, (DE‑FI) Fashion Week, and Fashion Week of Cincinnati functions as an ecosystem-building platform that merges runway production with industry networking, business essentials, and experiential learning.
Rather than merely staging events, these week-long programs are intentionally structured to cultivate economic infrastructure, offering participants opportunities to present capsule collections, master logistics, engage retail stakeholders, and forge critical professional relationships in real-world contexts.
Programs such as Brain Dayton and the Build-A-Brand Experience further support talent progression through curated mentorship, brand strategy workshops, and peer-to-peer roundtables designed to prepare incubator participants for market entry and investor engagement.
Additionally, signature activations like the Trashion Show, staged during the Fiber Forum in partnership with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, emphasize material innovation while serving as a live incubator for sustainable experimentation.
Feature events such as “A Weekend of (DE‑FI)ance” elevate the rigor of the program by hosting industry leaders like Shawn Pean, founder of June 79 and former President of Balmain USA and VP of Valentino Wholesale; and Elliot Carlyle founder of Currently Global and CFDA collaborator provide critical feedback and strategic direction to incubator designers. These curated interactions deliver high-level mentorship and networking critical for scaling early-stage fashion ventures .
Through these initiatives, participants gain practical experience in design presentation, brand development, supply chain communication, and stakeholder engagement, fortifying their readiness to enter the business side of fashion within a structured yet community-focused regional ecosystem.
Economic & Cultural Impact
Career Pathways & Professional Growth: Our spinning ecosystem fosters career-ready talent across 17 fashion roles from pattern makers and sewers to AI developers and marketing leads many of which pay $64K–$136K annually.
National Recognition & Influence
A founding member of CFDA Connects, we've been recognized in the CFDA Annual Report, invited to the New York Fashion Week kickoff at Gracie Mansion, and cited across WHIO, WWD, Dayton Business Journal, Columbus Monthly, and more.
Innovation & Future-Driven Programming
STEM Atelier: A unique remix of fashion, bioscience, digital manufacturing, and wearable tech training students to prototype with fibers, 3D-print with AI systems, and engineer for environmental impact .
Farm-to-Fashion Pipeline: We are embedding agricultural science with textile production linking hemp, cotton, silk cultivation to processing, design, and micro-manufacturing in Ohio.
House of (DE‑FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience fabrication facility that supports makers, designers, and social enterprise helping launch businesses with infrastructure and community.
Why Investors Should Engage
1. Proven track record with measurable outcomes thousands served, hundreds of career launches, and consistent media and industry validation.
2. Cross-sector leverage – Intersection of fashion, STEM, agriculture, and workforce development creates multiplier opportunities.
3. Scalable model – Curriculum, infrastructure, and partnerships that can be locally replicated or regionally expanded.
4. Social innovation lens – Deep community ties, civic service components, and a focus on equitable impact.
Your Impact Potential
Your investment helps amplify this model building a regenerative fashion economy rooted in education, local manufacturing, and STEM-driven innovation. Together, we can grow careers, revitalize communities, and re(DE-FI)ne what sustainable fashion looks like in the 21st century.
The Fiber Forum's Trashion Show Applications Are Live!
Applications are now open for designers interested in showcasing their work in the Trashion Show during (DE-FI) Fashion Week’s Fiber Forum on September 16th in Strategic Partnership with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub. If you're ready to turn trash into couture, submit your application by August 30.