(DE-FI) Global INC™ | The Story Behind (DE-FI)®

The story of (DE-FI) ®  begins with founder Caressa L. Brown, a former model and caregiver in Dayton whose vision created a regional fashion incubator rooted in (DE-FI)ance, access, and community. From Dayton to Cincinnati and across the Midwest, we’re building a pipeline that refuses to leave talent behind. 

Founded in 2013 by Caressa L. Brown, Ed Dixon, Cindy Gaboury, Sarah Tyrchniewicz, Lamar Pacley, LaToya Stephens, Danielle Simpson, and Pete Bradow.  The Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI)™ LLC served as a groundbreaking organization in the Greater Dayton and Miami Valley area that introduced, mentored, and launched the careers of designers and models into the fashion industry.  

Under the leadership of Caressa, the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI)™ LLC has grown from a single community initiative into (DE-FI) Global INC™, a regional fashion authority driving innovation across the Midwest. What began in Dayton in 2012 has expanded into a network of interconnected subsidiaries that together form the Midwest’s strongest fashion pipeline.  Today, (DE-FI) encompasses:

• The House of (DE-FI)ance™ a multidisciplinary fashion and design co-working hub. 
• Fashion Week of Cincinnati™ and Dayton Fashion Week™ signature events that amplify regional talent.
• The Fashion Incubator of Dayton™ and The Cincinnati Fashion Incubator™ , structured programs guiding designers from concept to market.
• (DE-FI) Models™ model development and professional training programs.
• (DE-FI) Fashion Week™, a business-focused cross-industry collaboration for designers, models, industry professionals for education, networking, and collaborations. 
• Dayton Threads™ & Cincinnati Threads™ boutique platforms bridging independent designers with consumers and retail buyers.

Together, these initiatives represent a comprehensive ecosystem from workforce development to incubators, fashion weeks, boutiques, and co-working spaces that didn’t exist in Southwest Ohio before Caressa’s leadership. Each expansion reflects her vision of positioning Dayton, Cincinnati, and the Midwest as a fashion hub that competes with larger markets while staying rooted in community, sustainability, and opportunity.

Caressa Brown is a force of nature; bold, compassionate, gritty, and fiercely determined. Known for her “in-your-face” accountability, tough love, and disciplined approach to life and business, she has transformed her trials into triumphs, making her story the foundation for (DE-FI)® ’s groundbreaking work.