Kenya Knight, the owner of Nous Model Management is one of those gifted managers who matches an impeccable eye for talent with a laser focused business sense. The result? One of the most consistent and stable boutique agencies in the history of the LA modeling scene.
Born and raised in LA , Ms Knight is a graduate of the legendary Immaculate Heart School (famous alumni include Tyra Banks and most of the early girlfriends of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) located in the heart of good old Hollywood. The charismatic young manager has the business pulsing in her blood as they say, since Mom was a hair-stylist for the Supremes and Dad a Ob/Gyn at Cedar-Sinai in Los Angeles. Kenya Knight certainly navigates the terrain very well as was evidenced by the speed with which she was whisked to her high visibility table at The Ivy from which she gave OTM her insight into the LA scene.
WS: Could you outline your history in LA …How you came to work in this particular business and how Nous began.
KK: After graduating UC Berkeley with a degree in Economics & Business Administration, I made the obvious career choice into the modeling industry! My personal passion for the modeling business lead me to my first full-time job at Elite Los Angeles. At that time, I truly learned from the best in the business. In February 1998, after five years at Elite, I left with one of my co-workers to open Nous. Elite is the largest network agency worldwide, and though I enjoyed the experience I had there I was more interested in working in a boutique environment and being “independent” so I could work with more agencies around the world. After less than 2 years, my business partner left Nous to become a full-time mother and I became the sole owner of Nous Model Management. We have been open 8 1/2 years and have continued a path of growth and success. I have since opened a Men’s division, headed up by the very talented and respected David Todd, and I opened a commercial department, headed up by a very experienced woman who really knows that side of the business, Magdalena Sanoja-Ping.
WS: How does Nous fit into the very mainstream and commercial LA market as a boutique operation?
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Click on the thumbnails below for a few samples from the Nous Model Management board:
