I'm joye
A Serial Entrepreneur, Creative Designer, and Builder of Atmospheres, Experiences + People
- Event Concept Creation
- Consulting
- Wedding Planning
- On-site Event Management
- Conference Planning
- Strategic Planning
- Logistics
- Vendor Management
- Customer Relations
- Community Engagement
Areas of Specialty
I can create the change that I want to see in the world.
I live by mantras and quotes, but especially the idea that
I am constantly inspired by my spiritual connection, meeting new people, traveling, learning and experiencing new cultures.
I was born and raised in Durham, NC, to a family of serial entrepreneurs stemming from the Hayti era of Black Wall Street. My family owns one of the only businesses still operating from Black Wall Street, and I am proud to carry on this tradition of entrepreneurship with my many successful businesses.
I grew up with two sisters and one brother, and attended C.E. Jordan High School in Durham before leaving North Carolina to pursue a degree in Communications and Political Science at Virginia State University. I am certified as a Meeting Professional (CMP), Wedding Planner (CWP), and hold a hotel and travel license from the International Association of Travel Agents Network (IATAN).
My goal in starting Virtue Events was to create memorable experiences that brought a variety of people from different backgrounds together for a common purpose. Now, Virtue is the largest minority woman-owned event planning team in the Triangle. Virtue is a full service event planning company with passionate certified event planners who specialize in contract negotiation, on-site management, design, and concept development for weddings, social gatherings, and corporate events on the East Coast. My clients have entrusted me with producing diverse and multifaceted events that wow attendees and leave long-lasting impressions.
With Virtue Events, I also offer consulting, where I foster an environment of collaboration and creativity, even in the most challenging of situations. My style of consulting creates an intelligent, rigorous and respectful exploration of ideas. I seek to spur my clients to expand their awareness of critical issues, employ key decision-making skills; and find innovative ways to meet organizational goals.
Soon after, Virtue Events was born.
After college, I moved to Charlotte, where I was a marketing and sales associate for a venue. While working there, I would pass my clients off to outside people to plan their events. After a few times of doing this, my clients requested that I plan their events instead. I started to go in on my day off to cover the extra work, and picked up freelance event planning on the side.
“Joye is bright, creative, and energetic. She enables her clients to paint the vision for her to create their dream into a realistic, memorable occasion. Joye is great with follow-up and follow-through activities. She understands the value of developing a time-table and networking with vendors to ensure the client expectations are met. Set your sights high when you make the decision to hire Joye. She is a shining star in event planning.”
-Dr. Doris L.P. Griffin (Harvest Christian Fellowship)
After returning to Durham and beating Breast Cancer, I became a Goodmon Fellow with Leadership Triangle, which gave me a chance to reconnect with the community. I worked for Forward Cities as a Creative Director, planning their national conferences in multiple states, and was one of just three Black event planners doing that work. Getting to work directly with my community in the Triangle, I was able to see where the need was in equity and diversity, as well as economic development for people of color.
This inspired my work with event venues - most notably Suite Four, an event venue in downtown Durham that I launched in 2020 and worked on securing rentals, curating events, and creating a community space. I now provide a booking service for venues in the Triangle - helping clients find just the right space for their event that not only meets their goals, but exceeds expectations. My goal with providing this service is to partner with the community to help the diversity of Durham feel comfortable hosting events and renting venues.
I have over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and am the majority owner of Virtue Events, Lotus Florals, and Virtuous Lifestyles. I also have an ownership stake in Speight Auto Group. I currently serve on the Durham Convention Center and Durham Cares boards, If you’re lucky enough to catch me working in-person, you’ll often hear old school hip hop and rap playing, typically with me singing along. It's truly the only way to work.
When I'm not planning events or starting a new business, you can find me spending time with my daughter Chandler Danielle or walking around Downtown Durham. I also love all things basketball (although I must admit I can’t play).
