Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angel Yang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The name ‘The Novus Group’ has a deeply personal origin. It began with a dream where the name ‘Nova’ came to me as the perfect name for my sister’s child. While that name didn’t ultimately stay in the family, it left a lasting impression.
The concept of a ‘Nova’—a star that suddenly becomes brilliantly bright before gradually fading—resonated deeply with me. I wanted to carry that sense of something new, transformative, and ephemeral into my business.
As I explored further, I discovered ‘Novus,’ meaning new, youthful, and fresh. This perfectly captured the essence of what I wanted my agency to represent: the idea of bringing something novel and innovative to every project, and leaving people with fresh, lasting experiences.
This philosophy extends throughout The Novus Group, including our subsidiary brand Nova Pop-Up, which specializes in curated markets and entrepreneur showcases. Each event we create is like a nova star—a brilliant moment in time that leaves a lasting impact long after it ends.
At its heart, our name embodies our commitment to creating transformative brand experiences that captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression.

Angel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Personal Introduction & Origin Story

I’m Angel Yang, founder of The Novus Group, a creative brand experience agency dedicated to disrupting the expected and designing the extraordinary. My journey to this point has been shaped by diverse experiences spanning fashion, finance, and international business development across North American and North Asian markets.

The name ‘The Novus Group’ has a deeply personal origin. It began with a dream where the name ‘Nova’ came to me as the perfect name for my sister’s child. While that name didn’t ultimately stay in the family, it left a lasting impression. The concept of a ‘Nova’—a star that suddenly becomes brilliantly bright before gradually fading—resonated deeply with me. I wanted to carry that sense of something new, transformative, and ephemeral into my business.

As I explored further, I discovered ‘Novus,’ meaning new, youthful, and fresh. This perfectly captured the essence of what I wanted my agency to represent: the idea of bringing something novel and innovative to every project, and leaving people with fresh, lasting experiences.

What We Do

The Novus Group specializes in strategic event design, experiential activations, creative brand storytelling, and cross-cultural collaborations. We help brands engage their audiences in meaningful ways that drive awareness, loyalty, and growth.

Our core services include:

– Strategic Event Design: Crafting purpose-driven experiences aligned with specific business objectives and audience needs
– Experiential Activations: Creating multi-sensory brand environments that allow audiences to engage with products and services in impactful ways
– Creative Brand Storytelling: Developing narratives that connect emotionally with audiences and communicate brand values authentically
– Cross-Cultural Collaborations: Building authentic connections between brands and different audience segments
– Strategic Consultation: Aligning experiential marketing with business objectives for measurable results

We also operate Nova Pop-Up, our subsidiary brand focused on curated pop-up events that support local entrepreneurs and creatives while creating dynamic spaces where brands and consumers connect in meaningful ways.

The Problems We Solve

For our clients, we solve several key challenges:

1. Breaking through noise: In today’s saturated digital landscape, we help brands create genuine connections through memorable in-person experiences
2. Building authentic community relationships: We help businesses connect with diverse audiences in meaningful ways that go beyond traditional marketing
3. Creating content-worthy moments: We design experiences that inspire user-generated content and organic sharing
4. Bridging strategy and creativity: We combine business acumen with creative execution, ensuring experiences meet both artistic and strategic objectives
5. Accessing diverse audiences: Our multicultural expertise helps brands connect authentically with communities they may struggle to reach

What Sets Us Apart

The Novus Group’s competitive edge comes from three key differentiators:

Global Perspective: Having lived and worked across different regions, I bring a well-traveled perspective to every project. This exposure to varied cultures, fashion trends, retail environments, and business practices allows us to identify unique opportunities and draw inspiration from global best practices.

Cross-Industry Expertise: My experience spans fashion, finance, and international business development. This unique combination allows us to bring fresh approaches from one industry into another, creating truly innovative experiences that wouldn’t occur to those with more limited professional backgrounds.

Locally-Informed Approach: We believe meaningful connections happen when brands engage authentically with local contexts. Our extensive network across multiple markets (Minneapolis, Detroit, DC, LA, NYC, Austin, and Miami) allows us to tap into regional preferences, aesthetic sensibilities, and consumer behaviors to create genuine engagement opportunities.

What I’m Most Proud Of

What makes me most proud is seeing the tangible impact our work has on both our clients’ businesses and the communities we engage. I’m particularly proud of:

– Building Nova Pop-Up into a platform that curates dynamic ecosystems of entrepreneurs and creatives while creating transformative brand experiences and supporting their business growth
– Creating opportunities for independent vendors and emerging talents through our collaborative approach to event production
– Developing a business model that balances creativity with strategic outcomes, proving that distinctive experiences can drive measurable business results
– Consistently bringing fresh perspectives to industries that often rely on conventional approaches to customer engagement

What I Want Potential Clients to Know

For anyone considering working with The Novus Group, I want them to know:

1. We challenge conventions: I’m a big ideas, big risk, big rewards type of person. I question established approaches and push boundaries to create experiences that truly stand out.

2. We’re hyper-focused on execution: My team and I are relentlessly dedicated to making things happen, turning ambitious concepts into tangible results with meticulous attention to detail.

3. We bring global perspective: Our multicultural insights and cross-industry experience bring fresh thinking to every project, helping you connect with audiences in ways others simply can’t envision.

4. We balance strategy and creativity: We combine strategic business understanding with creative innovation, ensuring experiences are both impactful and effective.

5. We create transformative moments: We design experiences that catalyze change—whether in perception, behavior, or relationship with your brand—leaving lasting impressions that drive action.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn to trust and listen to my core intuition rather than waiting for external validation or “perfect timing.” The world doesn’t revolve around you, so you need to notice yourself and move through this world as if you deserve everything you’re working toward.

This lesson came from years of overthinking whether it was the “right time” to take the leap. I’ve always believed in my capabilities, but I kept waiting for some external sign or perfect alignment of circumstances. I was focused less on whether I could do something and more on whether it was the ideal moment to begin. Meanwhile, I poured my energy into helping others succeed while neglecting my own aspirations.

I got tired of not filling my own cup. When I finally launched my first independent project without seeking anyone’s permission, I realized how much opportunity I’d been leaving on the table. That project led to new connections and old, a new meaning to how I wanted to move in my life, professionally and personally. Now I make my own table, and that philosophy is built into everything we do at The Novus Group — being bold, challenging the norm, and trusting the process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve had to pivot specialties and careers multiple times, and each transition taught me valuable lessons about resilience. When I joined a top sales team with an innovative product line, I initially thought I’d learn the products in a year and be traveling to global offices shortly after. The reality was much more challenging.

Despite experiencing imposter syndrome in a highly competitive environment, I turned that challenge into motivation. I studied intensely, stood firm in meetings, and deliberately shaped how I wanted to be treated. Seeing how other women were sometimes marginalized taught me to never let my guard down and to be strategic about establishing my presence.
Through this experience, I had to quickly adapt—learning a new industry, new approaches to clients, new political landscapes, and ultimately, new ways to fail and recover. Learning to protect myself as a woman throughout these transitions became essential to my professional survival.

What this taught me about resilience is that it’s not just about enduring difficult circumstances—it’s about finding your unique path forward when conventional routes are unwelcoming. These challenges ultimately strengthened my resolve to create The Novus Group as an environment where bold ideas flourish, diverse perspectives are valued, and genuine collaboration drives both our internal culture and our client relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thenovusgrp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovusgroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-yang/

Image Credits

Atiam Photography, Viki Plo Photography, Peng Photography,