Nivia Bejarano
get in touch
Nivia Bejarano is an artist, entrepreneur, and the founder of Arts After Dark, an independent art gallery and creative community in the Las Vegas Arts District. Born in the Bronx, New York, Nivia overcame a childhood marked by foster care, family struggles with addiction, and homelessness as a teenager. She transformed her passion for art into a career spanning hospitality, creative direction, and the visual arts, with experience exhibiting at Art Basel Miami, Conception Arts, and Superfine Art Fair. Drawing on her personal experiences and entrepreneurial vision, she independently established Arts After Dark without a business partner or business loan, creating a space dedicated to artistic expression, entrepreneurship, and community connection.
In a little over a year, Arts After Dark has provided exhibition opportunities to more than 1,000 artists and grown into a creative hub offering gallery exhibitions, workshops, photography facilities, and community events. Nivia provides free working space to eight resident artists, including three with private studios, allowing them to develop their businesses and retain 100% of their studio income. Through free community programming and opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs, she continues to remove barriers to creative expression and economic independence. Her mission is rooted in a simple belief: success is not only measured by what you build for yourself, but by the opportunities you create for others.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- How to turn adversity from foster care and homelessness into a foundation for entrepreneurial success.
- That resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness from difficult experiences can become powerful, valuable business skills.
- How to build an art gallery and creative community without a business partner or loan.
- How to create multiple revenue streams from one location through exhibitions, rentals, workshops, and photography services.
- That a business can offer free opportunities by using paid services to support community initiatives.
- Why providing access before asking what artists can afford helps emerging creatives build careers.
- How to treat a gallery as an incubator for creativity, entrepreneurship, and long-term creative success.
- Why consistent free programming builds genuine community instead of simply attracting one-time transactional customers.
- How to turn personal experiences into a meaningful business mission that solves problems you understand.
- That entrepreneurship is not reserved for people with wealth, traditional education, or extensive connections.
about the show
Next Level CEO is an entrepreneur education series hosted by Daymond John, created for business owners, founders, and leaders who want real insight from people who have built, scaled, and led successful companies.
Each episode features expert CEOs, founders, and industry leaders sharing the stories, decisions, strategies, and lessons behind their growth. Viewers get a closer look at how strong brands are built, how companies scale, and how experienced entrepreneurs think through leadership, opportunity, risk, and long-term success.
From disruptive startups to established business empires, Next Level CEO gives entrepreneurs a front-row seat to the business strategies, founder insights, and leadership moves that drive business excellence.
Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to grow, a business owner ready to level up, or a leader who wants to learn from proven builders, Next Level CEO delivers practical lessons from people who have created something that lasts.
