blurb ZURI "ZEE" DRAGO IS A 33 YEAR OLD AFRICAN BORN, DUAL CITIZENSHIP WEILDING, YOUNG WOMAN IN THE PRIME OF HER LIFE. AT THE AGE OF 7, ZURI EXPERIENCED A LIFE ALTERING MOMENT THAT SHE WAS COMPLETELY UNPREPARED FOR: THE LOSS OF HER MOTHER. AFTER TWO YEARS OF LIVING IN AFRICA WITH HER FATHER AFTER THEIR LOSS, THE DUO FOUND A NEW START IN THE UNITED STATES. AMBITIOUSLY, ZURI STRIVED TO MAINTAIN GOOD GRADES & A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE, DESPITE HER FATHER BECOMING MORE OF A RECLUSE, SO THAT SHE COULD GIVE HERSELF A BETTER LIFE WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR HER TO BE OUT ON HER OWN. AT 18, ZURI MOVED OUT ON HER OWN WHILE ATTENDING NEW YORK UNIVERSITY FOR HER MBA. WITH A HOBBY OF MAGIC & ILLUSIONS, SHE PAID HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE BEING A STAGE PERFORMER - INCORPORATING BURLESQUE WITH MAGIC & ILLUSIONS - AND OCCASIONALLY PERFORMING FOR PARTIES (FORGOING THE BURLESQUE PART AS TO NOT SCAR A BUNCH OF CHILDREN). NOW, AN EVENT COORDINATOR LIVING IN MANHATTAN, ZURI TRIES TO INCORPORATE THE LOVE SHE HAS FOR MAGIC INTO HER PLANNING FOR HER CLIENTS; GIVING THEM A DREAM NIGHT THEY'LL NEVER FORGET. ALL WHILE SHE'S STILL TRYING TO NAVIGATE HER OWN LIFE.
early on AS A CHILD, ZURI GREW UP IN A WORLD THAT STRETCHED HER ALREADY VIVID IMAGINATION AND INTENSIFIED HER SENSE OF ADVENTURE. THOUGH AT TIMES SHE COULD BE SLIGHTLY TOO RAMBUNCTIOUS, SHE WAS A GOOD KID THAT HELD A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. AND DESPITE HER PARENT'S CONSTANT TRIVIAL BICKERING OVER WHERE THEY'D EVENTUALLY WIND UP SETTLING DOWN, ZURI AND HER FAMILY SPENT SIX YEARS, MORE OR LESS BLISSFULLY, IN AFRICA.

BUT AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, ZURI EXPERIENCED A LIFE-ALTERING MOMENT WHEN SHE LOST HER MOTHER DUE TO AN ANEURYSM IN HER SLEEP. SHE HAD BEEN SICK, FOR AWHILE, THOUGH HER PARENTS OPTED TO KEEP THAT BIT OF INFORMATION FROM THEIR YOUNGIN'. BUT AN ANEURYSM WASN'T WHAT EITHER PARENTS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. ASSURED BY THE DOCTORS THAT SHE FELT NO PAIN, IT DIDN'T MATTER. NOTHING MATTERED THEN. ZURI'S MOTHER WAS GONE AND SHE WAS LEFT WITH A DISTRAUGHT, HEARTBROKEN SHELL OF A MAN THAT WAS SOMEHOW SUPPOSED TO PICK UP ALL THOSE SHATTERED PIECES AND KEEP IT TOGETHER FOR HIS DAUGHTER.

IT WASN'T EASY, TO SAY THE LEAST. THERE WERE GOOD DAYS & BAD DAYS & EVEN WORSE DAYS THAN IMAGINABLE, BUT IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL, Giovanni WAS WORKING HIS TAIL OFF, TRYING TO FIND A JOB IN NEW YORK SO THE TWO OF THEM COULD BE BACK WITH FAMILY. AFTER TWO YEARS OF TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH, Giovanni AND ZURI FINALLY HAD ONLY ONE FINAL TRIP LEFT AND IT WAS TO NEW YORK, NY - THEIR NEW HOME.

TO KEEP THE BOND BETWEEN THE DUO STRONG, ESPECIALLY WHEN LIFE SEEMED TO GET THEM DOWN, Giovanni BEGAN TEACHING ZURI MAGIC TRICKS. THEY WERE SIMPLE ILLUSIONS, BUT SHE WAS A QUICK STUDY, AND ONLY AFTER A FEW YEARS, MANAGED TO SURPASS HER FATHER IN HER KNOWLEDGE OF ILLUSIONISM. EVEN FOR AWHILE DURING HER EARLY TEENAGE STAGE, CONVINCED HERSELF TO BE OF SOME SORT OF WITCH AND TRIED TO PRACTICE MAGIC, BUT NATURALLY NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.

COME THE END OF ZURI'S TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL, SHE KNEW THERE WAS A DECISION THAT SHE HAD TO MAKE: SHE HAD THE PICK OF THE LITTER WHEN IT CAME TO HER CONTINUING EDUCATION, BUT WHERE TO CHOOSE WAS ALMOST BEYOND HER DECISION-MAKING CAPABILITIES. IN THE END, HOWEVER, SHE FELT COMPELLED TO STAY IN NEW YORK.
present times COLLEGE WAS A DIFFERENT TIME AND EXPERIENCE ALL TOGETHER. NEW YORK UNIVERSITY WAS A LIVELY SCHOOL AND THOUGH ZURI HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN THAT MUCH FOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS, SHE COULDN'T DENY THE INTOXICATING ATMOSPHERE OF GAME DAY. HER FRESHMAN YEAR, WHEN SHE ATTENDED HER FIRST SPORTS GAME, SHE ALSO MET HER FIRST LOVE. ALEXANDER WAS JUST ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE MASSIVE CROWD, BUT ONE THAT CAUGHT ZURI'S ATTENTION. THEY HAD SHARED A FEW CLASSES, BUT NEVER REALLY SPOKE. NOT UNTIL THIS NIGHT, WHEN IN ALL HER CLUMSINESS, TRIPPED AND SPILT HER NACHOS AND SODA ALL OVER HIS LAP.

ZURI AND ALEXANDER SPENT MOST OF THEIR FOUR YEARS AT NYU TOGETHER. NEARLY INSEPERABLE AND TRAGICALLY IN LOVE. BUT A STUPID MISTAKE UNRAVELED WHAT COULD'VE BEEN A HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER. NOT SURE SHE WAS READY TO FORGIVE, OR TO EVER FORGIVE, ZURI WALLOWED IN SILENCE. BUT AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME CHANGED HER MIND. SHE HAD BEEN OFFERED AN INTERNSHIP TO WORK FOR VARIOUS U.S. EMBASSIES & CONSULATES AS PART OF HER MS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. WITHOUT LOOKING BACK, ZURI ACCEPTED THE POSITION AND AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF WAITING FOR HER CLEARANCE, TOOK OFF FOR WASHINGTON D.C.

GETTING THE CHANCE TO TRAVEL AND WORK WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT WAS PARTICULARLY FASCINATING TO ZURI. THOUGH MOST OF IT WAS SHUFFLING PAPERWORK, DELIVERING COFFEE, AND MAKING APPOINTMENTS, SHE WAS GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES THAT MOST COULD ONLY DREAM OF. SHE GOT TO WITNESS FIRSTHAND HOW MUCH WENT INTO EVERY ASPECT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND LEARNED THINGS THAT EVEN TO THIS DAY SHE'S NOT AT LIBERTY TO DIVULGE. BUT AFTER TWO YEARS, SHE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT SHE JUST WASN'T CUT OUT TO BE CONFINED TO A CUBICLE OR AT A DESK ALL DAY. SHE NEEDED TO MOVE, SHE NEEDED TO EXPRESS HERSELF. WITH HER DEPARTURE, SHE MOVED BACK HOME TO MANHATTAN, AND TO MAKE ENDS MEET, TOOK A JOB WITH A CATERING COMPANY.

IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING CAREER DEFINING FOR ZURI. SHE MOVED UP THE LADDER WITHIN THE COMPANY QUICKLY BUT NOT IN HASTE. THREE YEARS IN SHE WAS BUILDING A HEFTY CLIENTELE OF WEALTHY PEOPLE UNTIL ONE NIGHT, SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT SHE WAS STILL BEING HELD BACK. IT WAS THEN SHE MADE THE DECISION TO BRANCH OUT ON HER OWN.

IT WAS THEN THAT 'THYMELESS EVENTS & CATERING' WAS BORN. AND THOUGH SHE STILL PRACTICES THE ART OF ILLUSION IN A RATHER UNIQUE WAY, HER MAIN FOCUS SINCE THE START HAS BEEN FURTHER HER COMPANY INTO BECOMING MORE ESTABLISHED.