Yvette Nathalie Brown
Herbalist, educator, cultural preservationist, and founder of Tshikovi University of Botanical & Healing Arts.
Professor Yvette Nathalie Brown is the founder and chancellor of Tshikovi University of Botanical & Healing Arts. With more than 15 years of experience in herbalism, her work is rooted in family lineage, years of independent study, and direct practical application with people from all walks of life, including public figures, professionals, families, and grassroots community members.
Before TUBHA, she established Tshikovi Tea House, where she developed custom botanical blends, led educational workshops, and worked one-on-one with hundreds of individuals seeking plant-based wellness support. That foundation, combining teaching, formulation, and client care, became the seed from which the university would grow.
Over the years, her teaching has reached corporate and community audiences alike, including organizations such as Google and Salesforce. Her formal studies in psychology and business at Morgan State University and Cornell University have shaped the way she builds curriculum, communicates complex ideas, and runs an institution with both reverence and rigor.
Today, TUBHA serves more than 600 students worldwide. The university's first graduating class completed their program in March 2025. What began as a single course evolved into a growing academic institution dedicated to structured botanical education. As student demand increased, one course became four, and four became a comprehensive curriculum shaped by both scholarship and community need.
Committed to lifelong learning, Brown continues independent study in anatomy and physiology, seeking to thoughtfully integrate biological science with ancestral botanical traditions while honoring the integrity of both.
Brown believes that botanical education should be both academically rigorous and culturally grounded. Through TUBHA, she is committed to preserving African botanical traditions, encouraging critical thinking, and cultivating practitioners who approach plant medicine with humility, ethical responsibility, and respect for the communities from which this knowledge originates.