Founder of Broadway Plus, which offers VIP experiences that enable companies, schools and travelers to connect with Broadway in ways that include star meet-and-greets, educational workshops and private events
Duke Days: “The internship I did while participating in Duke in New York as a sophomore set my entire career in motion. Duke Professor Manny Azenberg, himself a Broadway producer, set me up to intern with his protege Jeffrey Seller. Six years later, I was working for Jeffrey as his new show “Hamilton” was in development at The Public Theater, and it's because of that relationship that I was able to start and build Broadway Plus into what it is today. We are the show's official group sales agent and provider of corporate events. Back on campus after Duke in New York, I also received incredible encouragement from professor
Jeff Storer and former Vice Provost of the Arts Scott Lindroth, who helped me put together the first senior distinction project in theater producing. I produced "Ragtime" as a collaboration between Hoof 'n' Horn and the Department of Theater Studies, an invaluable two-year masterclass in assembling and motivating a large team toward a common goal. In hindsight, it was both entrepreneurship and producing.
Purpose: “My purpose is to increase joy in the world by connecting others to one another and to Broadway. That’s the throughline in our work – not only are you seeing a show, but you’re also able to meet the actors you saw perform, and learn about their lives. This builds empathy and understanding. I realized at Duke that I wasn’t born to help cure cancer or research macroeconomics like my peers, but I’m pretty good at bringing people together to have fun, and so actively doing that every day is success for me.”
Future trip: “I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my first book, “The VIP Effect: Designing Experiences to Impact and Impress.” It’s essentially a “How To” guide for anyone looking to be thoughtful about how they design any kind of experience – a trip for themselves or their family, a party, a date night, or another aspect of their lives.”
“My work requires me to see about 100 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows per year – a hobby unto itself!"