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• AUGUST 13, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal
CEO Andrew Prystai is taking initiative to promote local events. (Photo by Roger Humphries)
Event Vesta’s Prystai followed early example of entrepreneurism by Dwain Hebda
As CEO of Event Vesta, Andrew Prystai has lived the typical entrepreneur life: identifying multiple needs in the community and then building products to meet that need. Along the way he’s become a market thought leader, invested in community service, and inspired a more robust tech ecosystem. It all started learning at his mother’s side. “I didn’t really quite know when I first went to Creighton that I wanted to be an entrepreneur,
but it always just kind of felt right,” he said. “I had always been interested in entrepreneurship because my mom, since I was in third grade, owned her own business. In fact, she owned a couple of different businesses during that stretch. So, I really saw up close and personal the good and the bad of running your own company and being your own boss. “Originally, I was planning on doing the 3-3 lawyer program. I’m very glad I got off that track with what I eventually discovered about
myself. After doing some self-exploration and Omaha Symphony and various other companies taking business classes, I realized entrepreneur- and organizations. ship was the path that really spoke to me and His latest venture takes the concept of where I should be.” connecting to local events and adds a social Among the lessons learned from his moth- element. er was gaining a keen interest in technically “We just launched our mobile app for inclined businesses and developing an eye for people to go and find events in Omaha and opportunity, something that paid off during make plans with their friends,” he said. “It’s a his college years with the seeds of little bit of a Bumble-esque experiEvent Vesta. ence where you can swipe through “I used to run events for Creighdifferent events, save your favorites ton when I was a student there and and then make plans to go with then started running a lot of events your friends with the click of a little for the Omaha Chamber’s Young Probutton, instead of having to send a fessionals Council,” he said. “I really text message, follow-up on calendar saw how difficult it was to promote invites and everything else.” events. I always thought like it was Prystai said promoting such just a Creighton problem but no, it attendance not only improves the 2020 was an industry-wide problem. user’s life, but also showcases all that “At the same time, I saw that the community has to offer as well. events play such an important role in our “What really got under my skin was a lot of community in terms of building connections. people think Omaha is boring or, what I heard You know, really making the city feel like even more, ‘I know cool stuff is going on benot just a place to be, but a true home where cause I saw it on Instagram the next morning, you belong.” but I didn’t see it the night before so I could Prystai decided to build a better mousetrap go,’” he said. “I’m like, ‘Well that’s silly. We to help events, experiences and attractions have to fix that.’ We’re taking some of those gain traction with target audiences. He raised same social media pathways and utilizing them $125,000 in venture financing from local angel to bring people together and get them off the investors to formalize the company, hired staff couch and into the community.” and shepherded the venture through to comPrystai has a degree in social entreprepletion. Event Vesta would eventually attract neurship and an MBA, both from Creighton more than 90 customers including Do Space, University
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