Andrea Dasent

I've been in corporate event management for a little over a decade, and I'm the founder and CEO of AJ Event Productions, which is 8 years old. My background is actually in corporate finance - I graduated with a finance degree and worked in FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) across several industries including manufacturing, fashion, and entertainment. But the work was repetitive and I wasn't passionate about it. It wasn't fulfilling me and I wasn't happy waking up every day. I've always craved things that are different, things where I wake up and it doesn't look exactly the same as yesterday. My personality just isn't built for that mundane, repetitive type of life. At 16, I knew I wanted to be in the events industry after I organized a completely sold-out fashion show at my high school. I handled everything from marketing and selling tickets to rehearsals, reaching out to stores and restaurants for donations, building out the program, and managing all the logistics. It was a huge success and they continued doing it after I graduated. But when I told my guidance counselor this is what I wanted to do, I was suggested to consider other options. So it took me 11 years to circle back to what I wanted to do at 16. The transition wasn't just about getting into the industry and finding experience - it was mentally breaking those barriers and strongholds, going against everything I was being told, going against what logically made sense. I had to create a brand new mindset and perspective, including how I view myself and my strengths. Now I specialize in corporate retreats and incentive trips, and we've held events all over the world, nationally and internationally, for groups ranging from 10 to over 1,000 people. In addition to event management, I've created an 8-week project-based learning curriculum for 9th and 10th graders called The Run of Show: How Outcomes Are Built, launching in fall 2026 with the DOE. The program uses event planning as a vehicle to help students develop leadership skills, make decisions, meet deadlines, set priorities, and work within teams. I also work with leaders through talks, keynotes, workshops, and leadership retreats, helping them examine how the environments they create drive team performance. I bridge the gap between what leaders want and what employees need, helping leaders take ownership of their impact and make practical shifts to improve performance in the workplace.