SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – March honors Women’s History Month and one women powered business in Sioux Falls is making its mark in the community.
Along Philips Avenue you’ll find The Event Company, a business that helps organizations plan events, and has raised over $12 million dollars since starting in 2013.
CEO and founder Addie Graham-Kramer says she knew she had a talent for hosting since a young age.
“When I was eight years old, I actually hosted my first after school party in my little town in Nebraska. And like any entrepreneur, I had to offset expenses. So I had a DJ and I had a venue and we had food, but I charge kids $5 to be able to get it and to help offset those expenses,” Graham-Kramer said.
The Event Company started with just a few people, but now has blossomed into a full staff with designers, a photographer and event managers.
“When I started the company, we were doing smaller fundraisers, smaller events and never I think in my wildest dreams have I thought that we have had the opportunity to help play along and work alongside organizations to help them raise millions of dollars,” Graham-Kramer said.
The women-centric team has hosted events in 23 states with many of them aiding local non-profits.
“There is one organization that we worked with really all 12 years of our group, and it’s the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation. With that event, they have raised over $2.7 million for feeding South Dakota,” Graham-Kramer said.
One of her favorite parts of event planning is seeing just how many people she’s reaching.
“That is a feeling unlike any other. When you’re standing in front of 10,000 people that you were a part of, helping to get them there, helping to raise all these dollars, it’s just a feeling unlike anything else and that’s a pretty cool impact moment” Graham-Kramer said.
The Event Company’s director of events, Krista Vandersnick, has been on the team since 2022 and says operating alongside a team of women has made her view work in a new light.
“The way that our office is set up, it allows us to easily collaborate when it comes to work projects and planning events. But it also just allows the walls to be down when it comes to our personal lives and things going on outside of work. So when you really get to know your teammates on a different level, It helps you work a lot better together too,” Vandersnick said.
Vandersnick says it’s special working for a company that uplifts its staff even after office hours.
“Growing up as a girl it’s hard. Middle school is hard, high school is hard, building friendships is hard. So to find a place where you can land that really focuses on building each other up,” Vandersnick said. “From our leadership team down it’s not just about how quickly you can get promoted, it’s really assessing your skills and trying to help build you up in a way that serves you. And this group of women especially do it well.”
“Every woman on our team genuinely cares about the next person. We cultivate relationships outside of the office together,” Graham-Kramer said. “We’re going to workouts or doing walks or happy hours, whatever it looks like. But it’s because we’re so immersed with each other. We care about what the the end of the day looks like beyond the four walls of the business.”
Next week The Event Company is working with Team Buche Cares to host a pheasant hunting fundraiser “Steelers in the field” with players from the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dallas, South Dakota. All the proceeds from the event will go toward addressing food insecurity in tribal and rural communities across the state.
