The role of Event Director makes the list of Most Stressful Jobs every year, but you’d never know it look- ing at our staff. Controlling chaos is our passion and we’ve gotten pretty darn good at it. We wear many hats; organizational ninja, circus ringleader, copywriter, travel agent, clean up crew… really the only place you wont find us is on the stage (probably).
A proud alumni of Colorado State University, (Go Rams!) Jason has over 25 years of event production experience with at least 500 events produced and counting. Jason launched this Colorado small business after a dispute with his boss and consequently shown the door for not being a ‘Team Player’. When life poops on you, grow roses, which is what inspired Jason to start his own business and fittingly called it: Team Player Productions (TPP). When not at TPP, Jason enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on his two daughters whether it’s ski racing, playing soccer and softball, surfing and whatever else makes them smile. Jason can also be found keeping up with his wife Heather while skiing, mtn. biking, golfing and trail running. Other hobbies Jason enjoys includes surfing, fly fishing, adventure races, cooking and drinking great wine with Heather. He is sure you can come up with your own trifecta of life’s little gems, but it might be hard to top these: 1) A hole in one 2) Completing an Ironman and 3) Forgoing the trip to the hospital and delivering his second child unexpectedly at home with his faithful dog Rhetta assisting…of course his wife did all of the hard work! And if life isn’t busy enough, Jason welcomed a new member to the family, his bernedoodle Bash!
Hailing from the enchanting landscapes of Santa Fe, NM, Kristen came to Colorado to attend CSU (yes, another Rammie). Proud alumna of Colorado State University, she studied Hospitality Management and began as an intern for TPP in 2012. She found a passion for large community festivals and has since become the director for our wine festivals as well as the marketing director.
What Kristen loves most about her role in event planning is the variety of working on such diverse events and the relationships she builds along the way. For her, each event is a unique opportunity to create memorable experiences.
When she’s not orchestrating an event, you’ll find Kristen exploring craft breweries or indulging in the outdoors with her family. This love for the outdoors not only fuels her adventurous spirit but also inspires her creative approach to event planning.
Hailing from the heart of the Sonoran Desert, Ryan began his journey into the world of events at The University of Arizona where he obtained his degree in Music Business. After years of working at a local record label, playing in various bands around Arizona, and working for an A/V company in Phoenix, he decided to drop it all and head east to the bright lights of New York City. There, after a brief stint as a professional dog walker, he began working at a music venue in midtown Manhattan called The Cutting Room and was the Talent Buyer and Events Manager for 4 years. Missing the mountains and open spaces led him to move to CO where he began working for TPP.
When not completely emerged in all things TPP, you can find Ryan riding his bike around CO, playing cribbage at a local brewery, or exploring the various trails and streams of Golden with his young son.
A very proud Colorado native and Colorado State University alum with a major in Accounting who recently retired after 24 years working at Deloitte Consulting decided to put all the family eggs in one basket and finally become a Team Player. Having been a TPP weekend warrior in the early days of the business, once children entered the scene, Heather became a patron with kids in tow at TPP events while managing a career at Deloitte. While at Deloitte, Heather’s career took many different directions from starting as an Auditor serving clients in the insurance industry, consulting on Sarbanes Oxley compliance, to joining the project management team in building and opening the world class learning and events center, Deloitte University, and spending the last several years of her career at Deloitte as the Chief of Staff to the US and Global leaders of the multi-billion dollar Deloitte Digital business. Heather is excited about getting back to her roots and heading up the financial activities for Team Player Productions, working alongside her husband and founder of the business, Jason Ornstein. When not working, Heather spends her free time playing with Bash, the newest furry addition to the family, running, mountain biking, skiing, golfing, traveling, finding her new favorite Sauvignon Blanc, dominating Wordle and savoring as much time possible with her family and supporting the sporting activities of her teen daughters.
Ellie first discovered her passion for the events industry while working as a performer for Disney On Ice. After 2 years of traveling and performing, she decided to move back home to Colorado to pursue a degree in Event and Meeting Management at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, she started off in the industry producing food and beverage festivals before landing at Team Player Productions where she continues to follow her passion: creating unforgettable memories. When she’s not at work, Ellie loves going to see any and all live music as well as spending time outdoors with her dog, Lucy.
Representing the Midwest on the team, Nate was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Traveling to Wisconsin for college, he got his degree in Recreation Management at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. After college he made his way out to Denver, Colorado as a summer intern for Team Player. Once proving himself over the summer, he was brought onto the team full time. After working full time for Team Player for 4 years, Nate left to explore what else the event industry had to offer working with hotel and corporate events. Discovering that there isn’t anything better than beer and wine festivals, Nate came back to Team Player full time as an Event Director. When not working on events, Nate enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, and looking for a delicious craft cocktail! Cheering on his Detroit Lions is a full time job but is hoping it will pay off one of these years…
Colorado born & Upstate New York bred, Madison returned to Colorado in 2024 and found a home on the Team Player Production staff. Madison always knew she wanted to choose a career path that allowed her to show her creative side and got a degree in Advertising from The University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!). While in school, she had the opportunity to explore the events world and fell in love with the energy of event production. Upon graduating, Madison spent four years at advertising agencies in New York City working with Fortune 500 brands on their marketing campaigns. Realizing the Big Apple wasn’t fulfilling all of her hopes and dreams, she moved cross country for greener pastures in Colorado! Finding a home at Team Player is the perfect culmination of all of Madison’s interests and experiences. When Madison is not working, you can find her hiking, watching the latest buzzy TV show on the couch with her cat or trying a new restaurant with friends.
Mary Rachel hails from the great state of Alabama but made Colorado home in 2013. She is a proud alum of Mississippi State University (Go Dawgs!) and holds a graduate degree from Colorado State University. Following her graduation from MSU, she worked on a guest ranch in Sedalia, CO, and shifted her career focus to hospitality. Since then, she’s worked for hotel properties across the Front Range in catering sales and venue management, as well as independent wedding planning. She was an intern for Team Player in 2016 and found her way back! She loves all things pop culture, hanging with her husband and their rescue kitty and great pyrenees in Denver, and trips back home to the Gulf Coast.
Livvy was born and raised in Ames, Iowa and holds a degree in Advertising from the University of Oregon. Following graduation, Livvy interned with a design agency where she assisted with brand strategy and copywriting on a variety of different accounts. She made Colorado her home in 2022, and soon after discovered her excitement for the events and hospitality industry. Livvy started with Team Player as a Marketing Intern in the Fall of 2023 and couldn’t get enough of it! When she’s off-duty, Livvy loves running, golfing, attending shows, and trying out a new recipe.
Originally hailing from Southern California, Olivia recently graduated from Colorado State (Go Rams!) with a degree in Communication Studies. Olivia’s journey into the world of events began when she volunteered with her family at the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life. After transferring to CSU, her passion for events continued to grow as she worked with the CSU Alumni Association, contributing to homecoming, football tailgates, and various collegiate events. She spent the summer with Team Player as events intern and is excited to kick start her career as an Event Coordinator. Within TPP, she plays a pivotal role in our wine team, connecting wineries, breweries, and distilleries to our festivals while also working closely with our sponsors. In her leisure time, you’ll often find Olivia on the volleyball court or listening to Taylor Swift!
Brooke grew up on a farm in Northeastern Colorado, helping her dad in the wheat fields. She then attended the University of Denver where her love for events sprouted. In her summer leading up to senior year at DU, she interned with TPP. That summer solidified her passion for events and incentivized her to pursue a career with TPP. Brooke received a degree in Hospitality Management, concentrating in Event Coordination, with a minor in Marketing from DU. Now, Brooke is part of the TPP team, specifically within the wine world. In her free time, Brooke likes to do all the classic, outdoor CO things like skiing, hiking, and playing volleyball. She also loves to go to concerts! Crazy what can happen when you leave a small, rural farming town!
We have a treasure trove of talent in our Weekend Warrior crew. These guys and gals don’t work in our office daily, but are superstars on site to make events come to life. They pop tents, troubleshoot power, direct traffic, meet trucks, do the heavy lifting, check people in, run sound check, and much more! We couldn’t do it without them.
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