They Started Their Business in College. Now It’s Valued at Nine Figures. Here’s How Breakaway Broke the Mold for Live Events.
Adam Lynn, co-founder of Breakaway, explains how he and his company found the white space in live entertainment.
A lot of founders hunt for the white space to build a business. But Adam Lynn and his co-founder Zach Ruben didn’t just search for it — they lived in it. While still in college, they created their company, Breakaway, to bring top entertainment to college kids living in markets that big shows normally skipped. The strategy more than paid off — 10 years after it was founded, the company announced closing a Series B funding round against a nine-figure valuation at Nasdaq.
As the 2026 Breakaway Music Festival criss-crosses the country, Adam dropped in on the How Success Happens podcast to share his company’s journey and to help aspiring entrepreneurs break away from the pack in three, two, one — lace up!
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Three Key Insights
1. Start Where You Already Have an Edge
Adam’s entrepreneurial story really does start in the backyard. “I remember in high school I would put on all of these big end-of-year bashes and birthday parties,” he says, “And it was very structured and organized for a 15, 16, 17-year-old. Like, I’d have a guest list, get security.” He transferred those skills to the University of Michigan, where he eventually became social chair of his fraternity, and began throwing high-demand events at local bars and venues. That led to his first big get, an upcoming rap artist named Wiz Khalifa. “We made like $4,000,” he remembers, “We thought we hit the jackpot.”
Takeaway: Look for a business idea where your lived experience gives you a head start on understanding the customer’s world.
2. Use Failure to Re-Examine Your Ambition, Not Kill It
His big win with Wiz Khalifa led him to jump into an arena show with Nas. It was a leap too far that put him $60,000 in the hole. At the time, Adam says he felt like “my entire life was over,” but instead of quitting, he licked his wounds, went to Australia for a semester and got an unpaid internship at an independent music events company. He “learned how to do things the right way,” and came back to Michigan where he met his co-founder Zach, and applied those lessons to booking hugely successful shows with Kid Cudi and Steve Aoki.
Takeaway: When a big bet blows up, think of it as tuition in your business education. Then deliberately work on the skillsets and processes you now know you need to succeed..
3. Live in the White Space, Then Hire for the Next Level
The real engine of Breakaway’s success is Adams’ connection to his college-age customers who craved quality shows in underserved areas of the country. “It was really organic, I was living in the white space,” he says. “We were filling a demand that just wasn’t being occupied.” Fast-forward to the company’s nine-figure Nasdaq moment and his mindset has shifted from scrappy operator to strategic builder: “This is very much not an overnight success story,” he says. “When you build a business from point A to point B, so much blood, sweat, and tears goes into that process. And how do you get from point B to point C?” The answer, he says, is “surrounding yourself with the right people” who’ve worked at this level before, and appreciating the ongoing journey. “ We’re blessed to do what we love, and I really still do love this,” he says. “And to have been doing this a decade plus and wake up every day just excited to work? I think it is the greatest gift that you can have in life.”
Takeaway: First, immerse yourself in a neglected customer segment. Then, when scale arrives, bring in experienced leaders who know how to take you to the next level.
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Two Free Resources to Learn More
- Check out Breakaway’s upcoming festivals, cities, and updates at the official site, breakawayfestival.com.
- Read this entrepreneur’s guide to finding a business opportunity in an overlooked market.
One Question to Ponder
What’s one space in your life or industry that looks ordinary to everyone else—but feels like an obvious missed opportunity to you?
Send your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com and we may read it on a future episode.
About How Success Happens
Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.
A lot of founders hunt for the white space to build a business. But Adam Lynn and his co-founder Zach Ruben didn’t just search for it — they lived in it. While still in college, they created their company, Breakaway, to bring top entertainment to college kids living in markets that big shows normally skipped. The strategy more than paid off — 10 years after it was founded, the company announced closing a Series B funding round against a nine-figure valuation at Nasdaq.
As the 2026 Breakaway Music Festival criss-crosses the country, Adam dropped in on the How Success Happens podcast to share his company’s journey and to help aspiring entrepreneurs break away from the pack in three, two, one — lace up!
