Company: The Ginger Companies, Miami Metro Area, FL
Company Description: The Ginger Companies is leading the way for modern experiential entertainment through the greatest combination of authentic hospitality, creative cocktails, captivating spaces, and engaging activities. With two brands currently under the umbrella, Kick Axe Throwing (PA, NY, DC) and Throw Social (FL, DC), you can experience a lodge inspired lumberjack venue or a retro Palm Beach tropical paradise.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Female Entrepreneur – Consumer Services –11 to 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: Ginger Flesher-Sonnier
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 196 words used.
Ginger is the female founder and CEO of the experiential hospitality group, the Ginger Companies, LLC, which includes the brands Escape Rooms Live®, Kick Axe Throwing®, and THRōW Social®. A former high school Mathematics teacher, Ginger spent most of her adult life teaching students Calculus, Statistics, and acting as the high school’s competitive Mathletes coach. After an early retirement, she discovered her entrepreneurial spirit.
Ginger is responsible for opening the first escape rooms in Washington, D.C. in 2014, as well as the first axe throwing bar in New York City in 2017. Her newest concept, THRōW Social®, which combines unique backyard-style games with food, libations and live music, was opened in Washington, D.C. in February 2020, three weeks before the COVID-19 shutdowns.
All of Ginger’s venues are like boutique hotels, with her axe throwing bars immersing you in a Canadian Lodge, while her THRōW Social® locations whisk you away to tropical Palm Beach. Her escape rooms have been deemed “the Disney World of Escape Rooms.” Ginger’s brands have been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN, VICELAND, and in such publications as TIME magazine, Fast Company, and the New York Times, among many others.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Opening her first THRōW Social® in February of 2020 was almost catastrophic. All of the company’s resources had been sunk into the multi-million dollar build out, leaving no reserves for any of the brands. With 250 employees, the Ginger Companies’ PPP Loans were depleted by maintaining salaries for as long as possible. While her venues were permitted varying levels of opening throughout the Northeast (some not being able to reopen until June of 2021, as they were considered entertainment venues), Ginger noticed that life in South Florida was fairly normal by late Summer 2020.
Rather than going dormant and potentially losing everything she had built, Ginger realized that if she could open a new venue in South Florida, it would most likely be able to carry the other locations. She allowed her brother to invest the funds for the build for a percentage of the profits, and by December 2020 was in lease negotiations for a property in downtown Delray Beach.
After many delays due to supply chain issues and zoning changes, THRōW Social® Delray Beach opened December, 2021, and it has taken Palm Beach County by storm. Since opening, the venue has generated over $1M a month in revenue and is by far her most amazing space yet. The newest venue is a tropical indoor/outdoor space with retractable roof, a large stage for live music and events, beautifully designed cabanas, four bars, dart lanes, axe throwing ranges, and a plethora of backyard-style games, like TapGlo ping pong.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 190 words used.
In light of the worldwide pandemic, of which there was no precedent, Ginger managed to focus her creativity on how to survive, grow and ward off Venture Capitalists. While many of her counterparts in the entertainment and hospitality space folded, not only has Ginger been able to keep all her previous venues afloat through a horrifically difficult time, but she was able to grow and bring the fun, joy and excitement of her brands to a new area of the country.
By focusing on growth rather than shrinking, Ginger has set her place at the table of major entertainment players so that she can continue to create captivating spaces that allow people to unplug, engage, and escape their everyday life. Seeing and hearing people enjoying themselves, laughing, and communicating organically has always been her main motivation.
Ginger plans to continually expand her current brands, as well as venture into new concepts that she is constantly developing.
Ginger has recently been featured in the South Florida Business Journal, Boca Magazine, Luxury Guide USA, the Sun Sentinel, seen on Channel 5 News, FOX 29, and made the cover of Delray Beach Magazine.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 128 words used.
The Ginger Companies Website: https://www.thegingercompanies.com/
Cover Story of Delray Beach Magazine / Inside article on pages 38 and 39: https://www.bocamag.com/summer-2022-delray-magazine/
South Florida Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2022/05/05/the-viewfinder-throw-social.html
Washingtonian Article: How a Math Teacher Built a Ludicrously Profitable Escape Room Empire https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/10/14/how-math-teacher-ginger-flesher-sonnier-built-a-ludicrously-profitable-escape-room-empire/
Washington Post Article: The Georgetown escape room that’s bringing movies like ‘Friday the 13th’ to life: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2016/07/21/the-georgetown-escape-room-thats-bringing-movies-like-friday-the-13th-to-life/
Girls to the Front: 13 Bad Ass Women Changing DC’s Cultural Landscape: https://districtfray.com/articles/badass-women-dc-national-womens-month/?fbclid=IwAR3nX7bisDVKVF0n-T-6OCZIaGVTFPpY8dSYjwFbK7lARLUwqt2vGGTKLLg
Fast Company Article: https://www.fastcompany.com/40524369/axe-throwing-bars-why-mixing-weapons-and-beer-is-surprisingly-good-business
Viral Culture Trip Video Kick Axe Throwing Brooklyn with over 11M views: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1746742965348733
TODAY Show video https://www.today.com/video/today-dads-sharpen-their-skills-at-ax-throwing-range-61916229553?fbclid=IwAR2sNIP0fKzenWpSo0lsPUy2g6_I7flu1xZdYxbXGShrlYISIGx0Hmhysf4
WPTV Channel 5 News Feature: https://www.wptv.com/open/new-delray-beach-restaurant-throw-social-uses-convertible-spaces
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