Behind the business
Meet the magic makers
Four people run The Venue. You will meet at least two of them before you book, so here they are first.
Marta Santamaria
Fearless Leader & Owner
- Selected by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce as Small Business Leader of the Year
- Nominated two years running for the Woman UP Woman Entrepreneur: Best In Business award
- I take 3 showers a day
- When I don’t know a word in English I make up my own
- I leave every kitchen cabinet open when I cook
- When I go to my step class, the step has to line up with the line of wood floor
- Before I go to bed, I have to wash my feet
- I craved lemons when I was pregnant
- My kids are 10 months apart
- I sleep with a sea of pillows
- I check my car three times to make sure it is locked
- All my food has to have a crunch factor
Co-workers say bighearted and unselfish, inspiring, resilient, driven, dynamic
Deandra
General Manager & Co-Owner
- I have a tri-pod rescue cat named Toothless
- I graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship
- I was the kicker for my high school’s varsity football team
- I have a LEGO obsession
- I’ve been to over 35 U.S. states and 29 countries
- Life motto: today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow
- I started my first business with my brother at 16
- I can recite my 9’s times tables in record speed
- The one dance move I can do is the worm
- I am a certified scuba diver with a whale shark specialty
Co-workers say exuberant and soulful
Kendall
Event Manager
- I was an art teacher for two years before becoming an event manager
- I have two dogs, Boone and Violet, who know over 20 tricks, but I’m secretly a cat person
- Dancing was my favorite pastime growing up. I took classes for 13 years
- Western Carolina University is my alma mater, and I will be a life-long Catamount fan
- I love thunderstorms and prefer cool, rainy weather
- Reading and cooking are my favorite hobbies
- I listen to podcasts more than music, especially true crime
- My favorite food is chocolate chip cookies with salt sprinkled over the top
- I relieve stress by playing video games
- I spun flags in my high school and college marching band
Jason
Event Manager. Maker of Wedding Magic.
- When gay marriage was legalized in NYC I married my husband. We have been together 14 years and are still madly in love
- I’m a documentary and portrait photographer who has exhibited in galleries in NYC
- I’m co-founder of an accessories company called Jak and Fox, named after our rescue dogs
- I’m a first generation American of Ukrainian and West African immigrants
- I used to live in London, touring the country during my modeling career
- I enjoy drinking Manhattans and listening to jazz with a few friends
- My favorite musician is Gary Clark Jr.
- Currently working on a documentary portrait project about the racial diversity of Asheville
- Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY
- Went on a six month road trip and visited 40 states