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Founder and President | Tinker House Events
Director of Finance | Small Victories Hospitality
Brian Willsey said he has dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur for as long as he can remember. Dream fulfilled. A co-founder of Hotel Tango Distillery, he is now the owner of event venue Tinker House Events and director of finance for Small Victories Hospitality, the umbrella company of several Indianapolis coffeehouses and restaurants, including Coat Check Coffee, Strange Bird Tiki Bar and Landlocked Baking Co. “I often say that I am always working and never working, which is really a nod to the flexibility I enjoy,” Willsey said. “It gives me the space to follow all of my passions: being an involved husband and father, real estate executive, financial professional, and staying active in my local community.”
Getting here: He worked at a Chili’s restaurant throughout college and a handful of other restaurants and bars in his early 20s. As co-owners and co-founders of Hotel Tango Distillery, he and his wife noticed a need for a midsize event venue for weddings, corporate events and such. When the space above Hotel Tango’s production facility at 1101 E. 16th St. became available, they took a “leap of faith,” he said. “It hasn’t always been easy, especially during the pandemic,” he said, “but it has been worth it. And I’m really proud of what we’ve built.”
First job: grocery bagger
Influential moment: “It would have to be the moment I took the entrepreneurial leap into Hotel Tango with not much more than a dream, some bold and badass friends and our crazy belief that we could actually start an artisan distillery,” he said.
Givebacks: He sits on the boards of the Indianapolis chapter of Rotary International and Friends of Garfield Park and is involved with the Indy Chamber’s ambassadors program.
Advice: “Learn all you can and don’t be afraid to fail, because it will happen. The best lessons I’ve learned are from when things didn’t go as planned. Also, get involved! Meet new people, try new things and explore new places.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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