Ashley Byington launches Sugar Pine Events in Idaho with $25,000 seed funding

Born in Boise and raised in east Idaho, Ashley Byington has always loved the Gem State and now she’s putting down roots as a business owner there.

An entrepreneur at heart and an inherently creative person, Byington’s career and educational journey has been nothing short of remarkable. After being laid off from a job she loved, she was searching for the right next steps and landed on enrolling at Campus, an online education program that features live, face-to-face classes led by professors who also teach at top-ranked universities.

“I fell in love with everything there,” Byington explained.

She knew she didn’t want to be dispensable anymore at any company and decided to tap into her entrepreneurial side. While at Campus, she entered a pitch competition, competing against approximately 10 other students. The competition was judged by Shaquille O’Neal and, much to her delight, Byington won.

With $25,000 in seed money in hand, she is now building a new event rental company that offers people experiences out of the ordinary. The company, called Sugar Pine Events, debuted in outfitting the VIP section of the Treefort Music Fest last March.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I really had nothing to show Treefort, but they took a chance on me and said ‘yes.’”

With that official launch at Treefort going well, she had the fuel she needed to continue forward in growing the business. But because Byington has been planning her own wedding, she has had limited time to devote to scaling it fully. Despite that, she said that she’s been booking a couple of events a week so far and is already booking out a year in advance.

“Sugar Pine is about fun,” she said. “If it’s fun, we’re there.”

The company focuses on providing interactive guests with experiences like tattoo vending machines, photo booths or do-it-yourself bouquet bars. Whether it’s a corporate event, a wedding, private party or something else, Byington wants to help people create moments that are not only memorable and share worthy but that also inspire connection.

Byington describes herself as a risk-taker and that mentality has boded well for her as she’s got her business off the ground.

“I think I’m a person who sees everything as an experiment,” she said. “There isn’t a lot of fear in my decision making. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll try something different. That’s how I approach my life in general.”

Yet, as a new business owner, there’s a lot to learn and Byington said that she’s finding ways to connect with other professionals who have found business success. She also has a big group of friends and mentors who don’t work in the same space but are always there when she needs validation.

When asked what advice she has for other people who may be considering stepping out of the box or doing something new, she said it’s important to stand in your power and not be apologetic.

“Don’t be afraid to challenge people,” Byington recommended. “Pushing back on stuff isn’t rude. In fact, clarity is kindness and being straightforward is the kindest thing you can do.”

As for the future, the sky’s the limit for Sugar Pine Events.

“I would love for people to just have fun,” she said. “We are excited to get our name out there.”