V14 Experiential

This is Via Zhu, and in her twenties, she is a business owner in New York City. Just this sentence alone sounds absolutely remarkable. To add to that, Via’s business is not about producing anything tangible. You cannot buy and own the things she makes; you can only experience them. V14 EXPERIENTIAL is an independent experiential production practice based in New York City that specialises in large-scale ceremonies and celebrations. Uniquely tailored to each client, Via creates environments and builds her business in alignment with her moral compass and strong values.

The final product of Via’s passionate work process is a seamlessly flowing event. But what is hidden in the staging area? Via opens her mind and heart to us, explaining what stands behind V14 Experiential and what it means to establish a business as a young, thoughtful professional.

Via:

“I believe that life is about two things: creating your own purpose and celebration. Celebration is sacred and powerful. It is about gathering with the people, passions, and experiences you value most. Because what is life without connection? Without support? Without joy? Without love? Life is experience.

I dedicated myself to creating experiences for everyone to genuinely enjoy. Experiences where people feel welcomed, not evaluated.

I found my love in turning my daydreams into real-life sets and productions. Sharing that with my loved ones was, in itself, beyond purposeful and enlightening in ways I cannot put into words. I have watched my friends’ entire faces light up after walking into my events and witnessing my productions. I have even seen cheerful, teary eyes from some.

I never truly enjoyed my life until I started producing my own events. As awful and ungrateful as I may sound — no amount of therapy, antidepressants, wealth, or social validation was able to take me out of my agonising anxiety and depression.

V14 Experiential began because I wanted to be treated like an actual human being.
I am only twenty-three years old, and it sickens me to know how cruel the creative industry can be to young people. We are supposed to be encouraging growth and shaping a positive future workplace for this new generation, yet I constantly see leaders and stakeholders mistreating, overworking, and exploiting younger individuals who work for them. I wanted to change that completely, for my team, collaborators, production assistants, clients, and everyone involved.

What truly drove V14 Experiential to become its own practice stemmed from anger and spite. After constant mistreatment in the fashion and entertainment industries, I kept encountering some of the most heartless, transactional, and disrespectful individuals I have ever met. I became exhausted. My final straw was working alongside another independent freelancer in my field and not being credited for my hard work. I had had enough. As much as I dislike working alone, it was the only way I could protect myself from the unethical standards that many leaders in the creative industry projected not only onto me, but onto one another. I now get to choose my clients. I get to select my team. I do not have to wait months to be paid. Everything operates on my terms, because I refuse to be taken advantage of.

It is unfortunate that I had to take this route. I never wanted to start my own business, but my fight-or-flight instinct decided that this was best for me. At the very beginning of the journey, V14 Experiential was entirely a passion project. It simply happened that I love what I do, and it now exists fully on my terms.

Establishing a business as a young adult in New York City was, to me, terrifying, thrilling, and freeing. As a young business owner, it can feel as though you have the entire world in your hands. As I write this, I am already overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of what I can create for this spread alone. To be privileged enough to learn, to engage, to absorb, and to make mistakes; the risks you take as a business owner in New York City are both exhilarating and immense. I still feel as though I do not know what I am doing. I do not currently have a mentor or role model, and I am intimidated by taxes, but I hope that all the self-development business podcasts are helping.

The qualities I value most in myself: empathy, responsibility, and wholehearted commitment - are embedded in V14 Experiential at every level. I work with my whole heart. I genuinely care about the well-being of my team, clients, third parties, and myself. You will never find me neglecting my colleagues. I always check in on everyone involved. I even take it upon myself to assist with production tasks and collect coffees for everyone.

I believe in progressive leadership, and to me, progressive leadership is about creating space rather than control. It is about trusting people, encouraging their individuality, and allowing room for growth without fear of failure. At V14, ambition and wellness are not opposites; they coexist. Personal development is not something that happens outside of work; it is something that work itself should actively nurture.

I see V14 Experiential as an extension of my family, where success is collective, care is non-negotiable, and leadership is measured not by authority, but by how well everyone thrives together. Running my own business is far more daunting than I had imagined. Having significant responsibilities placed upon me at all times and making major decisions independently, without guidance, came at a pace I did not expect. At times, I question whether I was meant for entrepreneurship, but opportunities and experiences continue to present themselves. It all feels aligned. I feel compelled to pursue this.

In New York City, we are oversaturated with events and activations, often filled with talentless influencers and surface-level conversations. Community is frequently absent, and the events lack intention. Brands overproduce experiential marketing events for buzz and metrics, yet few manage to retain a genuine, loyal community. It is often for social media, for appearance. Do they perform well in the media? Yes. But the intention is misplaced; it does not come from the heart.

I have felt that emptiness firsthand. I cannot remember the last time I genuinely enjoyed an event without photographers in my face, people immediately asking for my Instagram, agents pushing products into my hands, or the difficulty of meeting genuinely kind people. What happened to “Hello, how are you?” I have had people look me up and down, listen to what I do for a living, and then disregard me entirely once they deemed me irrelevant to their aspirations.

I have noticed a pattern: more and more people are leaving their corporate nine-to-five jobs to pursue more personal and fulfilling careers. Perhaps that is the charm of New York: everyone is encouraged to follow their dreams, and it speaks volumes about how unhealthy typical corporate culture can be.

In a culture that glorifies productivity, titles, and routine, it is striking how little of that endures in our memory. Who remembers the emails, meetings, and years spent at a desk? What remains are the in-between moments: the conversations that ran long, the risks taken, the detours that were never part of the plan.

Nonconformity becomes less rebellion and more personal return; a return to choosing experiences over efficiency, meaning over motion. Watching people walk away from rigid corporate structures is not laziness or instability; it is an instinctive response to a system that often demands everything while offering very little emotional return. There is courage in deciding that fulfilment matters more than predictability.

So when I ask, “Did it ever matter?”, I am not dismissing the small frustrations or routines of daily life; I am reframing them. The bus you missed, the shower curtain rod that fell on your foot, the neighbour’s noisy dog — did it ever matter? What remains are the memories that made us feel present, connected, alive.

V14 Experiential exists in that space — to challenge what we prioritise, to create moments that resist forgettability, and to remind us that a life well lived is not measured by how faithfully we followed the “rules of life”, but by what we chose to feel, remember, and carry forward.

To me, emotion is shaped by setting. The setting is elevated by sound, visuals, and tactility. Taste and aroma stabilise the experience in the body, while narrative and innovation give it meaning and direction. Energy and inclusion ensure that everyone in the room feels present and welcomed. And memory, arguably the most important layer, is the result of all the others working in harmony.

It is impossible to single out one most important layer that shapes an experience. Remove any layer and the experience loses its depth. A V14 event is defined not by spectacle alone, but by cohesion.

Almost all of my clients have been referred through word of mouth. There is usually an unspoken understanding of a warmer working relationship between us. We go on lunch dates, send each other memes, celebrate each other’s birthdays, and often become genuine friends throughout the process.

This enables me to develop a deeper understanding of what they want from their event or production. They are more comfortable expressing what feels misaligned and are more receptive to my creative suggestions. There is mutual respect: they seek to understand my vision just as I seek to understand theirs. Establishing trust and connection before the process begins is very important to both my clients and me.

Budgets and scope play a significant role in shaping how ideas come to life. Sometimes it is about maximising impact within constraints; at other times it is about grounding ambitious ideas in what is realistically achievable. My goal is always to translate vision into something both meaningful and executable without losing its essence.

Something I continue to navigate as my client base grows is the balance of professionalism: what is the appropriate ratio between friendly conversation and strict production deadlines? That is still something I am determining.

Every experience I design begins with alignment. The client’s brand values, the purpose of the event or production, and the intended audience form the foundation of every creative decision I make. Before aesthetics or logistics come into play, I need to understand why the experience exists and whom it is meant to serve.

I approach each project from multiple perspectives at once: the client’s, their target audience’s, and the general public’s. That layered empathy allows me to design experiences that feel authentic rather than self-indulgent. My personal taste is never the priority. Whether I like something is irrelevant; it is about honouring the client’s vision and ensuring their audience feels seen, engaged, and emotionally connected.

Ultimately, my role is to translate identity into experience. The goal is for both the client and their community to leave feeling aligned with the moment, not merely impressed by it.

The greatest highlight of everything V14 has produced so far has been the people. Meeting over 200 individuals in just one year: artists, collaborators, clients, and attendees has been extraordinary. Every event expands my sense of community, and with each new connection, the work feels more alive and purposeful.

It is amusing that after almost every set or event, I find myself saying, “That was my favourite one yet.” And I mean it each time. Each production feels like a step closer to larger stages, bigger spaces, and perhaps eventually stadiums, though I will leave that to the universe.

I hope leaders of my generation in the hospitality and entertainment industries choose to lead with greater compassion. As important as wealth is in this economy, I believe that a strong moral compass will take you further in life than a purely wealth-driven mindset. I do not seek to disrespect existing professional standards; I aim to evolve them. Generation Z has the opportunity to redefine leadership by prioritising empathy, transparency, and emotional intelligence alongside ambition and structure. Leading with care does not mean sacrificing success; it means building environments where people feel respected, supported, and motivated to do their best work.

I hope this generation proves that ethics and achievement do not need to exist in opposition; that it is possible to build something profitable, respected, and sustainable while still placing humanity at its core.”