25 Years, 100 Million Users: Inside the EBG Success Story of Miami’s Brett Reizen

Twenty-five years ago, Miami native Brett Reizen set out to solve a simple challenge: connect companies and their employees with better access to entertainment and experiences. What began as an entrepreneurial idea in 2001 has since grown into EBG, a leading e-commerce marketplace and employee and member benefits platform serving more than 100 million users and over 40,000 corporate clients.

Today, EBG connects consumers with exclusive savings and access across travel, entertainment, theme parks, attractions, shopping, lifestyle and everyday experiences, while helping major brands reach highly engaged audiences. But for Reizen, the company’s growth has remained rooted in the same principles that shaped its earliest days: relationships, trust, adaptability and creating meaningful value for everyone involved.

As EBG celebrates its 25th anniversary, Haute Living sat down with Reizen to discuss his Miami roots, the entrepreneurial journey behind EBG, the lessons learned while building and scaling the company, and why he believes its most exciting chapter may still be ahead.

HL: EBG has deep roots in Miami. Tell us about your Miami story and how it shaped your entrepreneurial journey.

BR: I grew up in Miami Beach with one older sister and two incredible parents. I had an entrepreneurial itch before I even understood what entrepreneurship was. I sold sports cards in elementary school, I worked at a local memorabilia store in middle school, and I was a busboy at a neighborhood restaurant during my senior year of high school. I was always drawn to creating something, earning trust, and finding a way to make an idea work.

I went on to the University of Miami, where I earned my undergraduate degree in business. My final requirement to graduate was an internship, which led me to Enspot.com, an early online marketing platform that was created to help entertainment companies reach consumers in new ways online. Enspot hired me after the internship, and that experience became a real-world education in sales, positioning, creativity, entrepreneurship, and learning how to put in hard work and long hours, as well as how to pivot when the market changes.

After about 18 months there, the idea for an employee-based marketplace built around entertainment deals began to take shape. That’s where our original name came from- Entertainment Benefits Group. What started as a simple concept—connecting corporations and their people with unique access to offers and great experiences at a better value—ultimately became EBG.

HL: For anyone who may not be familiar with EBG, can share more about the company?

BR: EBG, (originally known as Entertainment Benefits Group), is a dynamic e-commerce marketplace that helps millions of people access exclusive savings and meaningful value across entertainment, travel, theme parks & attractions, shopping, lifestyle benefits, and everyday experiences. We work with thousands of leading employers, membership organizations, and affinity groups to make those experiences more affordable and accessible for the people they serve. At the same time, we help leading brands and our supplier partners reach large, engaged audiences in a trusted and unique way. Today, EBG operates one of the nation’s most comprehensive employee and member savings and perks platforms, serving more than 100 million users.

At the heart of it, EBG is about creating value for everyone involved: helping organizations offer benefits people want and need, helping consumers do more of what they love, and helping partners grow their businesses in a meaningful way. Today we are proud to serve millions of loyal customers annually through our digital marketplace platforms that power over 40,000 corporate clients and some of the world’s largest membership organizations.

 HL: When you started EBG in 2001, did you ever imagine the company getting so big?

BR: I always had big ideas and a natural instinct to think ahead beyond the moment I was in, but in the beginning, I was also naïve about what it would truly take to build, to operate and to scale a company.  I had a strong feeling the opportunity could become significant, and I was willing to work 15- to 18-hour days to pursue it, but I did not start with a specific number in mind.

The first two years were incredibly difficult. The business came close to not making it more than once, and every dollar went back into the business. By the third year, once we had more stability and cash flow, I began to believe the opportunity was bigger than I had originally imagined. At every stage after that, I saw more white space, more ways to expand, and more evidence that EBG could become something far larger than those earlier days suggested.

HL: What inspired you to start EBG, and what problem were you trying to solve?

BR: The original inspiration was to find a better way to connect large audiences with entertainment experiences, beginning with concert tours and live events. When I was living in Boston, I tested a few ideas with major employers and quickly saw a real opportunity. Companies were looking for meaningful, affordable benefits for their employees, while entertainment providers were looking for new buyers and new audiences.

The problem we set out to solve was really two-sided. Employers needed a simple way to increase employee satisfaction and happiness, introduce more value with their employee benefits, and provide ways to enhance retention. At the same time, attractions, sports teams, concert promoters, theater groups and entertainment companies were constantly looking for more efficient access to engaged audiences; this was the time when online media was first scratching the surface in starting to challenge traditional media. EBG became the bridge between those worlds. By creating a marketplace in a trusted, closed-loop environment, we could negotiate unique offers that benefited everyone involved. Because the formula worked, the scale followed and continued to grow.

HL: You’ve helped millions of people save money on travel, entertainment and everyday experiences. Why has that mission remained so important to you?

BR: That mission remains important because we have never been just in the business of tickets, travel, or transactions. We are in the business of helping people create memories. As EBG has grown, it has become even more meaningful to know that we help millions of people save hundreds of millions of dollars – every year- while giving them access to experiences they may not have otherwise enjoyed.

We help families explore ideas, start their planning process, take trips, see shows, visit theme parks, discover local activities, and stretch their dollars in ways that matter. At the same time, we help our supplier partners reach new customers and help employers offer benefits their people genuinely value. That win-win-win dynamic is one of the most powerful and motivating parts of EBG.

HL: Employee benefits have evolved dramatically over the last two decades. How has EBG stayed ahead of changing workplace and consumer expectations?

BR: We have stayed ahead by staying close to our clients, listening carefully, and never assuming that what worked yesterday will work tomorrow. We have done the same thing with our supplier partners. The workplace has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and consumer expectations have evolved just as quickly. The only way to remain relevant is to keep growing, keep adapting, and keep investing in what companies are looking for and what people actually want and need.

I always tell our team two things: if you are not growing, you are falling behind, and the only constant in life is change. That mindset helped us navigate the 2008 financial crisis, make it through Covid, and continue embracing the rapid pace of change happening now across technology, artificial intelligence, consumer behavior, and employee expectations.

HL: What do you think has been the biggest factor behind EBG’s long-term success in such a competitive industry?

BR: The biggest factor has always been relationships. Ours are genuine, meaningful, and built organically over many years. We also produce meaningful results and try to exceed expectations for our clients, customers, and supplier partners. Because of our volume, our supplier partners depend on us. Our corporate clients trust us, and the millions of people who purchase products and services from us continue to come back again and again- all of which gives our entire organization great pride. Today, that translates into millions of annual admission tickets and hotel room nights and billions in annual revenue across our platforms, but the foundation remains the same as it was in the beginning.

I have always tried to approach every deal as a true win-win. If all sides benefit, the relationship can last. If the value is not balanced, it eventually shows. Integrity, trust, and consistently delivering value have been the difference for us in several competitive industries.

HL:  Today’s consumers are looking for more value than ever. How is EBG helping employers and employees stretch their dollars while still creating memorable experiences?

BR: We have maintained the integrity of our Employee Perks Program from the beginning. Our teams negotiating deals hold every offer to a high standard: it needs to be a truly special offer, provide special access, or include meaningful added value. That discipline is one of the reasons some of the world’s largest companies have trusted us for so many years.

Across the most popular theme parks, attractions, hotels, events, and everyday categories, we are able to negotiate savings, access, pricing, and amenities that create real value. We have also expanded into a variety of areas like local activities, dining gift cards, electronics, wellness products, financial services and grocery savings so employers can help their people stretch their dollars further and enjoy memorable experiences. At its best, EBG helps make life a little more fun and a little more affordable.

HL: As a founder who’s led the company for 25 years, what’s the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned along the way?

BR: The biggest leadership lesson is that people and energy make all the difference. It is similar to sports: sometimes one spark changes the momentum of an entire game. Business works the same way. The right people, with the right energy, leadership and teamwork alignment, can completely change the trajectory of a company.

I have learned that you cannot do everything yourself, and you should not try to. The only way to build a powerhouse of a company is to surround yourself with people who are stronger, smarter and more experienced than you in important areas, give them room to lead, and make the difficult decisions when you know change is needed. Every great company needs a strong product, a strong team, and genuine, positive energy. Missing any one of those makes lasting success very difficult.
HL: Tell us what you hope the next 25 years look like for EBG.

BR: I hope the next 25 years are even bolder than the first. EBG has already lived through several chapters: the earliest days of building from nothing, the credibility and scale that came with Cirque du Soleil’s original investment, the strategic growth that came with the investments from CAA and the Shubert Organization, and now this next chapter defined by technology, personalization, artificial intelligence, and a much larger vision for what we can become.

The world will keep changing, and there will always be peaks and valleys. But EBG has always been built for change. If the next 25 years are anything like the first 25, I believe our most exciting chapters are still ahead. https://www.ebgsolutions.com/home