Live music festival industry leader Breakaway announced that cultural architect Shaun Neff and entertainment-industry pioneer Nick Gross have officially joined its ownership group. The move comes as Breakaway wraps up its biggest festival season ever in 2025, with CEO and Co-Founder Adam Lynn describing the addition of Neff and Gross as “pouring gasoline on the fire” of the company’s growth.

“We hosted our biggest season yet — 12 cities nationwide, with record-breaking attendance numbers and our largest festival ever at Breakaway Carolina,” says Lynn. “This growth is the payoff of years of strategic expansion, partnerships, and earning trust in every market.” He says that the key to making Breakaway festivals great is creating fan experiences that uniquely connect people to the brand: “We carefully select partners, artists, and brands who share our culture and vision. Our goal is simple: deliver the best music experiences to the cities that crave them most, making them unforgettable and accessible.”

Breakaway Carolina 2024, Credit: Mike Kirschbaum

Shaun Neff is a serial entrepreneur who recently co-founded BEEUP with David Beckham and has exited companies such as SunBum and Neff Headwear, and is also a co-owner of the MLS team LAFC and the XGames. Neff’s background includes high-profile collaborations with celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Kevin Durant, advisory roles for major companies, and co-founding the brand incubator Beach House Group, which has backed celebrity-led ventures such as Moon Oral Beauty with Kendall Jenner and Odell Beckham, Jr. “A company wins when it can clearly tell a unique and exciting story that attracts consumers and delivers a great product,” says Neff. “Breakaway has done an incredible job creating an exciting product in the form of festivals, and I’m excited to bring my brand-building and product expertise to the team.”

Related: Kendall Jenner and Odell Beckham Jr Team Up on Oral-Care Beauty Brand

Nick Gross is the founder of Gross Labs, a musician and an entrepreneur. As a drummer, Nick Gross understands the artist perspective and is dialed in to the needs and dreams of music makers: “At the end of the day, artists want to be surrounded by authentic people and experiences, have their music heard by new audiences, and feel respected when they perform—all things Breakaway values deeply,” he says. Gross’s wide-ranging portfolio includes the record label Big Noise, educational platform Find Your Grind, and investments spanning music, sports, and entertainment. His focus on building lifestyle-driven cultural ecosystems will support Breakaway’s strategic expansion. “I look at return on time alongside return on investment to stay focused on projects that align philosophically and provide strategic value,” he says. “For Breakaway, that means everything from raising capital to building new IP.”

Breakaway’s entrepreneurial energy was a key factor drawing both Neff and Gross to the group. Gross explains: “After meeting Adam and the team, the chemistry and alignment were undeniable. Pulling off one successful festival is hard enough, but doing it dozens of times a year shows vision and business acumen.” Neff agrees, recalling his own experience attending a Breakaway Festival: “The energy on site and the executive team convinced me I wanted to be involved. I’m very bullish on the live entertainment space, and Breakaway is just getting started.”

The live music and festival space is booming, and Breakaway’s success shows how independent festivals can scale nationally while preserving authentic fan experiences rooted in community and culture. “I’ve always loved being part of what’s next, finding what’s under the radar before everyone else does,” says Gross. “Providing a platform like Breakaway for both emerging and established talent to shine is what makes it such a true differentiator.”

Related: How David Beckham and Shaun Neff Are Creating Buzz Around Their New Snack Brand BEEUP