Who are Better Events? Introducing our team

Better Events are a diverse, female-operated, not-for-profit team with a mission to create empowering events. Empowering for small, local business, empowering for the local community, empowering for the planet. Time to meet the team!

Jai Breitnauer, co-founder and co-director – ‘The Powerhouse’

Jai has worked in the not-for-profit sector for most of her career, starting out as a project manager for The Anne Frank Trust UK while studying for her MA in the early 2000s. Jai’s bit is anything creative – she shares her brain-type with the character Carrie Mathison from Homeland.

A former journalist and creative communicator, published author, fundraiser, event producer and project manager, the creation of Better Events is really the nexus of skills she has acquired over 20 years. But the motivating factor was her own experience working as a market trader, and the lack of support available for super-small business start-ups.

Passionate about the not-for-profit sector, she saw an opportunity to create events for the people involved in them, rather than to line the pockets of the people running them. She recently bumped into a friend who described her as a ‘powerhouse’ and thought, ‘I'll take that’.

Jess Milton, co-founder and co-director – ‘The Human Rolodex’

Few people under 30 will share such an epic CV. Jess has a BA in Philosophy with English Literature from Bath Spa University, and half an MA in Public Policy from the University of Bristol, but they are almost the least of her achievements. As founder and organiser of Protestival, Jess has had a passion for creating empowering grassroots events since she was a teenager. She has held organising roles within multiple grassroots environmental and political campaign groups, has a decade of volunteering under her belt for organisations like Food Cycle, Womankind, and Self Injury Support, and has even dipped a toe in local politics. 

Jess also has a high mileage working in events, hospitality and markets so, like Jai, understands things from both sides of the gazebo. Jess’ secret weapon is that she knows literally all 8 billion people in the world, which prompted Jai to dub her The Human Rolodex.

Kavita Ashton, Social media and marketing – ‘Copy Nerd’

Kavita is a freelance writer, editor and social media specialist who hails from Devon. Until recently, she was part of the Visit West marketing team and has a natural talent for telling people where to go – in the nicest possible way! She's naturally curious and loves uncovering the best activities, events and places to visit around the South West – and then creating engaging content to share with others.

A skilled SEO copywriter and all-round social media legend, you will find Kavita busy working away behind the scenes to promote what we do and who we do it for.

Bianca Rosetti, onsite support – ‘Fairy Godmother’

Bianca is another multi-hyphenate who loves channelling her energy into anything that moves us towards a better world. Alongside her weekday job as project manager at a local charity, she is currently launching Second Helping, a social enterprise that offers plant-based supper clubs and catering with profits going towards free meals for people affected by food inequality and isolation in Bristol. She loves food in general, and is an epic cook. 

Bianca helps us set up the markets and provides support for traders during the day. She would like you to think she’s reading Kafka in her spare time, but actually she is watching Love Island.

Mike Rosetti, onsite support – ‘Major Participation’

If you can’t find Mike, he will probably be dancing. Our super chilled, always smiling, go-to guy, Mike is a teacher by day, and Bianca’s house elf by night. Mike once spent three weeks completely alone in a woodland cabin, but he would rather be knee deep in whatever crazy, high-energy project has attracted his eye. Mike helps us set up the markets and provides support for traders during the day. If you catch him with his eyes closed, he’s not napping, he’s meditating.

Noah Fagan, onsite support – ‘Go, Go Gadget Arms’

Noah is an architectural designer, and project manager for the Bristol Tiny House project. He quit his desk job, burned his shoulder pads and high heels, and now runs The Good Architecture Co, supporting grassroots building projects for social good.

Noah helps us set up and pack down, and occasionally mans a stall or two. He is 6ft 7” tall, which makes him perfect for putting up all those really tall parasols! Our resident Kiwi, we challenge you to get him to say the words ‘six’ or ‘deck’ and keep a straight face. Don’t ask him to do the Haka unless you want a lecture on respect for Māori culture.