From 'party-throwing guys' to Cincinnati visionaries

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated where Salzbrun lives.

Andrew Salzbrun started his first company 15 years ago, using his business and marketing degrees to promote the Gateway Corridor in Over-the-Rhine and the art galleries nearby.

In Salzbrun's own words, early on, he and his business partner Josh Heuser were known "as the party-throwing guys." And sure, they can still throw a party. Think Ghost Baby or the Transept or even a fun dinner out at Nation Kitchen and Bar.

But what Salzbrun and Heuser really are, are visionaries for Cincinnati. They co-founded Blink. Heuser is partnering with FC Cincinnati to bring to life a boutique hotel in the mixed-use development FC Cincinnati is building north of TQL Stadium.

Blink returns next year. Organizers said earlier this month the festival will take place in 2024 from Oct. 17-20.

Salzbrun's titles are long and many: Managing partner of Agar, a Cincinnati-based team of creators, makers, and producers; partner in Nation Kitchen and Bar; and co-founder and executive creative director of Blink.

Salzbrun sat down with The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast to talk about making his mark on Cincinnati and what's coming next.

The 38-year-old Clifton resident said Cincinnati has allowed him to flourish.

"When I was 24, people would take meetings with me," said Salzbrun, who lived in Atlanta after college. "There was an accessibility in the city that you don't get in a major market like Atlanta. There was a general makeup of people in Downtown that wanted to see the place be better or better than it was at that time. That ability to open doors was what got me interested. I wasn't banging my head against the wall with ideas of like, 'How do I bring this to life?'"

Cincinnati's mentality and the way locals carry themselves has shifted in the last five years, Salzbrun believes.

"We're very good at telling each other that we're good at things," he said. "'Do you know we have great chili here?' That kind of storytelling. But there's been a little bit of a shift. One of the things that I've been leading the charge on, at least in the work that I'm passionate about, is reminding people that it's OK to be aspirational here, to want more."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Blink co-founder Andrew Salzbrun became a Cincinnati change-maker