Meet Elizabeth Priya Kumar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Priya Kumar.

Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story starts out no different than most South Asian women (except I grew up with a Christian Reverend father, but more on that later). I was expected to achieve big things with my life, so I found myself in a Doctorate of Pharmacy six-year program in college and was quickly approaching my senior year. But in my gut, I knew something wasn’t quite right.

I needed to figure out what I was really passionate about. So, much to my parent’s shock and fury, I left the program right after my white coat ceremony and took a semester off to figure myself out. I then switched my major to marketing, which of course led me to dabble in the events industry.

I excelled in the program and graduated on the dean’s list. I spent a few years after college working in various event management and marketing positions with good old corporate America; everything from healthcare to finance to sports; same job function essentially, but spread out over different industries.

At the age of 26, I was still feeling a nudge to find my true purpose. After being laid off from my corporate job due to budget cuts, my siblings encouraged me to use this opportunity to start something new for myself and really dig in. So, with $200 to my name and my parents still questioning my life choices (can I mention one more time that I left a doctorate program right before my senior year?!?), I decided to start my own event planning company.

Prem is my brother’s middle name and Padmini is my sister’s middle name and combined – it made the perfect name… PREMINI. “Prem” means “love” in Sanskrit and with “mini” on the end, Premini translates to “little love”. And this little love of mine grew beyond my wildest dreams.

Twelve years later, I lead my team and our clients with light, love, and gratitude with a creative twist. So many amazing things are on the horizon for Premini and it’s all because I loved myself enough to give it a shot, despite the odds.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has absolutely not been easy and to be honest if you ask anyone in business, we’re all on a journey to grow and get better. Remember that Reverend father I mentioned earlier? I didn’t grow up Hindu, so I didn’t know any of the traditional South Asian cultural nuances or languages.

When I first started this journey, it was a huge learning curve. But even more than that, teaching yourself how to run a business is HARD. I had no business experience whatsoever – I had $200 and prayer. I had to teach myself everything from finances to client sourcing to human resources… It’s a lot!

And I’m still learning new things 12 years later. Currently, I’m committed to learning how to be the best boss I can be and cultivating a positive, hard-working company culture for my team. I know it’s cliche, but we’re truly a family at Premini – a badass, all-in kind of family.

Remember, it’s all about love for us and it’s our company mission to lead with integrity.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in South Asian/Multicultural weddings and have even given a client the bra off my back (true story). Premini is known for curating luxurious, elevated, and immersive experiences, but it’s important to make sure that luxury is relatable.

I’m most proud of Premini’s culture of love and light and the way the team I’ve put together embodies those values every day. We’re a hug, not a handshake! We are there for our clients any time of day and are committed to a communicative, laughter-filled, and love-encompassing event planning journey.

Not only does my team love each other, but we love our clients and I think that shows in our commitment and results.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking?
This whole career has been an incredible risk!

And the pandemic only tipped the odds even further out of my favor. But the only way to be successful in life is to wake up every single day and do something that absolutely terrifies you. That’s how magic is made.

We don’t learn in comfort.

Contact Info:

• Email: elizabeth@preminievents.com
• Website: https://www.preminievents.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preminievents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preminievents

Image Credits
Andreas & Nico LH Photography, Film Kent Drake Photography, Jashim Jalal Studios, Alain Martinez Photography Nadia D. Photography, and P|S Photography+Films