VIPER could reach the scale and impact that the two female cofounders could only dream about by a savvy pivot from nightlife to facilitating casting services and building a complimentary media business. Durve and Kitchener aimed for ownership within the industry, and what they realized was that the foundation of such ownership lay in the data they collected from running all of these events. However, the two cofounders quickly realized that while events hosting is a profitable business, it does not scale well. Their collaborations with powerful corporations like Amazon and Google and Drake and Billie Eilish made the difference between being another service brand and becoming a top-tier, best-in-class hospitality agency recognized by name throughout Los Angeles, the media and entertainment capital of the world. From checking-in guests to supplying woman-power to operate key venue areas, VIPER orchestrated events from start to finish. The VIPER girls under Durve and Kitchener operate as a full-stack hospitality service team. VIPER initially started in the event hosting subsector of the larger nightlife industry.

VIPER is always adapting and evolving we have barely skimmed the surface with what we will do.” As we move into the casting and consulting areas of the company, we lean on the relationships we formed in the early days to break into other industries that need to evolve. Nightlife used to be the industry we wanted to own, but VIPER is so much bigger than that now. Kitchener adds, “Nightlife is where all industries intersect, so to hold power where so many people come together has opened different doors for us and allowed VIPER to be creative in how we expand. The only way for women to change their status, and thus their experience, in the opaque nightlife industry, is to own their share of the massive market. There’s no internal organization within American nightlife to lobby for women’s interests and representation. It’s no wonder there are often complaints ranging from mistreatment to criminal actions lodged by women in the dark, murky industry. The dynamics of the American nightlife industry are driven by who spends the most money under the influence of alcohol in a single three to four-hour period at night (or longer, depending on which city you happen to be partying in).

A club is only seen as hot if only the hottest girls are there as guests, hosts or bottle girls. Thus, women must fit the male vision of their role in nightlife, not as owners, but as props, eye candy and ultimately currency. Men’s domination of the nightlife industry means that it ultimately caters to their desires and wishes. VIPER cofounders Kelsi Kitchener (back) and Celeste Durve (front).

Caramel s abby winters viper girls