About
The kids were having the time of their lives.
Amy was questioning her life choices.
The idea for The Place was born on a hard, cheap couch in a windowless “parent area.”
Lighting that belonged in a DMV. Colors that belonged in a cartoon. A TV mounted on the wall, not even turned on. Just there. A token.
On the other side of the glass, her kids were screaming with joy.
And it hit her: parents had been forgotten.
The people planning the outing and paying for admission were handed an uncomfortable seat and expected to wait it out. Overstimulated. Miserable. Counting the minutes.
So she asked: Why can’t kids have the time of their lives - and parents enjoy being there, too?
That question became The Place.
A new category of family destination with hospitality at its center.
Modern. Comfortable. Designed around the whole family. Community at its core.
So, thank you, crappy “parent area.” You’re the reason we’re building The Place.
Kids play. Parents recharge. Community gathers.
Meet the team
Amy Kantrowitz
Founder & CEO, The Place Ventures, Inc.
Brand & Growth Leader | Entrepreneur |
Mom of Three
Amy is a senior marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience building consumer brands and driving growth at Fortune 500 companies, including Charter and Turner, and startups such as Eagle FC.
As a mom of three, Amy was living the pain point: she wanted somewhere all her kids would love, and where she'd enjoy being, too. As a business executive, she saw the market gap: family destinations are built around kids, with the parent experience treated as an afterthought.
So she decided to build the solution: a third place for modern family life, with hospitality at its center and something for toddlers, teens, and the parents who bring them.
A career spent building challenger brands
has led to this: creating a new category.
Allyson Mandelbaum
Founding Advisor, The Place Collective
Founder, Shady Lady | Entrepreneur |
Mom of Two
Allyson is a Fairfield, CT mom of two and the founder of Shady Lady, a hat brand born from a need she knew other women shared. After 17 years as a reality TV producer, she channeled her creativity into entrepreneurship, turning an everyday frustration into a business designed around women’s lives - with a playful spirit and a commitment to giving back through beach cleanups.
At The Place, she brings her creative and entrepreneurial experience, along with a parent’s perspective, to help shape a destination where parents recharge, families connect and community comes together.
Zach Weinberg
Founding Advisor, The Place Collective
Growth Leader | Team Builder |
Dad of Three
With nearly 20 years of experience in sales and business operations, Zach has spent his career building teams, scaling businesses and turning big ideas into real results.
As a Fairfield dad of three, he knows firsthand how much local families would benefit from a place where kids can play, parents can recharge, and the community can come together.
He joined The Place as a Founding Advisor because he believes in the vision and the opportunity to create something truly special for Fairfield County families.
Want to join the team? Let’s talk.
We’re bringing The Place to life, and we’d love to meet people who believe family life deserves a better third place. From hospitality and operations to programming and community partnerships, let’s explore how you could be part of it.