Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben White.
Ben, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started GateKeepers in March 2025 after getting burned one too many times as an event organizer. Every time I threw an event, other ticketing platforms were taking 30 to 50 percent between the organizer fee and the attendee fee, and I kept asking myself what I was actually paying for. It hit me that I did not need a middleman, I just needed control. So I built a platform that does not punish organizers for selling tickets and actually understands that without organizers there are no events. We launched our first event in November 2025 with an expected turnout of 150 people, and it was a disaster. All we had was a QR scanner, no live guest list yet, and the Wi-Fi even went out mid event, so I ended up checking people in by hand off a printed list. That same week we fixed it. We built a live guest list, a working QR scanner, and real time door sales, features that only exist because we broke it first and were not afraid to launch before it was perfect. Since then it has been a non-stop grind, from that first event to our biggest event this past March to now, and I still personally help every single event that comes on the platform.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been smooth at all. Our first event was a total disaster, tickets bought at the door never registered in the system, the organizer’s Wi-Fi dropped mid event, and I was checking people in by hand at an event I did not even set up myself. Past the product side, the real challenge has been time. Building a SaaS company does not take much money, it takes almost all of your time. Since March 2025 it has been sun up to sundown, seven days a week, and I have had to cut off a lot of distractions, relationships, and hobbies to make room for it. There are practically no breaks, and taking one costs you the momentum you built up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about GateKeepers?
GateKeepers is the number 1 event management platform that keeps organizers first. We do not punish organizers for selling tickets, we build tools that understand organizers are the reason events happen in the first place, from a live guest list and working QR check in to real time door sales. I personally help every single event that comes on the platform.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the community in San Antonio. What I like least is that it can feel kind of gatekept.
Pricing:
- 9% + $0.99 per ticket
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gatekeepers.app
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gatekeepers.app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@enventingpod
- Other: TikTok: @gatekeepers.app | Podcast: @enventingpod on IG and TikTok
