Breakaway Festivals Ownership Group Expands With Shaun Neff, Nick Gross

Independent festival producer and music company Breakaway has added influential cultural entrepreneurs Shaun Neff and Nick Gross to its ownership group, a move the company says will support its plan to continue to scale its national festival footprint and develop new opportunities across music, media and lifestyle experiences.

“The addition of Shaun and Nick to the Breakaway family is like adding rocket fuel to everything we’ve been building,” says Breakaway co-founder and CEO Adam Lynn. “They understand Breakaway’s broader strategic vision to evolve our offering beyond live events by developing new formats and engaging audiences across multiple platforms. As Breakaway evolves, we’re building a team that reflects that direction.” 

Gross is the founder of Gross Labs, a media and investment platform that includes record label Big Noise (with John Feldmann), the K12 edtech and career discovery platform Find Your Grind and content and recording facility Noise Nest Studios. As a drummer and entrepreneur, Gross has signed and toured with artists like Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly, and helped guide Big Noise talent onto global stages.

Neff is the founder of Neff Headwear, a major player in the action sports space that has collaborated with talent including Snoop Dogg, Kevin Durant, and Wiz Khalifa. He has advised major companies including Sony Electronics, Target, and Walmart, and was part owner of Sun Bum, which was acquired by SC Johnson in 2019. He’s also a co-founder of brand incubator Beach House Group, where he has helped launch and scale successful celebrity-led ventures including Moon Oral Care (with Kendall Jenner), Pattern (with Tracee Ellis Ross), BÉIS (with Shay Mitchell), and Florence by Mills (with Millie Bobby Brown). He recently joined the ownership group of X Games and LAFC, reflecting his expanding footprint in global sports and entertainment.

“Breakaway has already built something powerful, a national platform that resonates with Gen-Z culture,” Neff said. “Our goal now is to scale that foundation intentionally, and expand in a way that deepens cultural relevance and community connection.”

The news comes as 2025 marked Breakaway’s biggest festival season to date, according to the company, with events in 12 cities across the U.S. and following the launch of its own Breakaway Projects record label and artist management division. Up next on the calendar is Breakaway Norcal in Sacramento, topped by Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Elderbrook and Louis The Child Oct. 11-12 at the Cal Expo Center in Sacramento.