Photo: Courtesy of Cassandra Costello
How she got her start: Costello's passion for the event industry sparked at a young age, when she worked on events with her grandfather. She officially joined the industry 12 years ago as a production assistant at an event agency in Hollywood.
"Since then, I’ve gained experience in nearly every industry of the event world," she says. "At 22, I had my Phoenix moment and was thrown into leading a 15,000-square-foot booth at E3 and a 30,000-square-foot booth at Gamescom in Germany shortly after. These pivotal moments would help shift my event production experience into a magical leader in the industry as a whole."
When her grandmother passed in 2015, when Costello was 25, she found newfound inspiration to launch her own company.
"I returned to Los Angeles after the funeral and dove right into the journey that created the MoonLab we see today," she remembers.
What innovation means to her: Costello describes innovation as a key driver to her success. "I grew MoonLab with a very clear intention: In order to be impactful, change is a constant," she says. "After successfully pivoting during the pandemic, I spent time in Bali to evaluate my own personal growth and MoonLab’s growth. From all my learnings, what remains most important is the impact that myself and MoonLab are making not only in the industry but globally."
With that goal in mind, Costello created what she calls her "five missions," or the areas of the world she seeks to impact through her career: women's empowerment, sustainability, mental health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and giving back. "MoonLab aligns with these missions in all aspects, from the clients we work with, to the projects we produce, to the company culture and beyond."
How she stays inspired: Costello says she thrives on new conversations and ideas, which she discovers through travel, new experiences, and intentionally surrounding herself with inspirational and innovative thinkers.
"Most recently in Bali, I connected with like-minded innovators and learned the importance and impact of initiatives such as sustainability and mental wellness within our industry," she explains. "These interactions have invigorated my passion to connect experiences and people and discover a new magic in everything I do, including multiple new business ventures and initiatives outside of MoonLab." 
MoonLab built a mass vaccination site at the United Center, which provided 300,000 vaccinations to Illinois residents in just five months.Photo: Courtesy of MoonLab Productions
Memorable moments: "There are two projects that instantly stand out to me as pivotal moments in my career: my first E3 booth for Ubisoft and a mass vaccination site at The United Center," she says. "The United Center Mass Vaccination Site was the largest project and most challenging (yet rewarding) project in MoonLab’s history. The team built the site from the ground up in under two weeks. We successfully provided over 300,000 vaccinations to Illinois residents over the course of five months."
Her favorite thing about the experiential industry: Costello loves how the industry brings people together. "There is no better feeling than creating magical moments that leave a lasting impact beyond the life of the event," she says.
Back to the full list: 20 Experiential Experts Changing the Future of Consumer Events
