Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Sacre.
Hi Tyler, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my journey realizing the traditional academic path was not a fit, a challenge I later understood was driven by undiagnosed ADHD and a lack of specialized technology programs. In 2009, I pivoted to the Kentucky Air National Guard, serving in Security Forces and Combat Arms. This role took me across the globe to Alaska, Japan, Thailand, and Bangladesh, providing a foundation in discipline and global perspective before I transitioned into the private sector.
My IT career launched in Indianapolis, where I spent five years as an IT Engineer navigating the high-stakes environments of various startups. This technical progression eventually led to a role at a Fortune 500 bank in Nashville. While the professional experience was valuable, I sought a city with more alignment to my personal and creative goals, which ultimately brought me to Atlanta and a role at Microsoft.
Atlanta became the catalyst for merging my technical background in AI and automation with my passion for live music and the LGBTQ+ nightlife community. I founded a talent management company to represent and develop DJs, but I soon identified a significant gap in the industry: a lack of modern marketing and data-driven engagement for specialized events.
Recognizing my influence and brand within the nightlife scene, I partnered with another leader in the space to modernize how these experiences are built. Alongside my partner, I am now focused on leveraging automation and targeted demographics to redefine event marketing. Our mission transcends revenue; we are dedicated to making the nightlife landscape more inclusive, safe, and community-oriented, ensuring that every event feels like a curated, secure space for the people it serves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been linear. Starting an IT career later than my peers required a period of aggressive catch-up to bridge the gap. For years, the absence of a traditional four-year degree served as a significant barrier; despite my technical proficiency and military background, automated systems often disqualified me before I could demonstrate my value.
A major shift occurred in May 2025 when I was laid off from Microsoft. While challenging, this period of professional uncertainty became a strategic inflection point. It afforded me the bandwidth to focus exclusively on my production and talent management ventures, allowing me to build the infrastructure that exists today.
As of April 2026, I will have transitioned back into a full-time role, which introduces the new challenge of balancing a demanding technical career with a scaling business. Furthermore, while I have an established brand in the LGBTQ+ community, translating that influence into a B2B environment remains a hurdle. Persuading stakeholders to adopt modern automation and data-driven marketing in a traditionally informal industry requires constant persistence, but it is necessary for the professionalization of the space.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is defined by the intersection of enterprise IT engineering and niche community marketing. I specialize in Microsoft 365 architecture, AI automation, and technical support infrastructure. This technical foundation allows me to build systems that most in the creative and nightlife industries cannot access or implement.
In the entertainment sector, I focus on talent management and event production, specifically for DJs and LGBTQ+ nightlife. I specialize in identifying untapped demographics and applying modern marketing automation to traditionally informal business models.
Within the Atlanta community and the broader national circuit, I am recognized for the “GayGeek” brand (derived from my handle I created on Instagram) and a reputation for knowing exactly where the pulse of queer nightlife is at any given moment. My influence is built on a deep understanding of specialized LGBTQ events and a track record of identifying which parties are worth the travel. I am known for recognizing high-quality music and the specific production elements that distinguish a premium atmosphere from a standard event. This perspective allows me to act as a reliable curator for the community while bridging the gap between technical marketing and the authentic, high-energy experiences that the scene demands.
I am most proud of my ability to maintain a high-level technical career at organizations like Microsoft while simultaneously building a business that prioritizes safety, inclusivity, and community in the nightlife space.
What sets me apart is a set of diverse foundations. My perspective is shaped by my military service in the Air National Guard and years of navigating the startup ecosystem. I do not just promote events; I build the backend systems using AI and automated workflows that ensure these events reach the right people efficiently. My goal is the professionalization of LGBTQ+ events to ensure they are secure, community-oriented environments.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk, for me, is a calculated tool for growth rather than a gamble. My perspective is defined by the balance between professional security and the pursuit of autonomy. I view the greatest risk not as the possibility of failure, but as the stagnation that comes from remaining in a comfortable role that no longer challenges me.
My first major risk was the decision to forgo a traditional degree. I chose to bet on my ability to self-teach through trial and error, prioritizing the freedom to work in the nightlife scene over the perceived safety of a 9-5. This was followed by joining the Air National Guard in a role entirely outside my comfort zone. That move was a dual-pronged risk: it provided the financial foundation I needed through a signing bonus and tuition assistance, but more importantly, it was a personal challenge to prove I could excel in a high-stakes, disciplined environment.
In my current entrepreneurial ventures, I take an “all-in” approach but mitigate the risk through strategic stability. While I maintain my career in enterprise IT as a security blanket, I am constantly monitoring the growth of my businesses. I know that true success will eventually require me to leave that safety net behind, and I am prepared to make that leap when the scale of my companies demands my full attention.
Even my personal brand, GayGeek, was an organic development that I turned into a strategic advantage. While some might see a risk in blending a high-level technical identity with a highly visible nightlife presence, I see it as a force multiplier. It enhances my credibility in both worlds. I have built a level of trust and influence in the community that I respect deeply, and I use that foundation to lower the barrier for my business ventures. To me, risk management is about knowing your value, leveraging your unique perspective, and having the discipline to wait for the right moment to pivot.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaygeekproductions
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gaygeekprod/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gaygeekproductions
