We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Greitzer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The spark for Provenance came from a deeply personal place. In the same summer of 2021, my cousin Ashley asked me to officiate her wedding just before I found myself supporting the planning of my grandfather’s funeral. I felt immense pressure to do my family proud and live up to the significance of these moments. When searching for support and guidance online, all I could find were templates that felt generic, outdated, pretty terrible and entirely insufficient given the high stakes.

As I was asked to officiate more and more weddings in the years since, I realized this challenge wasn’t uniquely felt by me; it reflected a broader societal trend. As Americans increasingly shift away from organized religion, the demand for more bespoke, personalized, meaningful ceremonies and rituals has grown — yet the tools to create these have not evolved in turn.

Driven by this need, I founded [Provenance](http://provenance.co) for those looking to infuse life’s big moments with personal significance. Starting with weddings, my team and I interviewed hundreds of nearlyweds, officiants, and guests, developing tools that have since supported tens of thousands to create their dream wedding ceremonies, vows, and toasts. Recognizing the same longing for meaningful commemoration among new and expecting parents, we recently expanded our offerings to include resources for this additional life milestone, ensuring these big moments (and, soon enough, additional life moments such as birthdays and funerals as well) can easily be infused with the depth we deserve and desire.

At the heart of Provenance is a commitment to transform how we mark these milestones. We are passionate and excited about providing solutions that cater not just to the trend of personalization but to the deeper desire for connection, community and meaning for these important moments.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Before founding and building Provenance, I was the first employee, Chief of Staff, Head of Leadership Operations and ultimately the Head of International of the gloriously ill-fated Quibi. Helmed by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, Quibi was a herculean feat. The startup raised the largest amount of capital of any startup in the tech industry’s history and built in rapid fashion a high volume slate of A-list celebrity content, an innovative new product, and a 300-person team with some of the most impressive, talented people I had ever met. And yet, launching just after the start of the pandemic, the Quibi team failed to find a viable path forward. This experience, as challenging as it was, served as the greatest learning experience I ever could have asked for. Guided by the mentorship of seasoned business leaders, I absorbed lessons in tenacity and audacity, lessons that have been instrumental in shaping Provenance. We balance ambitious long-term goals with a pragmatic approach to achieving near-term success. The path to Provenance’s current traction is navigated through trial and error, informed by the feedback of tens of thousands seeking to make their upcoming life milestones personalized and meaningful. I have done my best to bring these learnings to bear every day as I’ve built Provenance, always putting our couples and officiants first along the way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whenever I have friends visiting, I love recommending pairings of a great activity and a great meal or drink. Here are a few of my favorites;

– Malibu Hike + lunch at the Reel Inn
– Tower Bar + The Comedy Store
– The Grove Farmers’ Market (for pickle tastings!) + a movie
– Nice Guy martini + Sushi Fumi + comedy at the Largo + Roger Room

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am very much a product of Los Angeles. 3rd generation born in Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Growing up, I attended school here for 18 years before shooting off for a stint in the Bay Area for college. My entire career to date – at Upfront Ventures, WndrCo, Quibi, and now Provenance – unfolded here in LA. My family – my parents, my grandparents – are all here as well. All my mentors, teachers, and peers who built, taught and inspired me are still here in LA supporting me and this pursuit as well. I owe everything to the Los Angeles community!

Website: provenance.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourprovenance/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-greitzer-8720a638/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ourprovenance/ https://www.pinterest.com/OurProvenance/

Image Credits
My officiating photo: May Iosotaluno Maxine testimonial photo: Elise Morgan Alex testimonial photo: Chris K.T. Bright Mindy Weiss Photo without sign: Dennis Kwan Mindy Weiss Photo with sign: Provenance

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.