About Us

About us, Handy Entertainment, and me–but most of all, a big welcome to you!

The way events seemed

When I started Handy Entertainment, my focus was on creating connections between people. All the event entertainment I saw seemed to be the same things, done in the same ways. I kept creating and developing entertainment that was different and served a purpose.

It became clear to me that there was an enormous need for event production and entertainment that was unique to each event, each host, each specific company. We  love to delight people, bring them together, and give them the time of their lives!

https://youtube.com/shorts/cEqBPuy3xnM

What I wanted

My passion is producing events and creating amazing event entertainment that captures who you are and what you value.

We are an Atlanta based, WBENC and  SBA-certified, Woman-Owned Small Business. Our mission is to connect people at events. We are proud to work with all different kinds of people. Some of them look like us and some of them don’t. We’re fine with that and so are our clients. As a matter of fact, many of them seek us out because of this. All of our people are multiculturally trained and ready to accommodate every kind of person.

Why I do it

Handy Entertainment was founded on the principle that everybody is at the table–that we create a richer world by making welcoming all people an integral part of our company and our events.

We create a welcoming environment for everyone: our clients, their guests, and very importantly, for the people who work with us. Handy Entertainment seeks out, trains, hires people with physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities and we PAY THEM WELL. Look up Subminimum Wage if you have questions about that.

How do we do this? Events are adaptable and we are nimble. This makes it possible to adapt positions to the person to create a work environments where everyone can succeed. All our staff are trained in multicultural competency and know how to make each and every guest and attendee feel welcomed and valued.

Who we serve

What we love most is creating customized and engaging specialty event entertainment for trade shows, corporate, social, and fundraising events.

We are not for everyone. As a matter of fact, we are not your low price leaders, nor are we your bad idea entertainment.

Need an original, limited edition of interactive entertainment that connects people? We are your people.

Want to show who your guests who you really are? We’re your people.

Education, the arts, technology, and multiculturalism are the basis of our work. We’ve expanded into artist representation, event production and design, language concierge services (ask!) and provide event consulting that will save you time, money, and anguish. We are proud to work with the best vendors, venues, and clients in the world.

I look forward to working with you!

– Jan Levie, Founder & CEO, she/her

Our mission

To ensure that everybody is at the table.

What that means

Handy Entertainment works to increase event accessibility and to create community awareness of how historically disadvantaged groups can be a part of our events.

What we do

Handy Entertainment helps companies make transitions, create solutions, and reinvent traditions that no longer serve their purpose. By creating and producing customized, interactive entertainment, we connect people to each other, to you, your company, your project, or your mission.

How we do it

Handy Entertainment actively advocates for, trains, hires, and mentors historically disadvantaged people, groups, and businesses.

The results

We create jobs for, and train people with physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. More importantly, we demonstrate to businesses, organizations, and individuals that it is not only possible to create positions for the individual, it is a way to do well by doing good.

p.s. more ‘About Us’…the back story:

Although the first iteration of Handy was launched in 2009, we made it official in 2012 and really started to hit our stride in 2016. Fast forward to December 2021. While on the road, I asked my favorite son if he knew why I started the business. His answer, “Because you wanted something to do?” “No,” I said, “I already had plenty to do.”

In 2009, he was nine years old and struggling. He was struggling in school, he was struggling socially, he absolutely was struggling at home, everywhere. The only thing we knew was that he had “stuff,” but we didn’t know what.

I took a deep breath and told my young adult boy that I’d started the business to make sure that no matter what he ended up being capable of doing, no matter what his diagnosis, we would find a way to create meaningful work for him and help him be able to earn a living.

Silence. He looked at me. He was astonished. Proud?

Then I asked him how he felt about that. He said he felt fine. A pause. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” he asked. “I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
He said, “You should tell people that.” “I can’t,” I said, “it would be labelling you as someone who has ‘stuff.'”

Laughing, he said, “I tell people I’ve just met that I have ‘stuff’ and that I struggle. Not as an excuse, but to explain why I do things the way I do.”

Then he told me to tell this story.

Coda

He worked with Handy in various capacities over the years. All of them have been short, one-off jobs and projects, because, quite frankly, who wants to work for their Mom?

Throughout his school years, I met so many other kids, teens, and young adults really struggling to get a toe-hold. Oh, and their families, families who tried literally everything to help their kids find their place in this world. That’s how I got the idea of creating jobs for people with physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities.

Things you might not be aware of about people with disabilities

The reason I’m telling you this is because Handy Entertainment finds, trains, and hires people with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities and pays them well.

That last part “pay them well,” is really important. As of 2026, it is estimated that 13 states (including Georgia) still allow for people with disabilities to be legally paid what is referred to by the U.S. Department of Labor as “subminimum wage.” “Nah,” you say, “that can’t be.” Oh, but it is, and the wages are not tied to the individuals’ production level or skills. The steps that were being taken in Georgia to change that were rescinded. In 2024, things were about to change for the better. Unfortunately, there are currently no clear government publications showing which states still allow people with disabilities to be paid subminimum wage.

Standard U.S. hiring practices

The prevailing hiring practice in the U.S. is to post a job listing and expect candidates to apply for them. With the right skill set, background, attitude, presentation, and above all, key words, the candidate ostensibly advances and is eventually hired. Many folks with disabilities don’t stand a chance in this paradigm. Did you know that as of 2020 26% of adults in the U.S. live with some form of disability? It is also the only minority group that ANYONE can join.

What if we flip that? What happens when we create the job to match the individual? I can see your brow furrow as you think over how labor intensive that would be.

Tell me this: is seeking, training, and retaining great employees working the way it is currently being practiced? No. But when we tailor the work to the individual, everyone is a winner.

Our Values

SERVICE

We serve people well. Even more, we work with every kind of person. We are not event planners, but we can help you source what you need for your event through our highly-qualified, vetted, and trusted partners.

PEOPLE

Our team looks like real people (ok, maybe some are wearing weird make-up and costumes!) because they are real people. We look beyond the surface to the individual so we can provide truly engaging entertainment. 

MULTI-FACETED

We are proud to hire and train people who have physical, emotional, or intellectual disabilities. We can conduct an interview that sees past limitations and spotlights nascent abilities. Then we make the time and have the adaptability to tailor the work to the individual.

HELPING YOU: HELPING US

Do you have a friend, colleague or family member having an event? We love your referrals! Whether we have what they need or not, we will always provide good, honest service, and help them source what they need from the best in the business!

We’re based in Atlanta, Georgia and can be found at events in the Greater Atlanta Metro Area, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Downtown, Midtown, Cumming, College Park, Avondale, Chamblee, East Atlanta Village, Chastain, North Druid Hills, Brookhaven, Norcross, Johns Creek, Peachtree City, Old Fourth Ward, Piedmont Park, Milton, West Side, Inman Park, Virginia-Highland, West Midtown, Cabbagetown, Inman Park, Ansley Park, Tuxedo Park, Haynes Manor, Grant Park, Castleberry Hill, Peachtree Corners, and Reynoldstown–in no particular order.

Random

Then there’s that other question people always ask: “How did you come up with your company name?”  Inspiration hit me smack between the ears when I heard that Andrew Lloyd Weber‘s company was named ‘The Really Useful Group.’ Our de facto name is A Handy Little Company, LLC. Need I say more? This is turning into a chapter book….