The Studio
Founded in New Orleans. Operating Globally. We don’t just design worlds, we engineer the businesses that sustain them.
The Origin
It began in 2014 with a single escape room tucked within the quiet corridors of a hollowed-out office tower. From that first experience, Delaporte Ventures has evolved into a specialized design studio responsible for award-winning experiences across the world.
We are creators at heart, dedicated to telling stories through physical space and interactive games. While our studio has grown, our focus remains intimate. Our team is recognized as thought-leaders in the live entertainment industry, setting new standards for narrative depth and operational precision.
Our first experience
Escape My Room
New Orleans, LA
The Business of Awe
We balance creative storytelling with rigorous operational strategy.
The Narrative
Every adventure begins with a story. We craft deep lore and compelling emotional hooks that turn passive observers into active protagonists.
The Engine
The best technology is the kind you never notice. We design the systems and training that keep the experience running smoothly so the magic feels real.
The Yield
Art must sustain itself. We focus on unit economics and long-term profitability to ensure that our worlds can endure.
Headquarters
Briede & Son Funeral Home
New Orleans, LA
Born in the
Crescent City
There is no better place to study the intersection of myth and reality than New Orleans.
Our studio operates out of a restored funeral home on Camp Street in the Lower Garden District. In a city built on stories, ghosts, and resilience, we find the perfect inspiration to craft experiences that resonate long after the visit ends.
The Team
We are architects, writers, engineers, and producers. Distinct disciplines working in unison to build cohesive realities.
Andrew Preble
Founder & President
Andrew Preble founded Delaporte Ventures in 2014. A native of Abita Springs, he has worked in the hospitality industry for over 15 years. Before starting Escape My Room, he opened a New Orleans restaurant in Berlin, Germany.
He returned to New Orleans in 2012, and produced large-scale, city-wide events that combined actors, mystery, and intrigue. He also co-owns the Abita Springs Hotel which opened in 2018.
Cyrus Cooper
Director of In-Person Experiences
Cyrus Cooper is a comedian and improviser in New Orleans that has been part of the Delaporte Ventures team since 2018. Cyrus is the General Manager of Escape Extinction: Sharks, an interactive educational experience at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Cyrus has hosted and produced the stand-up showcase Comedy Beast since 2012, now one of the longest running comedy shows in New Orleans. He is also a member of Dean’s List, a New Orleans based comedy group founded in 2013 known for their monthly multimedia live sketch comedy show, Fake News. Cyrus also has a blind pug named Wally.
Kali Russell
Creative Director
Kali Russell is a New Orleans native and has been a professional actress, performer, and choreographer for 20 years. She joined the Delaporte Ventures team in 2017, and has designed puzzles and immersive events for the company. Most recently, she was a creative producer for the three-day, immersive game for Overlook Film Festival 2022 entitled “An Accursed Arrangement”.
She specializes in art direction and event management, stemming from her days working for a prominent wedding planner. She served as co-artistic director of See ‘Em On Stage for several years, a much awarded and applauded theatre company in New Orleans. She is a creative producer for Cosmic Family Films, the weird and wonderful film production team (or is it a cult?) with whom she has worked since 2019. She loves being a storyteller that combines theatrical immersion with puzzles. As such, she spends most of her free time playing video games or Dungeons & Dragons and will happily talk nerd any time.
Kaycee Filson
Art Director
Kaycee Filson is a props designer, theater artist, and educator based in New Orleans and joined the Delaporte Ventures team in 2025. They’ve worked as the Props Master for several small- to mid-size theater companies; co-produced several 24-hour theater festivals; directed immersive theater pieces; and created, toured, and published a solo project, titled BODY Play.
Kaycee's knack for world-building comes from their obsessive attention to detail and the niche skills they've picked up from their many jobs (lives) as a waitress, a college counselor, a high school teacher, a Sip & Paint instructor, a playwriting teacher, a carpenter, a barista, a game show host, an art museum educator, a slam poet, and a baker. They are currently operating all of their side-hustles under the name That One Friend (@thatonefriendnola, thatonefriend.net) and are looking forward to whatever weird thing they get to make next.
Jenny Billot
Production Director
Jenny L. Billot is a native New Orleanian who received her M. F. A. in theatre performance from the University of New Orleans where she studied Directing and Management. She has worked with numerous theatre companies throughout the greater New Orleans area. Many of the productions she has worked on includes, immersive, devised, and interactive shows in found or non-traditional spaces. Jenny has received various accolades and recognition for her work. She has served productions as an actor, director, stage manager, production manager and has worked in various other technical roles including a technical coordinator for a show which traveled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Beyond performance she has experience in event management, learning and development, and strategic planning with organizations as well as non-profits.