Antsy Nancy

“How To” Business a Huge Draw for Corporate Team Building

By Tara Kirkpatrick

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Heidi Yribar found solace in completing daily projects devised by her Aunt Nancy, her favorite artistic relative.

On any given day, Yribar, a former corporate executive and author, would create a bountiful charcuterie board, sew a pillow covering, bake a delicious loaf of sourdough bread, create a centerpiece and more. The satisfaction of completing each project, and having a finished product, helped her navigate an incredibly isolating period for society.

Yribar has since turned this concept into a lucrative small business – Antsy Nancy: How to Skills for Home, Life and Happiness. 

“Antsy Nancy provides a unique experience for businesses looking for opportunities to engage with their employees,” said Yribar, the company’s founder and CEO. “We offer cooking and baking classes, wine tasting and mixology, murder mystery parties, holiday activities, and so much more.”

In its four years in business, Antsy Nancy has hosted hundreds of groups for unique, creative classes as documented on its prolific Instagram page. From learning how to prepare a mouth-watering Beef Wellington to serving up Spanish tapas and creating a memorable holiday centerpiece to mixing a signature scent, Antsy Nancy offers an incredibly diverse calendar of events all year long.

Her most repeat clients? Companies who love her classes for corporate team building.

“Stepping away from work and into the Antsy Nancy kitchen, our visiting team members bond over the freshest ingredients, sizzling pans and shared laughter,” said Melinda Rosetti, senior staff assistant for Hexagon. “It’s always a refreshing change of pace after day-long meetings, giving colleagues from around the world an opportunity to connect and build camaraderie in a relaxed environment.”

“Our Hexagon teams always leave Ansty Nancy filled with great food and great memories,” she said.

“It’s an absolute honor to have companies like Hexagon, Presidio Group Wealth Management, Nova Home Loans, HSL Properties…and Roche Tissue Diagnostics select Antsy Nancy again and again for their team building experiences,” Yribar said. “Each of these companies has worked with Antsy Nancy three to 10 times.” 

Demand has grown so much for Antsy Nancy classes that she recently expanded her teaching kitchen at her primary location, 5655 E. River Rd. Antsy Nancy has also partnered with the nonprofit Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance to offer classes at its expansive CATALYST space in Tucson Mall. 

Additionally, Yribar works with golf and tennis clubs across the region that bring her innovative classes to their members in-house. Her annual summer camps for kids have become a huge hit for families and brides-to-be and youngsters love to celebrate their parties at Antsy Nancy. She also helps with programming for homeschool groups.

“There are so many things about Antsy Nancy that make me proud,” said Yribar. “The business has been profitable since year one, which isn’t the norm for a lot of small businesses, and I’ve created an environment that allows me to work with my children and one that they also see as a future for themselves.”

Indeed, her grown children, Griffin and Kennedy, are part of her vibrant young team that helps her manage and instruct the classes. 

Looking ahead, Yribar wants to franchise her Antsy Nancy concept, within and beyond Tucson.

“I have a unique business model and one I believe will appeal to a lot of entrepreneurs that love to cook, entertain, craft, and decorate like I do,” she said. “A lot of new businesses come to market with a splash – presenting an awesome trend that does well initially and can fizzle over time. The flexibility in our business of offering ‘skills classes,’ both in-person and virtually, allow us to pivot and continually bring new and exciting classes to market.”

“What makes me most proud is the honor of serving customers as they celebrate their own lives and special events,” she said.

Pictured above – Heidi Yribar