Inspiring Stories from DTLA

The heart of our mission at VoyageLA is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of the LA’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool.  Check out LdoetzerA’s rising stars below.

Tram Sparks

A child refugee of the Vietnam War, my early musical training was in Okinawa, Japan and subsequently, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Division where I studied piano, solfege, and eurythmics and sang in a children’s choir. My family left Vietnam two days before the fall of Saigon. Read more>>

Robby Delwarte

Robby Delwarte’s journey into real estate began with family. Raised by his mother, a dedicated single mom and veteran of the industry for over 20 years, Robby was exposed to the business early on. After losing his father at three, his mother became his greatest role model, showing him through example what hard work, integrity, and perseverance truly mean.

Robby officially started his career helping clients with leases, focusing on getting people into homes they loved. Early on, he’d get a steady flow of inquiries from clients who found his rental listings on Craigslist — and many of those connections turned into lasting relationships. Some clients even needed to sell their property first before finding a rental, which opened the door for Robby to expand his expertise and help on both sides of the transaction. His natural ability to connect with people and his relentless follow-up quickly set him apart. Over time, many of his rental clients became homeowners — a testament to his long-term mindset and commitment to guiding people through every stage of their real estate journey. Read More>>

Daniel Henson

I moved to SF from FL in 2010 and continued my education at AAU in the city. I loved SF but the weather wasn’t really my vibe coming from sunny FL so I moved down to LA and continued my education at FIDM where I then graduated. Read more>>

Caroline Ryder

Fairy tales, really, are where it all began. I was born in Madrid, Spain, to an Irish father and a Brazilian mother. We moved to London when I was five, and I had to learn English fast. My first word was “moon,” I think. I felt my way around the world, absorbing language the way children do—by instinct, by hunger. Read more>>

Heidi Gibson

My name is Heidi Gibson. I’m an artist and designer based in southern California. My background and degrees are in drawing and painting, yet my career took a serendipitous turn into jewelry design about 10 years ago. It started with a wildfire. My original engagement ring was a princess cut solitaire. Read more>>

Tom Burns

For more than two decades, artist Tom Burns has built a life out of color, texture, and intuition. Known for his large-scale, multi-layered oil paintings—works that feel excavated as much as painted—Burns has long explored the emotional sediment of memory, place, and identity. Read more>>

Deb Drummond

My entrepreneurial journey began early — I launched my first company in my twenties and have continued building ever since. Over the years, I’ve founded and led multiple ventures across diverse industries, from music and entertainment to pioneering work in the holistic health space. Read more>>

Bryanna Phimphachanh

I’ve always been painting. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. I grew up with art. I think when I was younger, it was an emotional release for me, or even a means of communication and expression. During my times of hardship in my youth, art was the stability and safety in my life. Read more>>

Joanne Gibson

I don’t walk I run. I run, and I attract everything that’s meant for me. From the time I was a child, I knew my hands were gifted and my words carried power. I’ve always been the one wearing multiple hats, stepping into whatever role called my name, and doing it with purpose. Read more>>

Sonia Bhatia

I grew up in Mumbai, India watching both Indian Cinema and American Television. My goal was and is to craft stories that transcend geographical and cultural barriers, mix both worlds and resonate with a global audience. I come from a long line of doctors on both sides of my family, but my parents have been very supportive of my choice to pursue the arts. Read more>>

Ireland Wisdom

I was born in Los Angeles in 1996, and grew up in Topanga with an artist father, so I was immersed early on in the possibilities of what art can offer. I trained classically at the Florence Academy of Art, where I spent three years in a rigorous atelier—learning to see through the eyes of the Old Masters by painting from life. Read more>>

‘XIETTY

Born and raised in the Antelope Valley, I started making music at 16 years old with my collective group ‘GAWD $HIT’ recording songs off a gaming headset in my closet and started dropping music on SoundCloud under the name CHECK$$. Read more>>

Ingredient 10

This band was started with the purpose of gathering band members eager to explore a vast musical spectrum and be willing to step outside of the box. This band creates original music, with fragments of early music from all over the world, but in a modern garage band setting; electric instruments and synthesizer. Read more>>

Rolando Castillo

Early in life my uncle suggested that I look into Graphic Design as a potential career. I had no idea what Graphic Design was but a seed was planted. In my teens I drew graffiti letters in a sketch book while listening to independent hip-hop music. Read more>>

Elizabeth Hahn

I grew up in Calabasas, surrounded by music and the Hollywood scene. Back in the ’80s, I was the girl throwing backyard parties with kegs, live bands, and my girlfriends in wet T-shirt contests. It was wild, carefree, and creative. It was definitely a crash course in entertainment before I even realized it would become my career. Read more>>

Tristan Morris

Initially I started screen printing and hand dyeing blank clothing, but I always knew that wasn’t my end goal. I had a hunger to evolve my skillset. I remember getting invited to Tommy Hilfiger’s corporate office in NYC, and it was mind blowing to see how much we had in common. Read more>>

Natalie De Ranieri

I have always loved art and creativity. I grew up in a family business surrounded by art. My Dad was also really creative and I learned from him. We used to decorate our house every year for Halloween with statues from the family business. (A.Silvestri Co). My mom taught me how to sell and how to do business and deal with the public. Read more>>

Yuxiao Zhang

Yuxiao Zhang is a passionate director and editor known for her sensitive visual storytelling, often exploring human relationships and social issues with quiet intensity. She began her artistic journey through painting and photography, which gradually led her to filmmaking—a medium where she captures raw emotion and layered narratives with subtlety and care. Her narrative short Once We Were received multiple awards at U.S. Read more>>

Melissa Ramella

I’ve always been a girly girl- Lisa Frank folders, stars and hearts on my overalls, always drawn to the color, texture, and shimmer of lip gloss.Not to cover anything up, but because beauty moved me, excites me. It still does. I was born in Italy, with roots in El Salvador and Mexico three rich, expressive cultures that shaped how I see the world. Read more>>

Brenae Seals

One aspect of my story that makes me unique is using my platform on social media to make a difference. Read more>>

Varin Jaggi

My story starts in my bedroom in Delhi, where I first heard “You Make Me” by Avicii. I was always listening to new music whether it was Bollywood, Spanish pop or American hits. But this was different, the electronic sound resonated with me at a level that no other song had ever done. Read more>>

LaShawn Gooden

My path started with a deep interest in understanding people and helping them grow. That interest eventually led me into psychology, where I earned my doctorate in Counseling Psychology and gained experience across clinical, academic, and organizational settings. Over time, I noticed a clear pattern. Leaders, teams, and everyday professionals were stretched thin. Read more>>

Fiona Fidgett

My story is not linear. It has pivots, uncomfortable truths, moments of chaos, a lot of self-reflection and a move across the world that I never expected. Through all of it, I have always had a quiet sense of faith. Read more>>

MARTIN WONG

I started photography over 25 years ago, long before social media became what it is today. Back then, it was just me, a camera, and hours learning Photoshop because I loved the idea of shaping images, not just capturing them. That early mix of technical curiosity and creativity became the base of everything I do now. Read more>>

Jenn Abban

As a child who loved fashion, I watched my mom’s artistry in making clothes and was fascinated by the intricate details, colors and patterns of the fabrics; this stirred up my interest in creativity and designs. In third grade, I enjoyed my sewing class and wanted to have the perfect stitches and most exquisite fabrics to make clothes. Read more>>

Nicholas Spratlin

For me it started after graduating high school. That’s when my love of photography started and when I first picked up the camera. I did a lot of self teaching and growing on my own in the real world because I didn’t go to college at first. Read more>>

Precious Castillo

My story really started with confidence, creativity, and a love for all things beauty and fashion. I’ve always been drawn to skincare, style, and the feeling of transformation that comes from taking care of yourself — not for others, but for your own confidence. What began as sharing little tips, product favorites, and outfit inspo slowly grew into something bigger. Read more>>

Irvin Manuel Gonzalez

I am a queer, Mexican American, first-gen contemporary artist, quebradita artist-scholar, community organizer, and teacher. It all began in my parents’ backyard in Hesperia, CA, dancing to technobanda. It was there, in the 1990s, that we gathered with friends and family who had just crossed the US–Mexico border to get down to quebradita, cumbia, banda, and more. Read more>>

Charles Lichaa

Founded in Australia and led by designer Charles Lichaa, 8 Other Reasons was born from a love of self-expression, sensuality, and edge. What started as a cult accessories line in 2010 has evolved into a global creative brand redefining modern glamour — one statement piece at a time. At 8 Other Reasons, fashion is emotion. Read more>>

Biao Cao

My name is Biao Cao, and I am an architectural designer based in Los Angeles, where I have lived for more than 7 years. I graduated from SCI-Arc’s M.Arch 1 program three years ago, and my thesis received the Graduate Merit Award. Read more>>

Lailo Lema

I began writing after creating audio stories. I loved making them but I wanted to edit my stories and make them better. Bringing my stories to paper made this a possibility. I started with an age gap story titled, ‘I’d Keep Her Bound’ which gained traction on Wattpad and ranked number one for graphic content. Read more>>

Patrick Govia

I have always been interested in acting since I was young. I have two uncles that were in the entertainment industry and I always saw how much they enjoyed doing it and I knew that’s wha tI wanted to do as well. I got started when I was in my early teenage years, when I booked my first commercial. Read more>>

Su Ivey

I’m a Cambodian Afro-American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur whose love for music started in the church. As a little girl, I grew up singing in the choir, performing in plays, volunteering, and being part of the praise and worship team. That early foundation carried me into school auditions and performances all the way through high school. Read more>>

Taylor Boren

I’ve always been drawn to work that makes a tangible difference in people’s lives. Early in my legal career, from my first summer as a legal intern, I found myself advocating for survivors of sexual abuse against the institutions that enabled their abusers. I quickly realized that this wasn’t just legal work; it was deeply human work. Read more>>

Rodney Crews

I always have had a love for music and the business of the industry since childhood. I took drama in school and acted in plays, which fueled my passion, not just for music, but the entertainment industry as a whole. When I graduated High School, alongside of working regular 9-5’s, I got my degree in audio/video communications a d business administration. Read more>>

Anthony Hoard

HiiiTriiibe: Started on 2019; A Collective of Diverse Artists, United by Passion and Freedom We are a vibrant collective of artists, each with unique backgrounds and perspectives, united by a shared love for art and the pursuit of creative freedom. Our name, HiiiTriiibe, with its tripled ‘i,’ represents the individuality that fuels our creativity and the strength we find in unity. Read more>>

Everett Sands

I grew up in a small business environment in Washington, DC. I saw both the day-to-day operations of a family business and its impact on our community. My grandfather owned a tailoring shop. When I was a kid, I worked there sweeping the floors and running the cash register. Read more>>

Arindam Jurakhan

I’ve been obsessed with music for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my world was full of sound — classic rock from my dad, Bollywood music from my family, and ’80s pop blasting from my mom’s stereo. With friends, I was constantly discovering something new — from The Strokes and Radiohead to Jack White — anything that made me feel something real. Read more>>

Denis Kim

I began my journey in wedding cinematography over 13 years ago, driven by a fascination with visual storytelling and the emotions that unfold on a couple’s most meaningful day. What started as small creative projects quickly evolved into a full-time career as I realized how deeply I enjoyed capturing real moments and turning them into cinematic narratives. Read more>>

Fernando Fuenmayor

I started my musical journey at the age of six at the José Luis Paz Conservatory of Music in Maracaibo, where I studied under Prof. Pablo Bauer. By 2005, I became the principal flutist of the Zulia Symphonic Orchestra and participated in significant events, including a concert with Maestro Claudio Abbado and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. Read more>>

Matthew Smiling

My journey began in a small townhouse in a quiet suburban neighborhood called Metuchen in New Jersey. I was raised by my mom alongside my twin sister. Before she had us, my mom was a huge music head – and so was (and still is) my father – so music was always around even before I knew what to do with it. Read more>>

Marjan Fadaei Gohari

I actually studied accounting and worked in that field both in my country and here in the U.S. I also earned certificates in accounting and tax preparation, which helped me a lot when it came to establishing and managing our business. But my passion for baking goes all the way back to my childhood—baking was always my hobby, and everyone around me encouraged me. Read more>>

Jing Chen

I grew up in China, where I first encountered architecture not as construction or engineering, but as a form of visual storytelling. Spaces had the ability to shape emotion and memory, and I was fascinated by how design could influence the way people move, gather, and connect with their surroundings. Read more>>

Jerrard

my name’s jerrard. i been makin music over half my life. i previously went by danny watts. did some cool stuff like go on a national tour with jonwayne and emv in 2017. then i moved “H-Town to Cali like im Robert Horry” Z-Ro, in 2019. yeepppp, i took my leap of faith right before the world shut down…smh. Read more>>

Nikisha King

I did not grow up dreaming about being a business consultant specializing in sales and systems. I grew up believing I would be a physician, a thoracic surgeon who enjoyed surgical procedures. That path felt comfortable, safe, and respected. I spent years studying medicine, learning how the body works, how systems work, and how every piece affects the whole. Read more>>

Omayma Ramzy

My name is Omayma. I’m a celebrity esthetician, makeup artist, and the founder of Omayma Skin – a brand rooted in ritual, heritage, and the quiet luxury of intentional care. My story begins in England, where I was born, but it truly unfolded across North Africa. Morocco shaped my childhood through my mother, and Egypt shaped my identity through my father. Read more>>

Kyle Wagner

Music has been part of my life from the very beginning. I started playing guitar at the age of six and kept at it until about fifteen, but music wasn’t just limited to guitar for me. I also played alto and tenor saxophone from elementary school all the way through high school, which gave me a strong foundation in music theory, reading, and ensemble performance. Read more>>

Amanda Kaya

Thank you so much for inviting me for an interview, firstly. Secondly, my name is Amanda Kaya and I am a multi-style/ multi-instrumentalist living in the New York City Metro (North Jersey). How did I get here? Read more>>

Caleen Caseryn

Caleen is an entrepreneur turned yoga and mindfulness coach for women. She is the founder of Yoga for Mums, a social impact organization that uplifts women from all walks of life. She has also been appointed as a yoga creator for Adidas Malaysia, Accelerator Chair and Coach of the Entrepreneurs Organization of Malaysia. Read more>>

India-Sage Williams

I always say my story didn’t start with the Delaware Sensory Museum — it started the day I became a mother. When my son Lotus was born, I stepped into a world I didn’t fully understand yet. As he grew, I began noticing differences in how he experienced the world — how he responded to sound, light, textures, and environments. Read more>>

Sewa

Growing up in a music-loving family, Saturday mornings meant waking up to my dad’s playlists of various artists from Jimi Hendrix, King Sunny Adé, to Anita Baker, and even albums from his local church. Looking back, it feels like those sounds were quietly shaping me long before I knew I’d end up in music. Read more>>

Eric Chacon

I began my musical path at a very young age, growing up in a third-generation family of musicians who deeply influenced my early connection to the art. My formal training started in the renowned Venezuelan System of Orchestras, under the leadership of maestro José Antonio Abreu, where I developed as an academic musician. Read more>>

Deyanira Martinez

My story is really a journey of faith, reinvention, and refusing to give up on myself. I came to the United States when I was twenty years old with nothing but a suitcase and a dream. No money, no family here, and honestly, no idea how I was going to make it. Read more>>

Dominique Evans

Wow where do I start lol. A photographer and many others said I should and im like ‘ok how?!’ I join a Facebook group. I got one gig and ot was awesome. Nothing happened for almost a year. , like no one wanted to work with me. I remember getting a gig with Kerri jean about mental health and it was a powerful piece. Read more>>

Stefania Koszti

My name is Stefania Koszti, I’m originally from Hungary and I’m a makeup artist based in Los Angeles. I moved to the states when I graduated from high school. I didn’t speak english at the time very well, and It was like a shooting star moment when I found out, that I won the green card, because I always wanted to be living in Hollywood. Read more>>

Nyahzul Blanco

I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I wasn’t naturally gifted, but I had an enormous amount of passion, and that passion fueled everything. It pushed me to pursue art in every way I could and, step by step, helped me discover my own voice. I studied graphic design and worked as a designer for about ten years. Read more>>

Kate Pawlicki Bourne

I’m a business and creative strategist based in Palm Springs. I’ve spent the last 20+ years working with companies—from Fortune 500s to nonprofits—to help them with their marketing strategies and cut through the noise. I’m drawn to complex challenges where you need to translate big ideas into clear action and align teams around a shared vision. Read more>>

Rene Collins

My story really began when I was 13 years old. That’s when I saw my first Qi Gong demonstration — and it completely changed my life. I was captivated by the calm power flowing through the practitioner. It was the first time I understood that true strength could come from stillness. Read more>>

Jashanna “Shanna T.” Thornton

I was born and raised in the streets of Philadelphia — a place that taught me toughness, heart, and how to survive. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an actress. It wasn’t just something I dreamed about; it was something I felt deep in my soul. Read more>>

J.aaron Boykin

Of course, thank you for asking! Honestly, I got started in music because there weren’t many other things that were much of interest to me. Music was all around me, in my house, and my family, everywhere. It spoke to me. It was the only thing that I knew better than I knew myself. Music was a safe place for me. Read more>>

Anna Reger

My journey has been shaped by resilience, family, and a drive to make a difference. Growing up in a tough Houston neighborhood and overcoming serious challenges, I learned early on that setbacks are just setups for growth. That mindset carried me through earning my GED, completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston, and eventually launching multiple businesses. Read more>>

Raghni Naidu

I grew up in Punjab in a home where food and curiosity were inseparable. My mother loved cooking and brought back seeds from her travels to grow new ingredients in our kitchen garden, shaping my palate and love for fresh, creative food. Moving to Melbourne added a whole new layer of exploration for me; in food and, later, in wine. Read more>>

Ginger Burr

Even as a young girl, learning about fashion and style was something that always intrigued me. But I grew up at a time when there was no internet or makeover TV shows and it wasn’t fashionable to hang out at the mall. Read more>>

Pasquale Cuorvo

I was born on September 29th, 1981, in the historic alleys of Naples, where the smell of coffee filled the morning air and the sunlight slipped from one window to another before settling between the narrow streets. It was in the chiaroscuro of those very streets that I lived and took my first steps as a photographer. Read more>>

Lyle Estill

In 2005 we bought an abandoned Cold War campus on the edge of a sleepy little southern town. The barbed wire fence was covered in honeysuckle and poison ivy, and the buildings were frequented by possums. We beat back the dilapidation and built a million gallon per year biodiesel plant–making renewable fuel out of fats oils and greases. That didn’t work.  Read more>>

Mohamed Gaye

I remember being in 8th grade, bored during my free time, so I’d take pictures on my old Samsung phone, just little things I saw every day, small moments I thought would be cool to look back on. I’d throw colorful edits on them, and for a while it was just a fun hobby. When I got to high school, I took a photography class. Read more>>

Ekwueme Divine

My journey into mental health advocacy started from my university days. I noticed how easily people dismissed their emotions, how pain was often wrapped in silence, and how many young people carried battles no one ever asked about. I was part of that circle, people who didn’t want to talk about what they were feeling at that time. Read more>>

Oana Savu

I’ve always loved creating things by hand, and jewelry felt like the perfect medium to express that passion. The idea of making my own pieces excited me, so I began experimenting and crafting for myself. Very quickly, I realised this could become part of my life. Read more>>

Nando Garza

I’ve always been a very curious guy. I was fascinated by anything and everything, which meant the answer to the question “what would you want to be when you grow up?” changed pretty much every 2 to 3 minutes. I basically wanted to be a Renaissance Man, but at the time I was neither a man nor a kid who knew what the Renaissance was.  Read more>>

Julie Colombino-Billingham

My story really began long before I ever imagined becoming an entrepreneur. It started with incredible loss in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. I immediately deployed to the island nation as a disaster response volunteer, thinking I would stay for a few weeks. But when I arrived, I experienced thing that would change me forever. Read more>>

JASON STUART

I’m the product of a Holocaust survivor and a Brooklyn hairdresser. Growing up as a gay Jewish kid, I quickly learned that humor was the best defense mechanism money couldn’t buy. As Barbra Streisand so perfectly put it in Funny Girl, I’d make the joke about myself first—strategic self-deprecation before it had a Wikipedia page. Read more>>

Alex Peña

My family didn’t have enough money to pay for private schools. That’s part of the reason I left university. I eventually got some good scholarships for international schools like AMDA, but even then with that we could not afford me going outside of the country on my own. I eventually found ways of paying for my own studies and managed to get a hold of a 100% scholarship at Casa Azul where I studied my second acting career, now specializing in Dramatic Arts. Read more>>

Creed

Architects of Mars started as a fashion brand but evolved into an art house — a cultural imprint that expresses stories and emotion through visual art, sound, and clothing as an extension of the artwork. It’s less about apparel and more about creating worlds — culture-driven, cinematic, and deeply human. Read more>>

Rafael Paiva

My journey began with photography and photo editing (started in 2010) which eventually led me to manage my own Photo Studio in Hollywood for a few years. After that, I transitioned into the corporate world, working as a Senior Retoucher for Nike for over five and a half years and more recently for Apple TV with a similar role. Those experiences taught me a lot about discipline, teamwork, large scale productions, and creative precision. They also made me realize how much I needed to keep nurturing my own artistic voice. Read more>>

Nicky Sims

I’ve loved television for as long as I can remember, but that love really started to develop artistically in the mid-90s. One day, I found a coax splitter in a toolbox, and a friend told me I could use it to connect multiple TVs together. I was curious, so I rounded up all the old CRT televisions in the house and hooked them up. When I saw all the screens playing in sync, I was completely fascinated. It reminded me of being in a Best Buy. Read more>>

Michael Gerard

Recognizing that others could benefit from my experience, I was motivated to manufacture ovens on a larger scale and distribute them. I knew there were many people who shared my passion for wood-fired cooking and for preparing meals with natural ingredients. With this in mind, I fully committed to launching Wildwood Ovens. Since those early days of innovation, our product line has grown significantly. Read more>>

Raymond De Luna

My first artistic leap was creating canvas paintings to sell and exhibit in galleries. I pursued this endeavor for about five years, until I got engaged to my girl at the time and realized it wouldn’t be sustainable. Completing a large-scale painting was very time-consuming, and I mostly worked on bigger pieces. Read more>>

Ugonna Enyinnaya

Our Story Growing up in Nigeria, I always dreamed of becoming a designer. My curiosity and love for fashion began early. I would spend hours helping out in a neighbor’s tailoring shop, captivated by the art of creating beautiful garments. By the age of eight, I was already sketching unique designs and crafting accessories that reflected my creativity and sense of style. Read more>>

Emo Kiddo

I mean I started off my art career as an illustrator and a painter, matter fact, I just recently did a solo outdoor art show in my home city. It hit different when you do things in your own city. It’s like everyone come from a similar background and we almost share the same art and graphic language. Read more>>