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 South Bay’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rebel rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool. Check out the area’s rising stars below.
Ruhi aka Rohini Hak
All life stories get molded during our childhood. Sometimes one wonders if we did not learn from our early experiences – would we be what we are today. Where I am today for me is not measurable by any achievements or titles the world and its ways bestow on me…but the peace that I have & a sense of satisfaction with who I am. A sense of calm in knowing it’s where I am meant to be… well at least for now… I feel immense gratitude for having parents that left doors open to the world for me to live doing whatever gave my being a sense of happiness, purpose and contentment. As someone who in school got severely bullied, I ran to music and family to hide in the love for both. My mother always gave me stories of courage and values that had my head running in so many imaginary planes and realms that everything always seemed beautifully magical – Come What May!. Read more>>
Nam Ho
When I was 16 years old, I received an internship at a tech company in my hometown, San Jose, CA. I spent my entire summer in a grey 8’x8′ cubicle entering accounting information and filing papers. About halfway through the summer, I witnessed a mass layoff happen and watched many of my adult colleagues leave the company. It was at that moment that I decided I would not leave my fate in the hands of others. I spent the rest of my summer in my cubicle researching how to start a clothing company, learning different embellishment techniques, and reading up on the differences between various fabrics. One year later, I took the money that I saved up from my internship and launched my brand, Oh Man! Clothing. Read more>>
Toni Wiley
I have always loved hospitality. When I was a teen, I taught myself how to make balloon animals & paint faces for children’s parties. As a young adult, I started working at the Carson Center as a receptionist, which led to many opportunities with other departments. One being a recreation coordinator, another being a salesperson booking the event space. Both of these positions gave me so much knowledge and pleasure while assisting with events. I then took a position with a large catering company and that is when I was able to tap into my passion. We (15 salespeople) we responsible for full-service events, providing everything from the Venue, the meal, the staff, rentals and much more. I’d spent many years working for Venues, restaurants and the like, it was time I took a leap. Read more>>
Lisa Aihara
I had built a marketing career I was really proud of, with a brag-worthy resume with names like Disney and Hulu and Experian on it—but always felt the itch to do something creative as well. I started my own design studio in 2016 and have not looked back since. Read more>>
Yoneisha Maple
I was born and raised in Ujima Village of Compton, CA. I started writing poetry and novels at a very young age. Writing was always my passion but I never saw a means to be compensated from it, so I focused on working. I was the sister to three small children. Working with children, nourishing them and teaching them came easy to me. Though I’ve worked many jobs and wear many hats, teaching children came effortlessly for me. I spent over ten years working for Los Angeles Unified School District. In 2016, I started my own tutoring company called Royalty Tutoring Services. It did very well. I made more money tutoring than I did on my job. I also helped over 100 children learn to read and be confident in learning. In 2020, the pandemic stopped me from being able to allow children in my home and the kids had a very hard time adjusting virtually, so I had to close my business. Which was a gift in disguise because I was able to focus on writing. Read more>>
Nikki Parisi
When I was in high school, I went to the BOCES program and took cosmetology at a young age of 15. As soon as I graduated from high school, I took a full-time hairstylist position at Chi Wah Aveda, and I trained in different cities and learned from the best in the industry. When I became 21, I took off to the west coast moving to Las Vegas. I was booked day to night, five days a week. Being unhappy in that city, I took off to join my friends from home in Los Angeles. Together, we opened a salon, where I managed and put it together. After a few years, I met a man who worked in the industry named Maxi. He worked with fabulous celebrities, and I jumped into his world being his assistant. I slowly but surely gained clients of my own. I am now a decade deep in the film industry, working on everything from TV, music videos, commercials, and beyond. I have a team of girls who work with me performing hair, makeup, wardrobe, and men’s grooming. We work with some of the biggest names of the industry every single day. I am so proud of my assistants and the careers they have gotten as well. Read more>>
