Portraits of the Valley

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around the Valley.

Gulya Hartwick & Sasha Gorskaya

Sasha Gorskaya and I started World Ballet Company with a fairly simple idea: ballet should not be limited to major cultural capitals, and a performing arts company should be able to build a sustainable business around its audience. Read more>>

Ramesh Swamy

I was born in South India, and when I was very young, my parents moved our family to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I grew up in a close, multigenerational household with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, and two younger brothers. It was a home filled with support and encouragement, and I credit much of my fearlessness to that upbringing. I became comfortable taking the lead, putting myself forward, and entering unfamiliar situations with confidence. Read more>>

Gina DeAngelis

Gina Marie DeAngelis is an award-winning Local 706 Hairstylist whose visionary craft and passion for storytelling have shaped some of today’s film and television looks. Originally from the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, Gina grew up with a deep wanderlust and an innate desire to create instilled in her through annual family escapes to her “second home” in the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Driven by that creative spark, she graduated high school early to attend Pivot Point International, expanding her technique with studies abroad in Italy. Read more>>

Nani Berman

I grew up in Los Angeles in a close-knit, big family of very hard workers. My childhood was not always easy, and I faced some difficult experiences growing up, but my family taught me some of the values that have shaped who I am today—especially empathy, compassion, and the importance of caring for other people. Read more>>

Travis Joe Dixon

Growing up in an alcoholic household in rural Oklahoma, I knew what the sound of belt being taken off meant. It should come as no surprise that I quickly learned to lie and pretend everything in my life was okay. Read more>>

karen ardila

My journey started with my own personal transformation. I began focusing on my health and lifestyle after realizing that I wanted to make a real and sustainable change in my life. Through consistency, better nutrition, exercise, and healthier habits, I lost 15 kg in three months and continued my journey, eventually losing around 25 kg in total. Read more>>

Abby Hoffman

Seasons of Play started at home with my own daughters. I noticed how much they loved sorting and exploring with hands-on activities. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I could see how much they were learning and developing through that play. Read more>>

Jordan Tobias

I got my first camera from my now husband back when we were in early college. It was a starter Nikon DSLR. Prior to this, I was in creative classes throughout high school that taught me how to navigate photoshop, final cut pro, and minor camera operations. With this background, I was confident enough to take clients for free or at very low rates. Read more>>

Gabriele Deliperi

Gabriele Deliperi is an Italian composer based in Los Angeles, working in film, television, and commercial music. He also works in music production and mixing, with experience across pop albums, ensemble writing, and orchestral music. Gabriele has released three studio albums as an artist and has built experience through hundreds of recording sessions across Europe and the United States. Read more>>

Cesar Heiberg Ramirez Sieber

My background actually started in architecture. I graduated as an architect, and during my studies I had my first real introduction to 3D. At the time, I was using it mainly as a tool to visualize architectural ideas, but I quickly became fascinated by everything that could be created beyond architecture. Read more>>

CeCe Tyshay Jefferson

I’ve been an artist and a writer since I was a kid. I’ve always wanted to be in entertainment, and when I was a kid, I would say that when I grew up, I would move to California. Read more>>

Spriha Ghiya

If you asked people who knew me growing up to describe Spriha, you would probably hear the same words again and again: introverted, shy, quiet, afraid of the stage, someone who was much more comfortable staying in the background. The version of me who grew up in India would probably be surprised to meet the person I am becoming today. Read more>>

Edgar Khachatryan

My Journey in Music My journey in music began in Armenia, where singing gradually became much more than a passion—it became the path I chose for my life. I graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory, and soon after completing my studies, I joined the Tatul Altunyan State Song and Dance Ensemble as a solo singer. Read more>>

Vickie Fustokjian

Victoria Bella Design really started organically, long before I ever thought of it as a business. I’ve always loved decorating for the holidays and, apparently, had an eye for putting colors, ornaments, ribbons and different pieces together. Friends and family would ask me to help with their trees, and I genuinely just enjoyed doing it. Read more>>

Anson Li

I got into marketing through music. I wanted people to hear what I was making, so I had to learn how to reach them. That meant figuring out who the audience was, how to talk about the music, and how to give people a reason to listen. Read more>>

Matt and Zo Jones and Johnson

Both of us have been doing stand up comedy and acting for a while. We got into education by accident. We kind of fell in love with helping kids, but we quickly saw how toxic this job was. We saw teachers burning out and a lot of our comedy became about that topic. Read more>>

Dylan Brody

I moved to Los Angeles in 1986 shortly before my 22nd birthday. I had been an IMPROV regular in New York for five years so I figured I was an regular at the IMPROV out here as well and that would be a good foot in the door. Read more>>

Shiori Murayama

I started dancing when I was six years old, and I danced throughout my childhood and all the way through high school in Japan. When I was in high school, I met a Japanese dancer who was living in LA at the time, and through that connection, I started learning more about the dance scene here. Read more>>

GRIGOR KOMAR

I started in 2020 as a valet attendant, learning the business from the ground up. My business partner and I worked together as attendants for another company before taking over two locations and building Park’n GO Valet LLC from there. We grew by building relationships, earning new contracts, and expanding across Los Angeles, from the Valley to Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Downtown. Read more>>

Kadeem McPherson

My name is Kadeem McPherson, and my story starts at home. My parents came from Guyana with big hopes and a strong work ethic. They filled our house with music, from soca and reggae to gospel on the weekends. I learned early that sound was part of life, and that you earn your place by showing up. Read more>>

Kamil Hudgins

My journey into hair care began with a deep passion for healthy hair, natural texture, and making people feel confident in their own skin. Early on, I was fascinated by the art of hair, later on it was more about the helalth over the stylenot just but understanding scalp care, moisture retention, and how to maintain the hair’s integrity over time. Read more>>

Tahleek Weekes

I’ve played basketball my whole life, including being a scholarship collegiate athlete. Hard times hit, and my family would become homeless. I dropped out of school, with nowhere to go moved in with my friend who had an extra room in California. Started making music and from there, everything changed. Been making music and growing my brand ever since. Read more>>

Misha’el Elie

I’m originally from Washington, D.C. and was raised in Maryland, but Los Angeles has been home for many years. My journey in entertainment has definitely not been a straight line. I started at the ground level in production, working as a production assistant and learning the business by being in the room, paying attention, and taking every opportunity I could to grow. Read more>>

Diana Leslie

My journey as a sculpt and barre instructor began in a way I never could have imagined—with an 18-wheeler rear-ending me and changing the course of my life. The accident left me with tears in my L4 and L5 vertebrae, and suddenly, something as simple as working out—or even wearing heels—was no longer something I could take for granted. Read more>>

Hakan Basar

I am a jazz pianist and composer from Istanbul who began building my career on the European jazz scene at a young age. Without having received formal music-school training before Jazzcampus, I moved to Basel to study at FHNW Jazzcampus, where I began developing my own musical language, rooted in post-bop and modern jazz while also drawing from my cultural and musical heritage. Read more>>

KT Kang

The first time I picked up a small point and shoot camera was in San Francisco. I never took photos intentionally to start a career but my time in San Francisco was the earliest memory of documenting my life and taking photos. I lived in San Francisco from 2010-2014 and the city was eccentric. Read more>>

Jeffry Chozon

I started in the animation industry in 2011 on Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was one of the best shows I had the privilege of working on. I was at the tail end of finishing art school at SJSU and was lucky enough to get an art test from the production. Read more>>

Francesco Porcello

I was born in San Diego, California and raised in West Chicago, Illinois. I lived in a family of 6 with my mother, father, two brothers, and sister. Ever since I was a kid, I kind of knew that I wanted to do something with art. Read more>>

Pauline Malcolm

My story has really been a journey from the C-suite to building something of my own. I’ve spent more than 25 years in media, technology, sales, and marketing, with a career that has taken me from Silicon Alley to Silicon Valley and now Los Angeles. Throughout that journey, the common thread has been connecting great storytelling with business opportunities. Read more>>

Alexis Hurtado

Hi! I’m Alexis, but some of you may know me better as Lex, your favorite Pilates instructor lol. I’ve been dancing for over 10 years, so movement has always been a huge part of my life. I actually discovered Pilates through dance conditioning, and I was immediately hooked. Read more>>

Crystal Gonzales

Back in 2016, I was living in Bakersfield and had the opportunity to change careers. I decided I wanted to work for myself and start my own business. After thinking it over for a few months, I enrolled in a Beauty Makeup certification at Ruby Makeup Academy in North Hollywood and completed a 12 week course. Read more>>

Gina Jacoby-Clements

Gina Jacoby-Clements is a sales executive and industry connector with more than 30 years of experience in the spa, wellness, and beauty industries. After beginning her career as a professional makeup artist and owner of two day spas, she went on to lead sales and help scale prominent beauty brands, including Napoleon Perdis, HydroPeptide, and La Bella Donna. Read more>>

Stefani Manger

My relationship with yoga began in 1998 when I walked into Ahimsa Yoga in Los Angeles and started practicing Ashtanga. I had no idea then that yoga would become such a defining part of my life. I studied with Pattabhi Jois during his 2000 world tour in Encinitas, later explored Iyengar and Yin, and completed my YogaWorks teacher training in 2009. Read more>>

Mirella Huerta

My name is Mirella Huerta. I am married with a beautiful son named Leo. My husband (Oscar) and I started Spooky Crafts with the hope of bringing our love of Halloween and Horror and Arts and Crafts for families to enjoy. We started Spooky Crafts to help us through our journey of expanding our family through IVF. Read more>>

Judi Guerrero

My name is Judi Guerrero, but in the art scene I’m known as Lolajbird. I’m from the San Fernando Valley. I was born and raised here in North Hollywood and have spent most of my life in California. I had a pretty typical Mexican childhood, where everything seemed to revolve around food and family. Read more>>

Charlene Rose

I’ve been performing most of my life, with a career spanning musical theatre, television, professional dance, and choreography. As much as I love being onstage, I’ve found just as much fulfillment in creating opportunities for others to experience that magic. In 2009, I founded Living Room to Ballroom, helping adults build confidence through dance. Read more>>

Roman Velazquez

I was a breakdancer in grade school then a hip hop dancer in high school. While working in jr. college at a Sizzler, a customer asked me my major. I replied ‘ i want to own a business. Turns out he was a dj and knew a big dj company looking for someone like me. Read more>>

Maggie Shaughnessy

I have always been creative. I studied art at UCBerkeley + fell into advertising as a way to earn a living in the creative field. For 25 years, fine art and self-care took a back seat while I worked coast-to-coast from San Francisco to New York City and ultimately, to Los Angeles. Read more>>

Erin O’brien

I grew up in New Jersey, just across the river from New York City, I started taking acting classes in high school, then eventually moved to New York. I studied there with William Esper. After my last acting class, I packed up two suitcases and moved to LA, the very next day. Read more>>

Amy Wilson

As a child, I was always fascinated by people’s experiences with health issues that fell outside the norm and curious about the journeys they took to find answers and themselves. But my own path into natural health and wellness wasn’t something I originally planned—it grew out of my personal experience with chronic illness and a deep desire to understand why my body was struggling. Read more>>

Dawn Moore

Ohhh… where to even begin? Well, let’s say marketing was the natural outcome of a decades-long career actually selling things to people they don’t really need. Growing up, I thought it would be so chic to be a fashion buyer, go to Paris, sit in the front rows with greyhound-esque models prancing past me. Read more>>

Vinhanh Nguyen

I started Vinhsproductions in 2023 from a genuine love for sports, storytelling, and creating content that makes athletes feel seen. As an athlete myself, I understood how much the right photo or video could capture not only a highlight, but the work, emotion, and personality behind it. Read more>>

Lawrence Telles

I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, and I have a lot of love and respect for the city, its culture, and the community that shaped me. Read more>>

Lawrence Meyers

My life makes considerably more sense in retrospect than it ever did while I was living it. I graduated college with a chemistry degree, suggesting I should do something respectable and predictable. Instead, I became a television writer/producer. Read more>>

Ephney Tsai

I’ve been in the specialty coffee industry for just about 15 years. Originally, this was not meant to be a career path. I had graduated high school at 16 with the intention of taking a gap year before pursuing a career as a District Attorney. Of course, life had other plans. Read more>>

Ester Yu

I thought I wanted to study Business and Economics, but I gravitated toward the Social Sciences at UC Berkeley, eventually studying Social Welfare and volunteering at elementary schools in Oakland and South San Francisco. Read more>>

Chelsea Raineri

Ever since I was a kid I loved writing and story telling. I’ve kept diaries and journals throughout my life, gathered the neighborhood kids to make mini movies, successfully petitioned to have a journalism class at my high school, and eventually worked on the newspaper at Chapman University. Read more>>

Paula Cracium

I was a preacher’s daughter, raised in the church, and I’ve always loved the church being the heart of the community and a place we will turn at any point or intersection in someone’s life. I have been on staff at Shepherd Church for a few decades now and have been honored to participate in a lot of different areas. Read more>>