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.

Stephanie Rivera

I was born in El Salvador and moved to the United States when I was seven years old. Growing up as a first-generation Latina, I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, but I wasn’t exactly sure where that journey would take me. Read more>>

Lina Grey

My journey into photography began in 2015, about a year after my son was born. Around that time, newborn photography was becoming increasingly popular, and I was drawn to those beautiful, touching images of tiny babies. I remember wishing I had captured that special stage with my own son, and that feeling ultimately inspired me to pick up a camera. Read more>>

Mike Falkow

I grew up in Durban, South Africa, where I spent most of my time either in the ocean or pursuing something creative. I attended a technical college, studying Graphic Design and Publishing, while simultaneously training and preparing for what I hoped would be a career as a professional surfer. Read more>>

Susa Jean

I’m a Los Angeles-based fine art photographer whose work is shaped by travel, observation, and a fascination with the extraordinary moments that exist in the world around us. My latest exhibition, *Still, In Reverie*, is currently on view at The Biltmore in Los Angeles from October through December 2026. Read more>>

Naomi Allen

I began just over 11 years ago in the marketing industry, where I worked with a diverse range of brands and businesses to help them grow, strengthen their presence, and bring their ideas to life. Along the way, I discovered that the most rewarding part of my work wasn’t just developing strategies or building businesses. Read more>>

Sarah Meyer

I’m a Midwest girl, who grew up in Michigan, lived for many years in Chicago and recently made my way west. I have loved Los Angeles since I was a little girl. Every time I visited just felt like magic, and the Hollywood-of-it-all was likely the reason. My parents always tell me that I could sit an watch a full movie as a toddler. Read more>>

Christine Chen

I’m a writer and director (christinewchen.com) who built much of my career in Austin, Texas, where I founded my production company, Moth to Flame (mtffilms.com). I began by writing and directing my own sketches and independent films, which opened the door to creating commercials for startups and eventually working with brands such as Nike, HP, and Patron Society. Read more>>

little luna

I am little luna and I write/ sing indie pop/alt-rock music. I feel emotional because today is my third interview with Voyage over the course of the last six years! Read more>>

Polina Komar

Art has always been an essential part of my life. I have been passionate about creativity since childhood, and I was born and raised in Ukraine, where I developed both personally and professionally as an artist. Throughout my journey, I worked on different artistic projects, served as a jury member for art competitions, developed educational courses, and organized creative workshops and masterclasses. Read more>>

Emil Hartoonian

My story has been built over more than 20 years in real estate, through relationships, persistence, and a willingness to keep learning. What drew me to this business was the opportunity to work with people at meaningful moments in their lives. A home represents so much—family, security, ambition, and often years of hard work. Read more>>

Juan Pablo Reyes

My story began in the San Fernando Gardens at twelve years old. Surrounded by graffiti, I was immediately drawn to it like a magnet—captivated by the thrill, the late nights, and the rush of evading the police. But after getting caught five times, my final arrest at eighteen landed me in county jail. That was my wake-up call. Read more>>

Erin Norman

I’ve been in Los Angeles for over 20 years, working in the entertainment industry as a writer and producer. I’ve had some incredible experiences along the way, from working as an executive assistant to Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jamie Foxx to working on productions with people like Cameron Crowe and some really amazing, award-winning filmmakers. Read more>>

Amanda Barnett

I like to say I started out as a rock-and-roll singer, became a psychotherapist, and somewhere along the way realized the two weren’t all that different. Both are about finding your voice, connecting with people, and having the courage to be who you really are. My early years were spent on stages, performing, traveling, and navigating the wild and wonderful world of the music business. Read more>>

Herbert Mejia

I came upon a t-shirt online, fb add and it intrigued me enough to place an order. It took ages for anything to happen after that. So long I forgot it doubter if I had ordered it. After which the tshirt did arrive. But where I was impressed at the adds detail and texture, what I received was flimsy and thin. Read more>>

Madison Hall

I started pursuing social media when I was 18 years old, moving to Los Angeles that same year and jumping right into the world of content creation. Within my first year, though, I began struggling with pretty significant hormonal imbalances. I was gaining weight, experiencing awful acne, and slowly losing the confidence to keep putting myself out there. Read more>>

Christopher Salzgeber

I started at USC school of cinema in the late 1980’s where I studied film and made super-8 and 16mm films, saw a ton of films at revival theaters, and lived and breathed film and music until finally discovering MTV where the two mediums converged and decided I wanted to get into music videos. Read more>>

Lucille Croft

I’m a DJ / music producer, also creative director and stylist… I wear a lot of hats! I’m from Melbourne, Australia. I’m currently based between Berlin And Los Angeles – I’ve been based out of LA for roughly the last 5 years. Read more>>

Karina Isabel Gonzalez

I was raised by a single mom with 3 older brothers. My mom is an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico and has always been my example of following your dreams and putting the hard work and faith to persevere through every season to reach those dreams. She always let me try things whether it was sports, instruments, anything. Read more>>

Rocio Samayoa

I started working at a bank when I was 18, and I ended up staying there for many years. I was really focused on climbing the corporate ladder, but along the way I learned so much about financial literacy, lending, and even the housing market. Read more>>

Beno Anastascio

My name is Brandon ‘Beno’ Anastascio, and my journey as a creative began long before I ever picked up a camera. I started dancing in 2004 through Krump, a powerful form of street dance that taught me the importance of individuality, storytelling, emotion, and self-expression. What began as a passion for dance eventually evolved into a much bigger vision for my life. Read more>>

Mitch Arbor

I was born and raised in Rhode Island. I spent my first five years in Cranston, RI and then my parents built a house in East Greenwich, RI where i went to elementary school through high school. I grew up playing ice hockey as well as soccer and baseball but hockey was my main sport. Read more>>

Esther Kim

I got into filmmaking on a whim. Interested in philosophies outside of the Western canon, I majored in religious studies as an undergrad. While I enjoyed my studies, I felt like dealing with such ideas academically was not enough. I wanted to explore the philosophical in a way that was embodied and deeply felt. Read more>>

Mote It Be Band

We started this band when the world started falling apart back in the early 2020’s. We met at our local studio where we started as a cover band. Eventually we worked our way up to writing originals after a few months of jamming. Read more>>

Abby Young

My career began in the classroom as an 8th-grade English teacher, but fashion was always a part of who I was. I used to watch runway shows during my free periods, and my students would joke that I looked like I was walking down a runway when I walked between their desks. Read more>>

Gustavo “Goose” Polanco

I’m Gustavo “Goose” Polanco, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. I’m an Afro-Latino choreographer, educator, mentor, and creative. I trained extensively in multiple styles of Hip Hop under the mentorship of Ian McKenzie, and that foundation has shaped not only the way I dance, but also the way I teach and lead others. Read more>>

Jane Goren

JANE GOREN was born and raised in New York City. She majored in Biology and minored in Art at Brooklyn College where she studied with Ad Reinhardt. She furthered her studies at the Art Students League, School of Visual Arts and the Circle In The Square Theatre School. Read more>>

Aubrey Le

When I was younger, I wanted to be a news anchor or tv host, but my mom really wanted me to be the first lawyer in the family, so I became a lawyer. A friend of mine suggested I become a creator, so at 40, I shifted! Now, I get to be a live host and an affiliate creator! Read more>>

Erin Alexis

It all started in fourth grade. I was in my very first play, said my lines, and the audience laughed. That was it. Something clicked. I knew then and there that I wanted to make people laugh for a living. Cut to many, many years later, and fourth-grade Erin would be pretty thrilled with how things turned out. Read more>>

Paula Crichton De Alba

Being a multifaceted filmmaker has been an interesting journey, a complex one, but certainly rewarding. I juggle the roles of writer, director, cinematographer and even gaffer on a daily basis. Ultimately they are all very much a piece of me and they feed off each other to make me a better filmmaker all around. Read more>>

David Gordon

My path to directing my first feature was somewhat indirect. I started my career with aspirations of teaching film history and theory, until I was gradually pulled on set by my peers. From there, my natural inclination toward visual art led me to pursue work as an electric, gradually evolving to gaffer and, occasionally, camera operating. Read more>>

Julian Oyanedel

I started out in Chile, where I studied filmmaking and began learning by doing—taking on different roles, making projects with the resources I had, and figuring out how to bring an idea from the page to the screen. Music was always a big part of my life too, so directing music videos felt like a natural way to bring those two worlds together. Read more>>

Sofia Ianovskaia

My journey has always been guided by curiosity, a love of learning, and a desire to help people feel better. I began my professional journey in Reflexology in 2010, initially wanting to help my future husband with his back pain. What started as a personal interest gradually grew into a much bigger calling. Read more>>

Mariana Morais

I think the most interesting thing about my story is that I’ve been so many different versions of myself, and somehow, they’ve all led me exactly where I needed to be. I was born and raised in Brazil, and my family moved to the United States when my dad’s company offered him a job here. Read more>>

Robert Davids

I started my business after spending eight years in the medical field working with insulin pump therapy patients instructing everything from functioning of the pump to managing their diabetes. After years of doing that I became a clinical instructor at City of Hope instructing intravenous pump therapy with new IV pumps. Read more>>

Destiny Owens, MFA

I come from the very small towns of Nashville and Rocky Mount, North Carolina and though well-traveled those places are my foundation and where I learned who I was and how to navigate the world. My life started with me being surrounded by my elders and siblings. Read more>>

Ella Madatyan

I went through a very traumatic divorce that caused me to fall into what felt like a hole I could not get out of. Before the divorce I was very into the fitness world and that was my escape from my daily. I always wanted to get back into the fitness world but I didn’t know where to start. Read more>>

Eddie Pimentel

My journey as a musician began in Brazil, driven by my love for guitar, American blues, and soul, alongside the richness of Brazilian music. Over the years, I dedicated myself to studying guitar, harmony, composition, and recording, eventually taking my musical journey to Los Angeles. Read more>>

Thom Kuo

Hi, I’m Thom Kuo, I started an organization called The American Society Of Cigars And Film. It began as a friend and I sitting around smoking cigars and talking about the ‘good ol’ days’ when cinema used film to make films. Both he and I owned film cameras. Read more>>

Aire Redtree

at the age of 9 I learned about Harry Chapin and world hunger Year and have been on a mission for 40 years to manifest a benefit album to help feed starving artists and people. Read more>>

Christopher Angelo

My journey into photography and filmmaking began in fifth grade, when my English teacher asked me to take his picture using his cellphone. After seeing the result, he was genuinely surprised. He told me I had an eye for photography and encouraged me to get a camera and start practicing. Unfortunately, it was not possible. Looking back, I understand why. Read more>>

Veronique Lorena Hamelin Tomala

Dance has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started dancing as a teenager, and what began as a passion quickly became a lifestyle. For over 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to perform professionally, specializing in samba, salsa, and reggaeton. Performing has always been one of the places where I feel most alive. Read more>>

Matt Drago

My journey into real estate began with something deeply personal: my grandmother. Growing up, I saw firsthand how important it was to protect her rights as a rent-controlled tenant in New York City. That experience sparked my passion for real estate and gave me a deeper understanding of how housing impacts people’s lives, their security, and their futures. Read more>>

Sara Saltzman

After spending the beginning of my adult life in various corporate settings, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was out of place. With a few desperate Google searches, I stumbled upon Make Up Designory and decided to take the leap. In November of 2025, I quit my job and dedicated my time to reconnecting with my inner art kid. Read more>>

Louis LOPEZ

My name is Louis Lopez, and I’m 22 years old. First of all, I would like to thank the entire VoyageLA team for giving me the opportunity to be part of this interview. For 14 years, basketball was my passion. As for my education, I studied sales, marketing, and management. Read more>>

Michael Bezdicek

I never planned to become an Energy Healer. Truthfully, it evolved from pursuing my own healing journey, where I sought to finally deal with that childhood, stop living in denial, stop lying to myself and to finally – for real this time – finally heal. In January 2018, I was at the low point in my life. Read more>>

Michael Cruz

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. After graduating from Polytechnic High School in 2020, I started working and volunteering with the LAPD. I also developed an interest in boxing and criminal justice. I worked hard to earn my Associate Degree in Administration of Justice from Los Angeles Valley College. Today, I work full-time in security while continuing my education. Read more>>

Shane Ivan Nash

I’m Shane Ivan Nash, transgender advocate, author, DJ, and content creator. My story is one of resilience, creativity, and learning how to turn personal challenges into something that can make a difference for others. I knew I was transgender from a young age, but growing up in the 1990s, there was very little visibility or support for trans men. Read more>>

BRIAN DELATE

I grew up on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, near where Washington crossed the Delaware for the Battle of Trenton. I didn’t do well in school, and this was in the late sixties. At that time, I had no vision of the future, and the Vietnam War was raging. I was drafted in 1968 and spent most of 1969 in Vietnam. Read more>>

Kris Quintana

My corporate career started in Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). I grew from data entry to business analyst to software developer. At the same time, I had started training in the martial arts. Read more>>

William Binderup

My name is William Binderup, and I’m a mixing engineer and producer based in Los Angeles. I originally got my start interning at a studio in the Bay Area. I sat underneath a couple of engineers and also ran a few sessions of my own as I learned more and more. Read more>>

Jeffree J Davis

Being an optimistic guy does have its benefits, especially when society has already counted you out before you’ve even had a chance to prove yourself. In my case, I think the world had deemed me a failure from birth. Literally. I was born five months premature with a hole in my heart, which eventually closed in high school. Read more>>

Jinghui Dong

My name is Jinghui Dong, aka Jim HuiHui. I come from Chengdu, China, the home of pandas, and now live in Los Angeles. Before 2023, my life followed a steady, fairly ordinary path: a bachelor’s degree in computer science in Chengdu, then Salt Lake City to study Entertainment Arts and Engineering, and eventually a job in the game industry. Read more>>

Ari Pent

My two older brothers were drummers when they were in high school, and as a toddler who idolized the ground they walked on, I wanted to do whatever I could to emulate them. I started drumming around 4 years old; around 10 I picked up guitar and bass as well, and started piano around 15. Read more>>

gloria Carmona

Started as the seventh of eight children in rural Colombia, and by the time I arrived in Los Angeles at 27, I had already played basketball for Colombia, studied to be a dental laboratory technitian, appeared in telenovelas, and worked as an Avianca flight attendant Read more>>

Dr. Arianna Deans

The Composers Diversity Collective (CDC) is an organization based in Los Angeles that officially launched in 2020 with a clear mission: to increase visibility and opportunity for composers from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the film, television, and video game industries. Read more>>

Melissa Stone

My journey began in the entertainment industry, where I spent several years pursuing acting and had the opportunity to work on several film and television productions. Over time, my passion for storytelling led me in a different direction: writing fiction. I’ve always been drawn to stories that explore complicated relationships, secrets, and the darker side of human nature as well as a fun romantic comedies! Read more>>

Angel Marcel

Photography has been part of my life since childhood, starting with polaroids and disposable cameras. I discovered my passion for photography in high school when I took a film photography class (shout out to Ms. Ryatt!) and learned how to develop photos in a darkroom. That experience helped me see photography as more than just taking photos, but really having that attention to detail. Read more>>

Emanuele Parravicini

I was born on August 16, 1977, near Milan, Italy, and from a very young age, I’ve been deeply passionate about both music and technology. That passion naturally shaped my education. I studied electronics in high school, went on to earn my Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, and later completed a post-master’s program in Information Technology. Read more>>

Renato ( Ren ) Bernal

My journey into animation started with a pretty simple love for drawing and storytelling. Growing up, I was always fascinated by cartoons, anime, and the worlds artists could create with just a pencil and a piece of paper. I spent a lot of time drawing characters and trying to understand how the things I loved were made. Read more>>

Mason Ewing

My name is Mason Ewing. I was born on April 9, 1982, in Douala, Cameroon. Both of my parents were Jewish: my mother was Cameroonian and Sicilian, and my father was American. First of all, for those who don’t know me, I am grateful to be here today. You could say that I have several strings to my bow. Read more>>

Laura Goodenkauf

Wow! Where do I start? I’ve been training horses in Los Angeles since 2011. I’m originally from Lincoln, Nebraska. I was always that horse crazy kid and was fortunate enough to have parents that supported my love of horses. I rode my own horse in United States Pony Club competitions and was introduced to the sport of dressage through pony club. Read more>>

David Emenheiser

My photography journey started while healing from some pretty dark days. ❤️📸 God brought photography into my life during a time when I was overcoming a 20-year-long drug addiction. Twelve years ago, after getting out of rehab, I started taking these drives. Just me, Jesus, and my camera phone. 🙏 Those drives became my therapy. Read more>>

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>>