Story & Lesson Highlights with Nina Gnewd of Hollywood

Nina Gnewd shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Nina, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m most proud of building a sense of inner clarity. It’s not something anyone can measure or see, but it informs everything I do — the way I create, collaborate, and carry myself.

Growing up in Inglewood and later finding my path in Hollywood taught me that private growth is just as important as public achievement. It’s the discipline, perspective, and calm beneath the surface that sustain creative longevity.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Nina Gnewd, and I’m a music producer, creative strategist, and CEO of Lovable Spaces LLC, my consulting firm based in Hollywood, California. I grew up in Inglewood, a place that shaped my understanding of expression, identity, and community. That early environment continues to influence the way I think, create, and collaborate.

My Nigerian, Jamaican, and Moroccan heritage is an important part of who I am, though it isn’t the sole lens of my work. My focus is on developing projects with intention—producing, building ideas, and connecting with collaborators who value depth and integrity.

In my music career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with remarkable artists including MonoNeon, Ron Avant (TNava), and Jeff Gittleman (Jeff Gitty). I’ve contributed to music for Cyberpunk and various film projects, experiences that pushed me to refine my sound and broaden my creative range.

I also spend time working with older Black scholars through Brhombic International, an organization connected to the family of the late music legend Prince. Those collaborations allow me to engage deeply with history, artistic lineage, and the kind of intergenerational dialogue that expands perspective.

I’m currently preparing to release a new reggae single with Kasey Phillips, created in honor of my grandmother’s Jamaican roots and the cultural threads that have quietly shaped my creative path. It’s a personal milestone—one that ties together where I come from and the direction I’m moving toward.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that I had to prove my worth by fitting into expectations — by showing up a certain way to be understood or accepted. Over time, I learned that authenticity isn’t something you earn; it’s something you preserve.

I learned to value individuality and integrity, even when they made me stand out. That understanding became the foundation for how I create and how I navigate the world — without performing, without explaining, just being.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
That shift happened when I began to understand pain as information rather than weakness. I stopped trying to move past it and started learning from it. That awareness changed how I create — it made my work more intentional, more honest, and more useful.

Music became a space for transformation. Producing taught me that turning emotion into sound, or even silence, is a form of translation. It’s not about overcoming pain but giving it direction — allowing it to become something constructive, something that adds meaning to the world rather than taking away from it.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I want to use my platform to bring attention to issues that deserve empathy and action — from the hurricane recovery efforts in Jamaica to the ongoing violence affecting communities in Nigeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Congo, South Africa and Palestine.

These aren’t abstract causes to me; they’re tied to my roots, my relationships, and the voices I feel honored to amplify.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Peace for me is the moment when intention and action are in complete harmony.

I also find a certain calm in simply walking through the neighborhoods I grew up in. The photos for this interview were taken in Inglewood, by homes and Simply Wholesome (which is way better than Erewhon) because that environment still brings me a sense of balance. There’s something grounding about seeing Black people at ease in a place that has historically carried so much meaning. Inglewood is the Blackest city in California, and for me, it represents continuity — a reminder of where I come from and the quiet strength that shaped my perspective.

Also…tha food damn gud cuhz.

As a fire sign I take action, I know fire is not only fierce destruction, It is also light.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6RXKQPPN5QMAV0GZUoaqas?si=rrFPpMc0TiykCl3gqoHdUA&pi=u–DFtx0y0Rbqw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polychaos/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninagnewd
• Other: https://www.brhombic-int.com/

Image Credits
Photos by David Donaldson