Meet Ina Loaiza of Valley Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ina Loaiza.

Hi Ina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Ina Loaiza. I am an actress and producer based in Los Angeles. I was born in Chula Vista, California, and raised in Tijuana, Baja California.

I fell in love with theater when I performed in my first play at nine years old. From that moment on, I never stopped acting. Throughout my school years and beyond, I continued studying and performing, taking acting classes—including summer programs in Mexico City—as well as dance, singing, and piano lessons.

In 2015, I graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.A. in Theatre, Film, and Dance, with an emphasis in Performance. After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles with the goal of building a career as an actress.

Like many artists, I found different ways to support myself while pursuing my dream. I worked in the food service and retail industries and, from 2016 to 2019, I also worked as an Uber and Lyft driver while auditioning and building my career.

In 2017, I began producing small projects with friends, and that experience sparked something new in me. I discovered that I loved not only being in front of the camera, but also being part of the process that brings a project to life behind the scenes.

In 2023, I got my first job as a Production Coordinator and UPM working in vertical dramas. Since then, I have continued diving deeper into production, taking on roles ranging from Production Assistant and Production Coordinator to UPM and Producer across a variety of projects, including commercials, short films, and music videos.

Today, I work as a Producer for the LA Vertical Drama Market, a unique three-day convention-style event that brings together professionals from the vertical drama industry and the broader entertainment community. The Market offers panels, labs, and hands-on, interactive experiences designed to create opportunities for learning, collaboration, and connection across the industry.

My journey has taken me from falling in love with theater as a kid, to moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, to discovering an entirely new passion for producing. Both sides of my career have taught me the importance of storytelling, collaboration, and creating spaces where people can come together.

My ultimate goal is to build my own production company—a place where friends and people can collaborate, take creative risks, and tell meaningful stories that people can see themselves in; stories that connect us, inspire us, and remind us of what we have in common.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no, not at all! But in my opinion and at the end of the day, obstacles make life beautiful, just as success does. If you let it happen, overcoming obstacles become your greatest lessons. For example, I have always considered important to remember doing odd jobs to be bricks that are building the life I want. It’s a venue into learning and making money while passions become financially fruitful. And doing that does not make me lesser of an artist.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an actress and producer. I have been working in theatre since I was a kid, but after moving to Los Angeles, I focused primarily on on-camera acting. Then the pandemic came, and in 2022, I found my way back to theatre, feeling that I needed to return to the basics and reconnect with the source that brought me to this career in the first place. As an actress, I specialize in character development and love collaborating with others. I have also worked in improv for most of my career, which has become one of my favorite skills and forms of expression. On the producing side, I specialize in logistics and in bringing a project to life from the ground up. I love figuring out what needs to happen behind the scenes to turn an idea into something real. My art also extends to the canvas. I painted for about nine years of my life and am currently working on finding my way back to it. I believe I am known for being a resilient creative and a lover of life. I am proud of how far I have come, and deeply grateful for the life I have built and for the strength that continues to push me forward. I am also very, very proud of being Latina, and I love creating in both languages (English and Spanish), which has also given me the opportunity to expand and build community in both cultures. I feel fortunate to have the ability to express my art through different venues, and I hope to continue exploring all of them.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a very skilled bartender/mixologist, I know all classic cocktails and can make a delicious drink from scratch with any ingredients you have in your fridge!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iinaloaiza/