Downtown LA

Trenton Thomas

I first started playing the violin in 4th grade at my elementary school, Mayfair Elementary in Baton Rouge, LA. Mayfair provided what was referred to at the time as a pull-out program where we would receive arts enrichment three times a week. For me, it initially started out as a way to get out of class but soon I began to have an actual interest in learning about the violin. However, as time progressed with the program more and more students. Read more>>

Connor Vickers

It was as simple as, “You be Wayne. I’ll be Garth. We have my dad’s old camera, a couch and a stool for a tripod. Let’s go.” My first experience of ever-pressing record and crafting a scene came at age eleven when my childhood best friend and I emulated “Wayne’s World”. I remember when my parents brought me to see Lon Chaney in “The Unknown” at Sonoma’s legendary Sebastiani Theatre. At a young age, I found myself drawn to the mystique of the movies. Read more>>

Marek Zebrowski

I was born in Poland and left for the US as a child. I studied music (piano & composition) in Poznan (Poland), Paris and Fontainebleau (France) and Boston (US). As a pianist, I’ve concertized around the world; my compositions were performed and recorded in several countries. I’ve also been active as an academic, having taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts-Boston, and UCLA. Read more>>

London Alyse

Detroit raised me but Chicago gave me many adult lessons & opportunities that helped propel my career forward at a young age. I always knew I was different, my family was different, we weren’t allowed to be the same or think the same as everyone else. My parents were two- middle class- African American Entrepreneurs, with offices in Detroit, talking to our minority communities about Financial Freedom & Wealth. Read more>>

Makala Perry

I discovered music at a young age, between living with my mom and living with my dad. They both listened to two totally different styles. Mom, she was more Hip-hop/Rap and R&b. Dad loved Doo-wop, Blues, and Soul. With my mom, we would play music all day, watch music videos on 106 & Park, and I would dance and sing. My older sister, Sue, would always sing “4 Page Letter” by Aaliyah, and from watching/listening to her, I was intrigued. Read more>>

Yeri Lee

I was always an art kid pretty much like every other artist everywhere. I loved drawing and animated films, but I never took art seriously until midway through high school when I realized I just wanted to do something related to TV or movie production. I only applied to three art schools– the only ones with foundation year because that was how unsure I was about what kind of art I even wanted to pursue. Read more>>

Hugo Juarez

For the longest time since I can remember during my early teen years, there was this high interest for visual communications whether it was on Heavy Metal album covers, music-related magazines, video games, and retro movies. There wasn’t a moment that I wasn’t surrounded by both creative art and compelling photography. I think really the moment that I knew everything were to be changed was when I had discovered music that had influenced to me to go forth and take interest in a different path outside of the norm and make my own mark in this life. Read more>>

Andre Darville

I decided to drop out of the University of Arizona after my first year in their entrepreneur school and wanted to go experience and learn for myself. I first started with Social Media Pro, this was my first marketing company. I was working for a company in Irvine, a Bluetooth speaker and the owner was very shady. He had me set up his accounts with ad spends of over 150k a month and let me go. Read more>>

Shawn Handy

I am a native of West Philadelphia. I started out rapping as an early passion at nine years old. I had my mind made up that I was going to be a famous rapper. Throughout my teenage years, I continued my pursuit of being a hip hop artist. As time went on, I networked with local artists, Leading to an opportunity to work in the music Industry from Behind the scenes. I transitioned from artistry into assisting operations management for a popular Philadelphia hip-hop artist and a Grammy nominated, multi-platinum producer. Read more>>

Krysta Close

When choosing where to pursue my undergraduate degree in classical voice, USC’s Thornton School of Music jumped out at me partially because it contained this rare and unknown gem: a Polish Music Center. Having a Polish mother who adored music, this seemed like an easy choice, although I barely utilized the PMC while I was a student. It wasn’t until I graduated and was offered a job there that I truly discovered the treasures therein. Read more>>

Helen Wilson

I started Witch and Watchman in 2014 when I was living in London, UK. I studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins and upon graduating decided I was ‘done’ with the art world, it just wasn’t making any sense to me. However, after spending time in a ‘full-time job’ working as a graphic designer, I found myself painting in all my spare time. I finally decided to become an artist full time (well, with a couple of part-time jobs). Read more>>

Kianu Reed

First thing is first, I am a music artist & entrepreneur discovering ways to create multiple sources of income to pursue my lifestyle of financial freedom. Now in the middle of the current pandemic, I guess you can say it was a blessing in disguise to help focus on my hustle with creating music and now launching my new clothing brand Groovy Tribe as a representation of myself a young multi-talented entrepreneur expressing my life as an artist and African American in America today. Read more>>

Sp_ce Phantom

I originally started rapping at the age of ten years old but I wasn’t fully promoting it to people. I was rapping with a cousin that lives in Santa Ana in Orange County in this Christian rap Group called B4K. I honestly felt like I was just lying to myself since I wasn’t taking the whole Christian thing serious. I took a break from rapping and went through high school just being a normal Knuckle Head. Read more>>

Shiino Langston

I’ve been doing photography/videography for about four years now. I started off strictly doing photography to save money after I had kids, photos can get a bit expensive, so I invested and got a camera instead and unlocked the talent I never knew I had. Photography has guided me into the cinema world which I love so much! My first project under the Shiino production umbrella titled “Case Of The Ex” is releasing July 20th on amazon prime. Read more>>

Allen Custodio

Allen Custodio (also known as Senseii). Raised in Yokosuka, Japan then grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. The 26 years old Filipino-American Artist who shatters the stereotypes of your typical Asian. I started writing music at the age of 13, seeing my older cousins record music with the little they had & transmuting it into outstanding quality. Little did they know that would be the domino effect into what made me who I am today. Read more>>

Nour Milla

I am a journalist, TV host, producer, writer and narrator with a passion for community contribution and a fervor for adventure. I was born in Boston to a Syrian father and Colombian mother but raised in Colombia since I was two. As soon as I graduated from college in 2007 with a double major in journalism and PR, my career in television began when I was offered the chance to host Caracol y Bancolombia Mas Cerca, a widely successful traveling show at Caracol Networks in Colombia. Read more>>

Kimberly Doyle

I’ve always been a creative person and I enjoy partaking in various art forms as a creative outlet. But it wasn’t until college when I took a beginning jewelry class that I found my passion, designing and making jewelry. I jumped into the industry and fully immersed myself with everything jewelry related. I worked for some prominent names and absorbed everything I could. However, the most important thing I learned. Read more>>

Karissa Scholz

It’s been over five years since I decided to embrace a journey that I had no idea where I would end up. I think that deep down, I’ve always known that I was going to live a life of adventure. One that didn’t follow a path that was set out for me. I’ve always been drawn to the unknown, drawn to taking risks, and drawn to figuring things out “my way”… aka the hard way. Read more>>

Yiwen Tu

People always try to figure out their life career based on what they love or what they are good at. Sometimes, what you are good at is what you love. But in most cases, you need to explore a lot of possibilities to find the commonplace of what you enjoy and what you grow proficient at. I went through a long path before I can be here and share my story of being a communications designer. My experience broaden my understanding of “enjoy” and “talented”. Read more>>

Arturo Macias Sanchez

Arthur Sanchez, born Arturo Macias Sanchez, is a Bay Area native hip-hop and Latin trap artist who aspires to change the sound of hip-hop with his diverse styles and flows, which have already captivated many people across the globe. Arthur Sanchez began his journey at only four years old, knowing that music made him different and happy. At a young age, he began saving money and working on weekends to afford a time slot at a professional recording studio. Read more>>

Danae Crayton

I’m currently working on a mini-documentary series that will explain everything. Right now, my story is very simple I love dogs more than humans. Marketing is currently my biggest obstacle, finding my audience and bringing awareness. Next year my main focus is visibility. But overall, I’ve been blessed with beautiful struggles so I won’t complain at all. I’m a person of understanding and I try to humbly always consider myself a student in regards to things I maybe passionate about and trust the process. Read more>>

Marcus A

My exposure to fashion came from my father. He owned his own men’s clothing store, Don’s for Men. Many years later, my nephew and I found out my father was the first African-American to have a store on the main drag in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, CA in the 1970’s. One of the memories I have is when I was around ten years old, I went to the store to help but I was really looking at the all the clothes I was going to ask my father to purchase for me. Read more>>

Karina Velasco

I started on the path of spirituality and energy when I was seven years old. Both my parents meditated and they sent me to learn about energy with different teachers. In my teens, I continued my education in energy and started my career in radio and television as a host. My father was the David Letterman of Latin America with a show on the air called “Siempre en Domingo,” which aired for 30 years, so it was natural for me to join the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Arin and Dion Dersarkissian

My brother Dion and I started Pinky’s Iron Doors in 2009, but the real story begins in 1992 when our dad opened up his first welding shop in Glendale, California after immigrating to Los Angeles from Iran. We grew up watching our dad build his welding shop from the ground up, designing and hand forging custom iron gates, fences, doors, and railings. After he retired, my brother and I didn’t want to lose the skills we learned from our father throughout the years. Read more>>

RaaShauna Payne

My journey in production began about two years ago when I realized my love for photography and telling stories through pictures. It wasn’t long before I began to hustle and start networking to find ways to get into the industry. After reaching out to various production companies, I received my first opportunity to join CMNSOON ENT as a Production Assistant under the direction of Vanda Lee. Read more>>

Esai Ramirez

I’m Esai Ramirez and I’m an International Choreographer, Artistic Director and Life Coach. I am also the creator of Feed the Soul, a lifestyle enlightenment predicated on finding balance, inspiring through creation and mindful living. Sounds mysterious right? That’s because it is! Life is a mystery worth discovering and is an adventure worth living. Read more>>

Spags

I grew up in a small suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I began studying music at an early age. I was into everything performing-arts related, from music, to theater, to dance. As a kid, if you came to my house to play, that is what we did! We dressed up, we created skits, we had stage names, musical numbers, and dance routines! It quickly became clear that the arts were my passion. Read more>>

Zuri Appleby

I fell in love with music pretty early on in my life. I was blessed to be born with both my parents being musicians. My mother being a music teacher in the public school system as well as a private instructor for both vocal and piano and my father being a self-employed musician and artist working as a teacher, performer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist as well as vocalist. I grew up singing in my church choir with my mom being the musical director. Read more>>

Rodney Jon

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and I am on a mission to innovate the Beauty and Fashion industries through my artistry and also by utilizing my MADE formula (Making Attainable Differences Everyday) to create a timeless approach to Beauty and Fashion. I am so grateful that I found my purpose many years ago, because it gives me a rewarding opportunity to teach, inspire, motivate, support and encourage women and men from all walks of life. Read more>>

Rodney Williams

Originally from Baltimore, I started my career in finance and marketing but most notably in Brand Management at P&G. I was instrumental in many of P&G’s 1st digital efforts in e-commerce, consumer engagement and social media alongside their largest brand. P&G was my proving ground for many of my digital endeavors which led to me co-founding my 1st technology company in LISNR. Read more>>

 East LA

Hayley Robertson and Sarah Godshaw

If you want to go way back, it started in design school when we were seated next to each in pattern making class. We became fast friends and haven’t left each other’s side since. It was after having kids that we decided to get into the children’s apparel space. We were commiserating over how hard it was to find baby clothes we liked. Having spent our careers designing women’s apparel. Read more>>

Alejandro González Charles

I am a filmmaker born and raised in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. My specialty is writing, directing, and editing narrative films and music videos. Throughout the past couple of years, I also have taken the roles of cinematographer, producer, and actor in various projects. I am the founder of Dos Palmas Inc. where I showcase the projects I direct and produce. I moved to Los Angeles two years ago to complete my MFA in Film & TV Production at Loyola Marymount University. Read more>>

Emma Mora

I grew up in Tulare, a small agricultural town in central California, and was raised by a family of Costa Rican musicians. Instead of being drawn to farming or music, I was drawn to drawing as far as I can remember. As a kid, I spent almost all my time writing stories and illustrating them. As I got older, I began to understand why I was so compelled to tell stories through the visual arts. Read more>>

Philip Enewally

I started, the main thing I want to touch on is MENTALITY. I feel like I developed my competitive/hardworking mentality from playing sports at a young age, Basketball and football were my favorites. While I was in high school my older brother was 4-star Cornerback committed to the University of Washington. Seeing all this growing up planted a first place ‘mentality in me. From football, to me starting my clothing line in high school – it all helped me to find my entrepreneur side. Read more>>

Amelia M. A. H. Akpotu

Known professionally as .aMAHa. I caught the singing bug when I was 13 and wrote my first song which I shared with my family. I did not conceptually think of music as something I could do until I was 17. I heard of the American Modeling and Talent Competition (AMTC). Shortly after meeting “weird” teenagers like me, I recorded my first set of songs one humid afternoon in a garage studio in Germantown, TN. Read more>>

Julio Trejo

I started my career a month after graduating from UCLA (Go Bruins!) in 1997. Specifically, I put myself through college by working full time at the student union. I worked over 40 hours a week (a lot of evenings and weekends) setting up for events like film screenings, conferences, speaking programs and concerts. The people there were really cool. I was surrounded by folks who also had an interest in going into the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Matt Sedillo

2008 Started doing poetry 2009 Made first slam team 2010 First collection of poetry published For What I Might Do Tomorrow 2011 Appeared in Los Angeles Times 2012 Participated in the San Francisco International Poetry festival 2013 A review of my poetry appears in the essay “Rage the Other Inevitable Muse” that appeared in a collection of essays “From Your Land to Poland. Read more>>

Hollywood

Jessica Bantista

Growing up in Greenwood, Indiana, I started singing at an early age. I began vocal lessons as a child and continued throughout high school training in classical music and musical theater. I always knew music was a passion of mine and something I would continue to pursue for the rest of my life. After high school, I went on to study at Columbia College Chicago in vocal performance and graduated with a music business degree. Read more>>

Logan Floyd

I remember playing hide and seek as a kid, I would run thru my house counting down in my head and look for a place to hide. One day I jumped in my parent’s wicker clothing hamper. The hamper was loosely woven. I would quickly move my head up and down to see threw the hamper and look if anyone was coming to find me yet. Much like if you run by a fence or drive by a road divider and can see past it as you zoom by. I thought this was so fascinating to me. Read more>>

Drayton Walker

My interest in acting began while I lived in Hawaii. At the time, my mom and dad were both in the military and my mom was deployed to Afghanistan. One day, we were in the car when I heard a commercial on the radio about being an actor. That piqued my interest, so I told my dad. He thought I was kidding around and told me that we could talk about it when my mom returned. Time goes, by and she came back, and I heard the same commercial. Read more>>

Zack Kurz

I’m an Actor/ Stunt Performer out of Detroit, Michigan. I began my acting career after feeling that I wanted to do something much bigger in life than just work a 9-5. It all began in the gym, I loved sports, working out, etc. I had no clue where to begin and I was approached by someone in the industry who wanted to get me out there so I rolled with it. I had already done a couple of shoots for modeling. Read more>>

Rianny Vasquez

I started doing theatre about five years ago now, but oh man does it feel like I’ve been a part of it my whole life! I’ve loved performing for as long as I can remember but I didn’t do any shows and what not until I was a sophomore in high school. My first director told me that I was for sure bitten by the theatre bug and I was in no way looking for a cure. Gosh it was magic when I first started out and to be completely honest, it still is to this day and I think always will be. Read more>>

Argus Dorian

I remember myself six years old when my father told me to join him to see a movie. He was passionated with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, etc so we saw together “The Wall” from Pink Floyd. It was a shocking experience for me when my dad explained me all the symbols, meanings, lyrics… those were images that followed my entire life. And this was the beginning, I started looking at the covers of all his records and my passion with art stated. Read more>>

Naomi Goez

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of a career in fashion (such a cliché, I know); not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine this path would lead me down a road of promoting radical change from within the industry. I was born in Israel but spent my adolescence in Alberta, Canada – the place I now call home. Growing up in a household of an Israeli-Bulgarian mother and a French father provided me with nothing short of a multicultural celebration. Read more>>

Victoria Abbott

I started acting right around the beginning of 8th grade when I first moved to California. I fell absolutely head over heels in love with it, and that love still hasn’t gone away as I’m now going into my sophomore year of college. The first job I ever booked was a Disney infinity commercial when I was 13. I’ve just been auditioning and filming ever since. Most recently, before the quarantine, I booked and filmed a Joji music video that is out now. Read more>>

Byata Dikker – Cousins

Hi my name is Byata. I was born and raised in NYC. Brooklyn to be exact. My father a chef and my mother an ambitious career woman. I was a latchkey kid from the age of 5 raised by a single working mother. It was all about microwave dinners, fast food, soda and sugar. Let’s just say I wasn’t the skinny girl … but I tried really hard to be. A multitude of fad diets, binge eating and an eating disorder paved the way for my future role in life. Read more>>

Richard Tanumi

Born and raised on Gadigal Land in Sydney, Australia. My father a WW2 Royal Air Force Hero from the UK and my mother a Fijian High Chief both migrated to Australia, met and had me. It all started for me in front of the TV! Growing up in the 90s dancing to Michael Jackson’s Bad, thriller, Janet Jackson, TLC VHS tapes on repeat! Performing has always been a passion from the age of one. When I was seven, I started in Sports Acrobatics and became National Champion in Australia. Read more>>

Meg Evans

Originally from San Diego, CA. I guess I was always aware that I grew up in paradise but knew I had to get out. I don’t even know how old I was when I moved from Los Angeles to San Diego – I was an infant, taken in by my grandparents after my mom passed away suddenly when I was eight months old. My grandparents took me in as their own. After the passing of my grandfather when I was seven, it was just me and my grandmother. Read more>>

Tim Realbuto

I started acting when I was five years old in community theatre. I did my first film when I was 12 years old, which happened to be directed by woody Allen. When I was 16, I appeared on screen opposite Kevin Kline in “The Emperor’s Club.” I then went to college and studied acting. After school, I continued doing work on film, television and in the theatre. I also began writing and co-wrote a musical called “Ghostlight.” Read more>>

Matt Jones

I started doing comedy when I was 14 years old. My first taste of validation was like getting addicted to a hardcore drug. When I was growing up my teeth were messed up and I had a growing disorder. When I heard laughter, it was like being back in the womb. It made me feel safe. I ended up in Chicago studying theater pretty intensely while also doing the stand-up circuit in Chicago. In 2010, I finally ended up in Los Angeles doing stand up. Read more>>

Leeza Felix

I’ve had a love for makeup as long as I remember could be as way back as secondary school (I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago but didn’t pursue it until I moved to the states back in 2012, I really grew a serious obsession when I couldn’t sleep due to the time difference between the islands and California, I would stay up countless hours watching YouTube learning the different makeup techniques and ways to apply foundations and color matching. Read more>>

Fam Mirza

Since a young age, I have always had a passion to create products, I always had a curiosity of how things were made and how they worked. I was experimental with anything and everything around the house (lots of broken watches and electronics.) At the age of 14, I created a jersey which was worn in the 2001 super bowl halftime show by rapper ‘Nelly.’ ref.1 Read more>>

Jennifer Collins

My start in the industry began with modeling, commercials and theater. At age 16, I started modeling locally in Pensacola, Florida. Then, I moved to New York and modeled with top agencies. My modeling and commercial income assisted me with paying for Acting classes with Susan and John Strasburg. I was able to do some off off Broadway theater. Later, I moved to Los Angeles and continued with modeling, commercials and theatrical productions. Read more>>

Doug Murphy

Picture it, the Y2K dot com bomb just dropped and this young whipper snapper got laid off with 400 other Warner Bros. employees in one day, after one year of working in the graphics and advertising dept. While getting severance pay, I had time to see if I still had any painting skills. I dreamed of two lego mini-figures doing it in a bathtub, which inspired the very first painting of my career. Read more>>

Santana Dempsey

I was adopted with my biological sister out of foster care when I was six years old. My biological father abandoned us and our biological mother committed suicide. They were in an interracial marriage in Texas.  She was White.  He was Dominican. (Oooof heavy stuff.) I had to grow up fast. I had to learn how to survive on my own. I’ve spent my whole life trying to validate my younger self. To reclaim her. Name her. Believe in her. Her worth. Read more>>

David Shellabarger

I was born and raised in the small town of Daleville, Indiana. I spent most of my time playing Rock and Roll music, kayaking down the white river and working odd jobs in the area. I was very blessed to have a very supportive and loving family who pushed me to work hard and to do the right things, However, I was always the class clown and was constantly looking to get into a little mischief. Read more>>

Rachel Lawson

My journey to creating Soothecast began when I started living on my own for the first time in my life last year. Having my own space, separate from family or a significant other, allowed me to dive deep into really knowing myself as an individual. I began taking note (through journaling) of the things made me feel good, the things that bothered me, what my tastes and interests were, and so on to gain a better understanding of myself. Read more>>

Sabina Francesca

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew being an actor was my one true calling. I did play starting in Kindergarten. The only place I ever truly felt at peace was on stage. I remember being so heartbroken in High school when my school would not support my theater, a lot of unfortunate things went on but it only made me stronger not only as a person but as an artist. Read more>>

Mid Wilshire

Kimmie Lewis

I always thought I knew who I was and what I wanted. As I get older, I realize I never had a clue, truly. I grew up in the church, a preacher’s kid, and kind of became burnt out on church very early on in life. I spent my childhood in a perpetual state of loneliness and rejection. I never could really figure out what it was that I was purposed to do. Read more>>

Melody Chen

I was born and raised in Shanghai China and then migrated to the United States. I consider myself a product of East West cultures. I have lived in Philadelphia and Seattle prior to Southern California. Mesmerized by its free-spirited oceanfronts and sunshine, I decided to move to Los Angeles in Summer 2015. Two months after the move, I started working as a Project Accountant in a big non-profit organization that provides staffing, HR, Payroll. Read more>>

Angineh Aghamalian

Angineh Aghamalian is the Co-founder of MediMe, through which she manages Skin Code LA – A Premiere and Exclusive L.A. based medical cosmetic services and medspa. Read more>>

Chelsea Rector

Chelsea Rector is a poet living & working in Los Angeles, CA. She studied fine art at Art Center College of Design (BFA) & studio art at UC Riverside (MFA). She is an associate editor with The Los Angeles Press, publishing poets and artists from LA and beyond. She is the co-editor of Rebel Hands Press, exploring the relationship between text and object-hood. Her recent projects include Cry List (Rebel Hands Press, LA). Read more>>

Orange County

Alyssa Lourenco

I started this small business as a side hobby. I wanted to make gold-filled jewelry for myself while we were all in quarantine. Interest grew, and I realized how much I loved it, so I decided to take on small business. In the past few months, I have learned so much and am so grateful for all of the support I’ve received. Read more>>

Zusha Goldin

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. The youngest from an Orthodox Jewish family of ten. My parents are immigrants. My dad is Ukrainian and my mom is South African. The year was 2006. My brother was getting married in Montreal, Canada. I was seven years old, and I begged my dad to get me a small Canon point-and-shoot camera to take some photos at the wedding. He wasn’t really interested in doing so at first, but after much persuasion he conceded and the camera was mine. Read more>>

Ellen Nguyen

I was always inclined to take an artistic and creative approach to life, but I never truly made art pieces with intention, originality, and purpose up until this last year. I’ve always appreciated art and loved creating for the entirety of my life, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school when I took my first proper art class, Digital Arts, where I truly felt comfortable, passionate, and excited to go to class everyday. Read more>>

Rebecca Payne

I grew up in a very suburban part of Orange County, California (for context, about 30 minutes south of Disneyland, and about 15 minutes south of where Arrested Development took place). It’s the kind of place movies like to use as an uncanny, everything-is-too-perfect setting in horrors and thrillers. There wasn’t an extreme amount of art culture going on near me. Read more>>

Remi Jones

My story started when I was speaking with my sister in law she was a correspondent on a television show in New York City she felt like I had a great personality to be a correspondent as well. I was really shy and soft spoken around people who I did not know so I declined at first. One day we spoke about it again. At that time in my life, I was so tired of myself not having the courage to challenge myself and try new things. Read more>>

Lap Ngo

I am an amateur photographer, amateur woodworker and amateur business owner. I’ve been shooting since high school, I’ve always had an interest in woodworking but didn’t get into it until relatively recently in my life. I’ve been in the designer toy industry since 2009, and I’ve wanted to contribute to the community for some time. I took my passions and combined them to come up with the company Knocks on Wood Productions. Read more>>

DevRaj Patel

DevRaj Patel grew up in a low-income household, which limited many opportunities. His dream of experiencing a fun lifestyle of traveling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment was out of reach. At the age of 29, life felt a little more balanced and things started to look up. Shortly after, a series of unfortunate events spanning from a close family member receiving a life-threatening diagnosis and the sudden passing of his father. Read more>>

Chrisshauna Coleman

Owner and CEO of VSlay! For 17 years, I struggled with chronic Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and yeast infections. I felt so embarrassed, ashamed and overwhelmed. I would go to the doctor’s office sit in a stuffy room with my head held low and tell the doctor that my vagina smelled awful, no matter what I did to practice cleanliness. I would get the same prescription (metronidazole aka Flagyl which tasted awful). Read more>>

Haley Fuchs

I am a 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and musician. For as long as I can remember, I have been in love with music. I love music so much I could live in it. I have been singing for my entire life; my very first performance taking place when I was only six years old. I began writing my own songs by the age of nine, performing regularly by the age of ten, and composing my own music by the age of 17. Read more>>

Syeda Sakina Hussaini

Midway through getting my BFA at CSUF, I wanted to take a break and do something I would enjoy. I took a year off and went to a one-year Cosmetology program. Through this program, I met some talented ladies who saw potential in me and started hiring me for makeup gigs for fashion shows. This is when Instagram had just started to be a great tool for artists so my sister encouraged me to start posting my work. Read more>>

Ben Peterson

The Dares started in a basement in Burlington Vermont by my twin brother Matt Peterson and me. We were nine years old when we first performed for our third-grade class. Since then we moved to southern California and have restarted the band a few times. Each “era” of The Dares is very different. The constants between eras are my brother and me and the name “The Dares”. The music has always been evolving. Read more>>

Taleiah Todd-Hill

I actually started out with a desire to make natural hair care products. I watched all the YouTube videos and used all the products and very little of what I tried actually worked for my hair. I was even that person using food ingredients as hair conditioner, like yogurt and eggs (just a note, don’t use raw eggs while heat conditioning your hair unless you want scrambled eggs in your hair). Read more>>

Omid Rejali

I was born in the United States. When I was seven years old, my family decided to move back to Tehran, Iran. I went to school in Tehran until I was 17. At 17, because of the mandatory military service and because I could not tolerate living there anymore, I chose to move back to United States by myself. Below is a timeline of how I started my business and the adversities I had to overcome. Read more>>

Edith Suleyma Contreras

I grew up in Anaheim, CA where I met friends who were street artists. I started making stickers slaps and always keeping a sketchbook with me. I wasn’t any good, like at all, so I took art classes all throughout high school to get better. My art teacher, Mrs. Johnson, was great and really pushed the community of artists we had at school. She advocated for us to be able to work on murals around campus and in her classroom. Read more>>

Ronald Dizon

Just as a background I currently work at a Faraday Future electric start up company based out of Gardena, you probably asking why this has to do with the story, well it’s where this idea or concept somewhat began. I was questioning a lot of the things that make these characters like for example Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos. And out of curiosity on how they created their brands. In late 2017 my mom had mentioned about coffees from the Philippines my ears perked up and got me thinking and researching about the coffees in Philippines and what sets apart from most countries. Read more>>

Joey Oliva

I moved back to SoCal on my own when I was 18, six months after I graduated high school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Which is where my family moved to, from Costa Mesa, California. I grew up racing motocross, and that was my main focus moving back to SoCal, I had also of course had a job lined up that was construction based. It was a great place to learn the basics of woodworking, repairing homes damaged by termites and water. Read more>>

Pasadena

Rongdanyang Xiang

My career began when I produced promotional videos and commercials. It was the first project that I worked in as a producer, where I realized my lifelong passion for film and television production. I studied television and film for a BFA degree at the Academy of Art University. I served as an assistant for Hugh Litfin, a senior member of the American SOC, for two years. I obtained an MFA degree from film producing major at Chapman University. Read more>>

Rachael Chan

For as long as I can remember, my life revolved around art and I have always identified as an artist. When I was three, I picked up an oil pastel and drew a portrait of my grandma. I made her green and emphasized her crazy curly hair. The feeling of the pastel to paper was invigorating. I gave it to her and she was overjoyed, and the feeling of creating became addicting. I drew everything I could see, from family portraits to my stuffed animals. Read more>>

Megan Shung

I was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. In 2001, my family emigrated to Los Angeles, California for the classic “American Dream”. Remember how awful middle school was? Now imagine you didn’t know that your pants were too high, that it’s not cool to bring smelly dumplings for lunch and always getting picked last in PE because you can’t speak the language. Read more>>

Jermoni Robinson

I have been always fortunate enough to have my friends and family and even strangers support my music and career. Even when I thought I’d have a completely different career, everyone around me definitely knew what I was meant to do. I am an artist originally from Orange, New Jersey but now living in Pasadena, CA. I grew up singing in the choir, I had a couple of music classes in middle school and quickly realized that I major stage freight. Read more>>

Guinevere Reilly

I only got seriously into the idea of being an artist when I was in high school when it was time to start applying to colleges and I realized I wasn’t really interested in or good at anything else. Whether or not that’s a good reason to get into something, it’s turned out well for me so far. When I try to think back further than that, I can go back as far as being two years old and going to Burger King three days a week to collect all the Pokémon prizes. Read more>>

Martina Mattar

I recently came to the conclusion that what sparked my cinematic eye was the long trips between my mother’s house and my father’s twice a week, at dawn. My dad, a melancholic Italian man, picked me up with his white Fiat Uno in a high-class neighborhood, the skylight dimming down as the miles went by. After more than an hour drive, we would get to his house, a block away from one of the biggest slums of São Paulo. Read more>>

Alisa Khousadian

I’ve always dreamed of doing something with my life that would allow me to help others while working towards building a better reality for everyone. From a very young age, it was embedded in my brain that I would go into medicine. But while at UCLA for undergrad, I quickly realized that I wanted to do something that would allow me to be innovative, encourage critical thinking, and combat issues that people face everyday. Read more>>

Catherine Mi Welch

I’ve always had a passion for serving the community and have been volunteering with various non-profits since my teen years at Pasadena’s Polytechnic School. After moving from San Diego back to Pasadena in 2008, I became active with the Junior League of Pasadena where I met many of the women whom I continue to work with in the non-profit sector. It is with these women that I co-founded Southern California Children’s Museum. Read more>>

Elijah Perkins

I’m a 27 years old Hip-hop music artist currently residing in Riverside, California. My artist name is the same as my regular name but spelled as ‘Elijvh’. I’ve been passionately creating music since I was a child but professionally started my career at the age of 23 in 2016. Ever since that year, I’ve went through a rollercoaster of a life journey as a young adult — evolving constantly as an artist and a human being. Read more>>

Kiara Ana Perico

My journey started on the east coast in Massachusetts. I am an only child and was raised around a strong community of neighbors. I grew up on Middle Street and my father was referred to as the Mayor of Middle Street as he knew every single person by name and their work. My school was a mile from our house and my papa and I would walk home every day. It would take us 2 hours on average and if we were really stopping at everyone’s houses. Read more>>

Hing Zhe Lee

I’m a songwriter/artist born and raised in a modest household with a loving family from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’ve always had a strong passion towards music ever since I was young and my love for music stemmed from both my parents. They’ve always had an innate love for music, my mother played the violin whereas my father played the harmonica basically, I grew up around music. Read more>>

Ondre

I’m a Sacramento Native. I grew up in Sacramento, California. It’s my hometown and I strive to represent the city and our people proudly. I recently graduated from California State Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. In college is where I discovered my love for art. I was originally a business major then switched my major a good few times before I landed on journalism. Read more>>

Derek Darnell

Ever since I can remember I’ve been a fan of music, when I was younger my father would play a lot of Jazz and oldies like Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Diana Ross, the Supreme’s you know Mo town vibes. I can remember when He would drive around he would always tap beats or rhythms on the steering wheel, it sounded so cool to me and I couldn’t put a finger on why, but it was like magic to me. Read more>>

Kendrick Jones

Ever since I was a kid, I knew that I wanted to work in education and ultimately in policy. Other kids wanted Hot Wheels and Pokémon Cards, I wanted dry erase board markers and a government book. I was not your typical five years old. I was raised in a single parent household in South Central Los Angeles and always had a passion for learning. I was taught and instilled tools at an early age which set me aside as a student and ultimately paid off in the long run. Read more>>

Melody Wang

I started off as a freelance artist working in artist alley in conventions. As an artist, I’m pretty reserved. I didn’t express much in daily life, and didn’t like to call attention to myself if not necessary. While through conventions, I taught myself how to be a saleswoman. I called it extreme retailing- engage with all customers; say hi and smile at everyone, even if they don’t smile back. When they start talking-listen- and try to understand what they want. Read more>>

Cam Collins

I’ve been drawing as long as I could remember, and always saw it as a career choice. I have my parents and the people around me to thank, and it’s always been fun to do. I guess the story would be me just drawing most of my time. When I was eight, I wrote a large book so that I could have an excuse to draw the pictures for each chapter title page. The book was very silly if I remember my emotions correctly, but regardless, stories became a big part of my work. Read more>>

Susan Lambert Hatem

I am a writer, producer and director originally from Decatur, GA now based in Pasadena, CA. Back in Georgia, I told my high school college counselor, I wanted to be a director. And she thought I meant a camp director, but I meant film director. And she said, “I have no idea how to help you.” So I did my own research (pre-internet) and I got into USC School of Cinematic Arts – Came out to California, went to film school and spent my 20s making movies, tv, music videos, anything I could do. Read more>>

Grayson Thorne Kilpatrick

When was around three, I had a traumatic experience that changed my life. I do not talk about this incident much but my parents and I lived through a home invasion. My parents are my heroes because my mom was able to convince the invaders they had the wrong house because they did. This gave her enough time to lock the door behind them and get me and my dad into back room of our house until police arrived. Read more>>

Martin Martinez

Ever since I was younger, Hollywood was where I wanted to be, this to me has always been the land of opportunity, the land where dreams come true. Little did I realize that this idea, this aspiration, was somewhere I would eventually find myself. Movies have always intrigued me, the delivery, the concepts, the acting it was so ethereal. I was approached by a manager via Instagram whom I have been so grateful for, the introduction to the industry was so useful and the opportunity was very helpful. Read more>>

South Bay

Nikki Harlow

I’m a multi-hyphenate artist & filmmaker – I work in various mediums and positions in art, primarily film, as actor, writer, singer, dancer, producer. I was born and raised in Los Angeles (total beach baby) loving film and trash pop (i.e., Britney Spears, Madonna, Lady Gaga) and performed in nearby regional theatre. Things changed when I took a playwriting class – really just as a requirement, but I ended up falling in love. Read more>>

Livi ElleMona

My journey to music has been passionate, yet I have overcome a myriad of hardships and adversities that have tested my commitment through pain. I write lyrics from a place of traumatic suffering but also from a mentality of optimism, curiosity, and personal growth. My artistic lineage has influenced me, but I never felt fully called to make music and I spent most of my life misunderstanding what I truly wanted. Read more>>

Jesse Hernandez

Figuring out how to channel expression, music came to when I was younger. Surrounded by a household that played every type of music From Rap/HipHop to Spanish and Rock, music was always there as an escape. From performing at family parties as a kid to freestyling with friends and musicians alike, I developed the craft of producing and writing music. I began getting more into studios as a teenager. Read more>>

Masina

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Masina, that’s me! I was born and raised in Hawaii, the land of culture, music, singing, dancing and storytelling. I’ve been singing since before I could talk. I literally can’t think back to a time where music and singing was foreign to me, its always been in my blood and in my bones! I was singing, dancing, playing piano and performing from as young as five years old, it was just my thing. Read more>>

Wallace Demarria

I first fell in love with acting as a young child. I remember sitting in a theater and watching a play at the age of seven and thinking that’s what I want to do. I auditioned for my first movie at age ten. We shot the movie but it was never released because the premise was to similar to a huge production that was released first. I returned to my “normal” life after that. I graduated high school with the plans of attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Read more>>

David Chrzanowski

It was my dream to be an Olympic wrestler in school as a kid in Ann Arbor, MI. However, a stray bullet shot point blank range from a .22 derailed that dream. A few years later, a chance reading of “Death of a Salesman” gave rise to a whole new direction in my career. This tale of a family- who’s patriarch fills his son’s heads with unrealistic dreams- gutted me at the time. Read more>>

South LA

Edward Ortiz, Raul Lopez, Melvin Villatoro and Gerardo Lopez

Mano-A-Mano started off as a t-shirt brand that aimed to find a voice in the streetwear scene. Our goal was to highlight South Central culture through our brand. We then found there was a greater need for community organization, so we started to get involved in volunteer work with non-profits, attending community council meetings and building a community of creatives that can inspire future generations to pursue creative endeavors. Read more>>

Eric Hall

My story – how life molded me into a personal trainer. As a young man growing up in a place where sports was my outlet and what kept me on the right side of my life, athleticism played a big part in my life. I played pop warner football for most of my youth and ran track through Jr. High and High School. I even had the opportunity to receive a college scholarship for track. I was always looked at as a role model around my neighborhood. Read more>>

Diana Adams

My story is a compilation of various events, I’ve always been an artist ever since I could remember but never believed my natural talent could make solid career. While working my current job in the interior design field, I saw first-hand real artists making it work. We hired muralist to do hand-painted wallcovering, ceramists, sculptors, glass blowers, all artists from various fields. It was empowering and essential to push me to follow my dreams and make it work. Read more>>

Elisha Dumont

Originally from Boston, I moved to LA to pursue an acting and modeling career. I wanted to become an actress because I loved all effort, talent and work that went on to put together a show or a film but I also wanted to make a change. Since a young age, I wanted to provide a positive representation for little girls of color like me. Read more>>

Z.God

I started my professional career in 2012, but I started making music a few years before (the timeline is a little blurry by now, lol). I had a few friends that were making crazy dance music like jungle and drum and bass back in 07/08. At that time, I was super into metal and hardcore music and wanted to make some of my own so I tried learning what I could about making music from them. Read more>>

Alex Warren Jr.

The One 8ty movement is me (Alex Warren Jr). It’s my life experiences poured into the brand, What started as just a bodyweight goal (In Nov 2019) of mines that quickly blossomed into so much. Often times we talk about the 360 Turn (Which is a complete circle back to your original self), but not much about the 180 Turn (Which requires to transform leaving something old behind, to progression towards something new. Read more>>

Maximillian A.M.

My journey has lead me to a position where my primary purpose is to support creatives. It all started in Fall 2010 when I began my music career as an artist in East LA. Thankfully, I found mentors who took me under their wing from a studio in Whittier, CA. They introduced me to the music industry and taught me the inner workings of music production and networking. Read more>>

Tochtlita

A femme & multidisciplinary creative from Yangna, Occupied Tongva Territory also known as South Central, LA. I specialize in sign painting-lettering, screen printing and design. Before I could ever imagine a career in art I involved myself in organizing alongside my community, which is why my work is heavily rooted in social awareness. Motivated by my hood, matriarchs and personal experiences. Read more>>

Kasey Green

As a young girl raised in Los Angeles, I’ve always had aspirations of working in Fashion. I was unsure of where to begin my career, but a situation occurred that gave me the push I needed. In June of 2019, on a random Wednesday, I was called into HR at my former job and was told that I was being let go. Feeling confused and somewhat hopeless, I wondered what I was going to do next. Shortly after, I was asked to assist my friend with revamping her wardrobe. Read more>>

Ken Sparks

I was raised in a city called Twinsburg, a small suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up, my family always had fruit trees and a garden. I remember helping my Grandmother and Great – Grandmother in their garden when I was five years old. I started my own garden plot when I was in Middle School and had one every year until I left for college. Read more>>

Reonna Johnson

As a Black woman working in the advertising industry, I typically didn’t see many people who look like me. The more I climbed the ladder within the industry, the less black faces I saw. I’m sadly very familiar with attending industry events in NYC and in LA and always seeing the same few Black people in the crowds. When seeing the same people, who I identified with, we gave each other the standard “head nod” of “I see you”. Read more>>

Memory Thomas

It was 2015 and I was living in Vegas at this point for about three years. I was working through some personal issues at the time and I was numbing it by working all day and partying all night then waking up the next day and doing it all over again. I remember feeling extremely sad and alone. I began to feel lost. I began to feel like I was losing who I was…like my environment lacked a level of meaning especially for someone who grew up getting lost in any book I could get my hands on. Read more>>

Benedetta Chan

I’m an artist at heart I spend my days painting, crafting, and party styling, I love spending time with my family. I am married to my high school sweetheart and soul mate, Erick who is my partner he is a local long beach muralist who’s work seen in Powwow, studio 11, and painted for collectors. We have two beautiful daughters and a handsome son. They are our world! Erick is an artist and I am obsessed with DIY! Crafting is what brings character, color, and originality to {PsDeets}. Read more>>

Chef Shani

I’m the owner of Shani’s Kitchen. I started my cooking journey about two years ago after I suffered from a neck & back injury. I had just started working for a company where I was injured and because of the injury they ended up firing me. I was in a lot of pain, back & forth to the emergency room, & now without a job. I had to file for disability so I can still have income and pay my bills. I was also put on bed rest for an entire year. Read more>>

Nayan Kessee

I started making a business plan while incarcerated for operating a record label. I taught myself through college correspondence courses in prison and created a business plan for a hip hop label. While incarcerated, I earned three associates degrees, with business being my primary focus, I learned the pro and cons of business and educated myself on how to be successful. Read more>>

Kimberly Gracian

I guess I’ve always known I’ve liked art, but it all began in 5th grade when my teacher at the time had dedicated art time, it was my favorite time of the day and the teacher always complimented my work. At the time, I had no concept of what art even was I just knew I liked to doodle. When I was in 7th grade that’s when I realized I was pretty good at it, and mainly because other classmates would compliment my drawings and tell me they could never draw anything. Read more>>

The Valley

Jordan Rogers

I got my start in the entertainment business through music – it’s always been somewhat of a north star that has lead me to where I am today. I was lucky enough to receive a music scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. The experiences I had through drumline allowed me to travel all over the country and exposed me to more than what was in my backyard. While in Atlanta, I began to develop a hunger to work with Musicians, Photographers, Graphic Designers, etc. in hopes of developing their skills and positioning them to achieve their dreams. Read more>>

Jazz Shademan

My journey started as soon as I was old enough to go to concerts at 14 years old. With my disposable camera in hand, I shot some of my favorite rock/punk bands. Years later, I enrolled at Santa Monica College, got my AA in Commercial Photography, and soon after graduating I started working and shooting for music blogs, like GrimyGoods and BuzzbandsLA. I was a Product photographer by day, but concert and event shooter by night. Read more>>

Adam Foltin

I started at Summit School in New York with Gary the music instructor there, who helped me write my first song, titled “The Highway”. Around age 13, I began bass lessons with Steve Dawson, who helped me develop my songs & many years later, brought them to life. He currently recorded & produced five songs at his Los Angeles studio, for an upcoming 2020 EP, though these five songs are now available on Bandcamp. Read more>>

Jaslyn Loftin

I was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii. Growing up on an island, life was laid-back, slow, and family-oriented. I was introduced to music by my parents, who always had music playing on the weekends when they were home. We’d always have family jam sessions where people would start singing and playing instruments (in Hawaiian, it’s called “kanikapila”). Music was always a part of my life and I wrote music since I was nine, as I self-taught myself guitar and piano. Read more>>

Jennifer Jones

I am a very unique singer and songwriter with an innovative coffee-infused skincare line that just launched late June 2020. I am a Gemini, so creating two things at once completes me…..seriously! I am originally from the East Coast, and as tough and true as they come. I grew up listening to a lot of Doo-Wop, Jazz and Soul music. As a child, I always had a very raspy, deep voice but had no idea how to use it until I got older. Read more>>

Ani Amirkhanyan

I have always had a love for makeup, I was just too afraid to put myself out there and be like “others”. I knew I had skill, I just always thought I wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until my husband pushed me to reach and strive for excellence no matter if it came with failure or not. I pushed through and it paid off really well. It started to become a passion of mine, something that would light up my world. I decided to go full-on with it and I am only striving to become better and reach for the stars. Read more>>

Ash M. Warren

Ash Warren, or ‘Ashes’ as her nickname permit, hails from Los Angeles, CA. A child of both an immigrant mother from Ecuador and a SoCal born father with British roots, Warren was encouraged from a young age to be whoever she wanted to be. For the having grown up locally from the Burbank Studios, Warren’s first modeling campaign at age 3 was a Gerber Baby, and that progressively lead to a love of stage performance, film sets and then… music videos. Read more>>

Melanie Shaw

I always dreamt that I would become a writer. I wasn’t expecting to be the next Alice Walker or Ta-Nehisi Coates, but I did want my words to hold relevance in how individuals that became familiar with my work began to recognize their own existence and presence in their bodies and the world. I wanted to be a fun, transparent voice for Buzzfeed or maybe a popular blog featuring stories written by Black Women. Read more>>

Kimberly Padgett

As a farm kid growing up in Southern Maryland, I never could have dreamed the path my life would take. I found my first passion at the age of three and always knew dance would be apart of life. While earning a B.S. in Electronic Media and film from Towson University, I won four NDA titles with the Towson University Dance Team. My first dance job was with the Knicks City Dancers. I spent five years with the team, my last being a team captain. Read more>>

Inez Garcia

I have always been into beauty since I can remember, at age five when I got into my older sisters makeup bag I knew exactly where to put the eyeshadow, the blush, the lipstick and the mascara and since then my family knew I would one day make it into a career and although I had a few bumps in the road (a child at 19). Fast forward to 2013 at age 34, with a daughter in high school and after leaving the insurance industry after 11 years (2000-2011) I took a leap of faith and followed my dreams. Read more>>

Paul Zambrano

I started off wanting to be a classical pianist. That’s how I made friends really. Someone hears me play, they walk up, do that whole “omg that’s beautiful” spiel, and sometimes we become friends. Eventually, I began to take more interest in writing music after an old neighbor of mine hired me for a measly $8/hr to do various tasks, one of them was improvising at a synthesizer to make tracks for his videos. My first time doing that as a total disaster, but since then, I fell in love with the process of writing music to picture. Read more>>

West LA

Gavin Maxwell

I discovered calisthenics back in 2016 when I went out to Santa Monica Muscle beach for the first time, and I immediately fell in love with the sport and the atmosphere. Since then, I have graduated from the University of Oregon and moved to Venice, California. I started the West Coast Warriorz back in 2016 with a group of friends that shared the same passion for calisthenics. Since then, we have become one of the most well-known and established teams in the world. Read more>>

Jessica Davis and Keli Omalley

My friend Keli Omalley and I met a few years ago while volunteering for various rescue organizations. We would often go to the shelters to pick up dogs to rescue. While doing this, Keli and I noticed so many animals that were in need of medical care that sat at the shelter. These animals were passed by often due to their need for serious medical workups which could be very costly. Read more>>

Micaela Hoo

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a women’s natural skincare company I run with my mom called Drifter Organics. We started Drifter out of my own needs for clean skincare due to a chronic illness I have. I’m also a content creator and lifestyle entrepreneur focusing on ethical fashion, sustainable living, and wellness. I love thrifting, old movies, and the sunshine on my back. I’m an extroverted introvert, an optimistic cynic, and a sucker for nostalgia. Read more>>

Sky Lu

I started making piano covers of Pokemon town themes as a teenager. Through this process of interpretation, I slowly found myself adding more and more variations until one day, I ended up with a music piece that was completely different from the original song. I adopted the name Azuria Sky around 2013 when I began making music with more intention. The songs I write make up an emotional journal of sorts and are intertwined with the events in my life. Read more>>

Bianca Austria

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was my mother buying me these huge buckets of Crayola crayons and to me, it felt like receiving a pot of gold. I would spend hours in my room drawing. In my early years, I was a curious albeit shy kid. I always preferred the company of myself and my crayons. Even though my mom dressed me up in pink dresses and tiaras. Read more>>

Mai Lill

I was born in Estonia while it was still under Soviet Union occupation until restoration of its independence in 1991, Growing up I was spending a lot of time at my grandparent’s farmhouse since we didn’t have lots of toys to play with I was blessed to get deeper connection with nature and animals. I really believe that being “bored” and not getting highly stimulated as a kid helped me to get creative. Read more>>

Marcine Franckowiak

I moved to Los Angeles four years ago. I started working for a scenic company that painted Galaxy’s edge, Star Wars land at Disney. Since then, I went freelance working for hand-painted companies such as Overallmurals, Walldogs, Acme, and Old City artists. I’m so fortunate to work for such good people and have been doing work all over the city. The painted ads range from ground level walls to hanging off 30 story buildings. Read more>>

Moses Okoro

Growing up in Nigeria as a kid, I developed a passion for physical activities and sports. I enjoyed climbing trees, swinging on monkey bars, running, and playing soccer. Staying healthy and fit was kind of a survival tool as we would have to walk long miles to get to school, lift heavy baskets of water to carry back to the village, and perform physical activities when disciplined. I never complained – I didn’t realize it then that I was in my element and being prepared for my purpose. Read more>>

Kanoa Ichiyanagi

I was born and raised in Venice Beach, and though my parents weren’t musicians themselves, they often worked with many musicians, my dad used to make art, and my brother made beats, so I was still often surrounded by a creative environment. When I was around 9, I decided to learn Violin after seeing a Violinist (Julie Pusch, who later became my private teacher for the next eight years) play in a bluegrass band. Read more>>

Faiz Ghori

I’ve always had a natural affinity towards cameras. One of my earliest memories is as a toddler, maybe three or so years old, running around my childhood home, firing off a flash heads’ “test” button repeatedly. I’d sneak into the closet where my dad stored his camera gear and wrap his AE-1 around my neck, and with no film in the camera, walk around the house and pretend to document the goings-on of my house. Read more>>

Andrew Rodriquez

I was born and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada where my father worked in live entertainment as a stagehand and exposed me to the creative arts at an early age. As a child, my vivid imagination blossomed and was often my way of escaping from the environment and neighborhood I was growing up in. Around the age of eight, my passion for filmmaking started when my father brought home a video camera. I was hooked and right away started creating short films with friends. Read more>>

Emanuele Daga

Growing up in the cultural epicenter of Rome, where streets are crowded and chaotic, I developed a fascination with people watching. As a teenager, I often documented the bustling chaos of the eternal city through pictures and micro-documentaries. Intent on turning my love for anthropology into a lifelong career, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Cinema Studies in Italy and then moved to Los Angeles to complete an MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute. Read more>>

Sara Galiana

I started studying piano when I was four years old. I developed my musical skills through studying at several music schools and conservatories. I realized that I liked film music when I was 14 and from that moment, I didn’t stop fighting to do what I wanted to do. I came here to Los Angeles to study the Film Scoring Certificate after doing my degree in composition back in Spain. When I was almost finishing the certificate. Read more>>

Mya Silva

I am an artist from Brockton, Massachusetts and I just moved to LA in March. I grew up around music so I’ve always known that I wanted to be a musician. I started off playing trumpet from elementary school through high school then decided to go to Berklee College of Music as a voice principal and major in Music Business. Due to COVID, I moved to LA a little sooner than expected but now I am just focused on creating/ releasing new music under a new artist name, LÉA, and discovering myself and my place in the industry. Read more>>

Aizhou Liu

Born in Beijing and raised in Shanghai, Aizhou Liu is a bilingual singer-songwriter, multi-genre composer/producer, and freelance model based in LA. She firmly believes music to be a vehicle of storytelling and of social change. Although she is a classically trained pianist, her writing style blends influences of pop, rock, electronica, and jazz. She is the winner of the 2019 Sting Competition by WGBH/PBS and writes music for visual media. Read more>>

Mikyla Jonck

I started out creating stupid little edits as a child, using Windows Movie Maker timed perfectly to music. I think that was the defining moment for me – seeing the completed projects and feeling like I had accomplished so much to be proud of. After high school, I went straight to film school and double majored in both filmmaking and motion design. It was really in film school that I started to really discover which aspects of filmmaking I really enjoyed. Read more>>

Matt Norden

I’ve been creatively inclined throughout my life. My creative career aspirations changed maybe a thousand times from my childhood through my young adult life: magic performance, painting, baking, comedy improv, but eventually I arrived at music. Unfortunately, I was never a music prodigy. I liked music as much as the next guy, but I wasn’t very good at it as a kid. I went through every instrument in the school orchestra and School of Rock to find out that I wasn’t really good at any of it. Read more>>

Irais Cardenas

The human experience has always fascinated me and in the 25 years of life that have been gifted to me, at every curve, corner, and wall I’ve hit, an abyss of curiosity has lifted me and uniquely crafted a kaleidoscope kind of perspective for me to learn through. It has been my guide into the unknown, the fear, the discomfort, the wonder, the awe of what if— it gives me life and shines light to the creative places I get to explore. Read more>>

Derrick Fox

Before becoming a chef, I was a touring musician. Playing drums for different acts, kiis fm radio concerts, recording, and music videos. As a drummer, you’re always supporting someone else. One day I decided to do something for myself. I decided to audition for MasterChef! I have always been a fan Gordon Ramsay and his success. I decided I would give it a shot and email the show and see if I could get an audition, 20 minutes later the phone rang. Read more>>

Morgan Chitty

My parents decided to move our family, from Chicago to LA to build the life they envisioned, in 1985, when I was five years old. My brother was a one year old. We were raised in Ladera Heights, a neighborhood of relatively affluent African Americans. Ladera is couched between Culver City and Inglewood. My home, situated on Slauson Avenue made for a unique experience that influenced my identity in so many ways. Read more>>

Federico Uribe

Fashion has always been something close to my heart. My family has been involved in the textile industry for over 70 years, I naturally grew up with fashion around me. One day using a vacation in Chile, I was sitting at a beautifully set table for a lunch, on the windy pacific coastline and then it hit me- there was no appropriate dress for men at this very setting. Some were coming back from swimming in the ocean and would wrap themselves in a t-shirt and a towel, others took out the hotel bathrobes. Read more>>

Callie Lions

From a very early age, my love of beauty was influenced by my grandmother and mother. I would just sit for hours on end watching them cleanse their face and rub all sorts of lotions and potions on their skin and then be entranced by all the health food stores my mom would take me to. They planted the seed of living a Green beauty lifestyle in me without even realizing what they were doing by just being themselves lovers of beauty and a touch of hippie. Read more>>

Destiny Hagood

My story starts when I first transitioned into “going natural.” By natural I mean, wearing my natural hair out and not wearing anything that covered up the natural beauty I already possessed. I knew that I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle, inside and out. In order to do that, I had to work on self-care and self-love. During my transition, I started conducting research on many types of ingredients that I could use on my hair to ‘tame’ it. Read more>>

Posh McKoy

After earning two degrees from North Carolina Central University, POSH joined the Nordstrom family as Trend Manager for two years. Unsatisfied with the pace of the south, he interviewed for Saks, Bergdorf & Neiman’s as a stylist, and was offered all three jobs. After careful selection, he chose Saks headquarters to be a men’s luxury stylist. After gaining high-profile clientele in just six months of working there. Read more>>

Jackson Rayfield

I moved to Los Angeles sixteen years ago with a passion to work in film. Initially, I moved out here interested in pursuing acting, but over time I found myself gradually getting more immersed in the production element. I began to create my own content and found an exciting new level of self-expression. It was the best decision I could have ever made. It has been an empowering experience that fulfills me with the process of taking an idea from a concept to a finished product, which has incredible rewards. Read more>>

Pascui Rivas

My parents were both Argentinians but I was born in New York, where I lived as a child. When I was about eight years old, I moved to a small —and back then very flat— city in central Argentina, called Villa Maria. It was a beautiful place to grow up, and I was raised in a rather artistic environment. My mother was a classical ballerina, for which our home was always filled with dancers, painters, yogis, sculptors, etc. When growing up I sang in a band and we recorded our own music. Read more>>

Kim Hale

I was born and raised in Southern California. Torrance to be exact. A true native. From a young age, I demonstrated a passion, dedication as well as a love for dance and all things “showbiz” that I think made both my parents nervous. I loved to watch all the Hollywood gossip shows with my mom and on occasion she would bring with her to the movies. I remember seeing “Funny Lady” starring Barbra Streisand at age seven. Read more>>

Justin Winley

If memory serves correctly, I was in my first semester of college when I heard her mixtape (shout out to Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist). Everything about it captivated my attention. I became an instant fan, and what I found the most fascinating was her anonymity. The silhouetted image on her cover wasn’t just a gimmick — she was truly a ghost for a long time, even as her work began to garner popularity. Because her image wasn’t in play, people fell in love with her art first. I found, as many likely did, a depth and vulnerability in her lyricism that had seemed scarce among our generation of artists. Read more>>

Gregory Mueller, MD, FACS

I am a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs procedures that address the entire body, from head to toe. My emphasis has always been on everything above the shoulders as this is the majority of my practice. I have been practicing for 22 years; in 1998, I started my own boutique practice in Beverly Hills, CA. After several patients shared with me their concerns about their necks, and how they were not interested in a traditional neck lift surgery, I began searching for a minimally invasive solution to address saggy necks and less defined necks. Read more>>

GOE

In 2010, I was released from prison and had to create my own source of income. I began buying and reselling team snapbacks on the Venice Beach boardwalk. An officer approached me and told me that a law recently passed that only allows people with handmade goods or art to sell on the boardwalk. I went home, rolled some herbal and brainstormed with my wife on how I could turn the regular hats into art. Read more>>