Inspiring Stories from DTLA

The heart of our mission at VoyageLA is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of the LA’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool.  Check out LdoetzerA’s rising stars below.

Lelund Hollins

My path started with a deep connection to music and storytelling at a young age, which eventually developed into a career in creative production and writing. While my journey included personal and physical challenges that reshaped my direction, those experiences strengthened my vision and discipline. Over time, I built my skills across multiple creative fields and focused on producing work that reflects authenticity and impact. Read more>>

Vanessa Gonzalez

My background actually started in creative and communications work, where I spent a lot of time thinking about storytelling.. Photography grew out of that because I’ve always been fascinated by how stories and identity can be expressed visually. Over time, I felt pulled toward more personal and human-centered work, which led me deeper into photography and eventually into building QNDM Collective. Read more>>

Kathryn Boren

My path into marketing and communications has never been linear, but it has always been rooted in purpose. I began as a writer and English major who believed deeply in the power of language to shape how people understand the world. Read more>>

Rony Trujillo

When I first arrived in this country from El Salvador, my brother was working for a roofing company and helped me get my first job as a laborer. I started at the bottom, learning the trade hands-on, one roof at a time. What began as an opportunity quickly turned into a career. Over the last 24 years, roofing hasn’t just been my job… Read more>>

Connie Cossio

My father ‘The Godfather of Seafood” was the founder of Coniseafood. We started from our backyard back in 1989 in 1998 he opened the inglewood location, he is my inspiration and I am so proud of him that I followed his footsteps and became a chef learned everything from him and eventually took over in 2005. Read more>>

Hector Islas

My journey into photography wasn’t traditional. I began learning Photoshop toward the end of high school out of pure curiosity. While pursuing my Electrical Engineering degree at California State University, Los Angeles, those skills helped me land a part-time job at a local photo lab. At the time, I never imagined photography would become my career. I was focused on engineering. Read more>>

Kyle Gordon

My name is Kyle and I was born and raised in Thousand Oaks. Growing up I always had a fascination with art, animation, and technology, and knew from a young age I wanted to have a career fusing these fields. Read more>>

Eve Gurbazar

I’ve been doing nails for over 12 years, but for me it was never just about nails. It started as a way to support myself, and somewhere along the way it became a way to connect with people. Read more>>

Mari Beltrán

I grew up in LA’s Miracle Mile, around the corner from ‘Museum Row’, and regularly spent time at the Tar Pits, LACMA, Craft Contemporary and the Petersen Auto Museum. I was lucky that at such an early age I developed a deep appreciation for art, natural history, and craftsmanship. That exposure to craft has shaped how I view material: as something that carries memory. Read more>>

Vanessa Wilson

I started Colombia Parce with very little — just a tent, a few tables, and a big belief in my culture. We began in Boyle Heights, serving Colombian street food at local pop-ups and community events. It wasn’t glamorous. Some days were slow, some days were chaotic, and many days were exhausting. Read more>>

CJ Du Trieux

You do… what?’ is the common question when I share that I host cuddle parties. In 2019, I stumbled across Cuddle Sanctuary and was intrigued. I found out that a cuddle party is a consent and communication class with mindfulness exercises, slowing down to really tune into ourselves and listen to our instincts. Read more>>

Arthur Gonzalez

Quantum Groove was created because I felt like Los Angeles was missing a true daytime house music experience. We’ve always had great nightlife and rooftop parties, but there wasn’t a space where you could hear properly curated house music during the day with real production and intentional booking — especially for the millennial and Gen X crowd that helped build this culture. Read more>>

Courtney McVey

I’m the founder of Modena Consulting, a boutique strategy and design studio that helps women-led service businesses build brands and systems that feel intentional, clear, and sustainable. My path here has been shaped by several chapters. I studied in Northern California, where I first developed a strong appreciation for creative thinking and independent problem-solving. Read more>>

Brian Goddard

It’s great to reconnect! When we last spoke back in 2020 about the recording studio, I was deeply focused on building my foundation in the audio world. But my story actually goes back a bit further—I’ve been immersed in this industry for a long time, starting all the way back with an internship at NFL Films in 2008. Read more>>

Jesse Bliss

I was born intrinsically loving theatre. I saw my first play at 6 at my school, starring my mom’s best friend, but I didn’t have access. I spent a lot of time creating my own scenes and dances that I would jump other kids into, culminating in starting a Drama Department at my elementary school. Since I could hold a pen, I would write. Read more>>

Dennis Williams

Dennis Williams (DeWill) is a visionary screenwriter and playwright whose creative journey has been marked by groundbreaking productions that redefine storytelling in the entertainment industry. With a trailblazing start in 2009, he astounded audiences with “I Just Want 2 Sing,” produced by production company Legendary Studio Shows. Read more>>

Alynn Cauldwell

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in the Naples neighborhood of Long Beach, California. I have been practicing psychotherapy since 2004 and opened my private practice in 2017 with a clear vision: to create a space where people feel safe, understood, and empowered to heal. Read more>>

Michael and Adelle McKinney

In 1997 we began Promise Christian University as a religious exempt school under the auspices of World for Jesus International in the fellowship hall of the Covina Nazarene Church. Read more>>

Chidinma Ibemere

My journey began when I joined Halima Layeni, the founder of the Life After Abuse Foundation, as a volunteer on 16th November 2016 during one of her outreach programmes. That opportunity birthed my purpose. My mission was clear, to advocate for closing the gaps in education and to support the marginalised to lead fulfilling lives. What began as awareness outreach in secondary schools gradually evolved. Read more>>

Debora Fadul

Nineteen years ago, Diacá began as a small catering project, rooted in a desire to cook in a personal and thoughtful way, bringing refined food to private tables and intimate gatherings. After a decade of learning, experimentation, and shaping an identity through catering, the project naturally evolved into Diacá. Read more>>

Elisabeth Granli

My parents were not together, I was raised by my mother and a man I grew up believing was my father. I learned the truth, that this man was not my father when they divorced when I was 9, and I never saw him again. It was a shocking incident to me….We also moved a lot and it all contributed to a lock of stability. Read more>>

Fumika Tanokashira

I moved to the United States from Japan in 2020. Before that, I worked as an engineer while also spending over 12 years studying Japanese culture—especially the history and artistry of Japanese swords. Through that journey, I encountered urushi (Japanese lacquer), a material that has been deeply woven into everyday Japanese life for thousands of years, with a history that dates back nearly 9,000 years. Read more>>