Inspiring Stories from Hollywood

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 Hollywood’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 Hollywood’s rising stars below.

Sang Park

“I originally wanted to become an entertainer in Korea, so I spent time preparing for that path. But as I went through that process, I realized what drew me in more. was the creative work behind the scenes. I became really interested in makeup, hairstyling, and styling, and decided to study them seriously. Read more>>

Erik Maes

My name is Erik Maes and I am an LA-based jewelry designer hand-making my fresh collection of gold and sterling silver rings, earrings, necklaces, cuffs, bangles, and buckles. I utilize casting methods and sculptural techniques both common and creative. Read more>>

Graham Bockmiller

I’ve been living in LA for the last 15 years, playing in bands, producing, and writing music. My music journey started when I got my first acoustic guitar at age 11. Then decided I wanted an electric guitar. So on Christmas Day when I was 13, my parents got me a purple Fender Stratocaster because I was really into Jimi Hendrix at the time. Read more>>

Brooklyn Jones

I actually started out as a rapper. But as I got older, I came to a crossroads and decided that I was too old to be rapping. Looking back, I was completely wrong! There are rappers starting their careers now who are older than I was then, but for some reason, when you’re young, you think you’re old. Haha! Read more>>

Chris Lee

My journey into talent representation began with a clear purpose: to redefine how Asian talent—and particularly Asian men—are seen, valued, and celebrated in media. Growing up, I saw firsthand how limited, stereotypical portrayals on screen leaked into real-world perceptions. Asian men were rarely allowed to be the heroes, the heartthrobs, or the complex, multi-dimensional leads. Read more>>

August Rigo

I started doing music from way back as a child. My dream was to become Michael Jackson lol. I saw a video of him from Motown 85 when he first did Billie Jean and the moonwalk and I was sold on what I wanted to do which was music. Read more>>

Pedro Peixoto

My story with music started in Brazil, long before I imagined it could become my profession. I was playing guitar, recording music in bedrooms, and becoming increasingly fascinated not only by the songs themselves, but by why certain records made me feel something. Interestingly, my original path was very different. I studied Electrical Engineering at university and was following a much more conventional career. Read more>>

Ian  Maxion

I grew up in my mother’s salon, so beauty was around me long before I ever thought of it as a career. I watched her create a space where people came in not just to look better, but to feel better. I think that stayed with me. My own path wasn’t necessarily a straight line. Read more>>

Freddy Falcon

I’ve always wanted to make movies since I was a little kid. I grew up in not the best neighborhoods, so movies were an escape for me. I was riveted by these worlds and characters created on the tv in my house. It never felt like someone created it, just they were alive. Read more>>

Fatma Balouli

My journey in dental ceramics has always been driven by a love for art, beauty, and the details that make a smile feel natural and personal. Over the years, I developed a particular passion for high-end cosmetic dentistry, especially veneers, crowns, implants, and full-smile transformations. Read more>>

Dusty Roze  Jasso

WITH HER FRIST FASHION INTERNSHIP AT 15 & NO FORMAL EDUCATION PRIOR TO ATTENDING FIDM, JASSO QUICKLY PROVED SHE HAD A TALENT AND FERVOR FOR FASHION DESIGN. RECEIVED THREE, FULL YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS FROM GUESS INC. SCHOLARS PROGRAM & WAS A FINALIST FOR THE FIDM NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION. JASSO GRADUATED FIDM IN 2017 WITH A B.A IN FASHION DESGIN. Read more>>

Eddie Smith

Thank you… I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When I was an adolescent the city was one of the epicenters of the progressive jazz movement. I was fascinated with the Pittsburgh pianists, Erroll Garner, Ahmed Jamal, Marylou Williams, Earl Hines, Billy Strayhorn and others. I avidly listened to their lush chord voicings and unique interpretations of the American song book. Read more>>

Dain Kim

I originally started out as a graphic design major in Seoul, and during that time, I began making jewelry as just a hobby. I quickly fell in love with not only the creative and hands-on process, but also the experience of selling my pieces and connecting with customers. Read more>>

Dani Klein Modisett

The first time I came to LA was at 26 with $500.00 and an alumni directory. My first job was on the original Matlock! I played a girl in a cult. Read more>>

BRENDAN BRADLEY

I initially started out on a very traditional track, graduating from NYU Tisch and training at RADA in London. But in between open calls and background acting, I soon realized that instead of auditioning for short films and commercials, I could make my own. Read more>>

Stephanie Smith

I started my career in the beauty and fashion industry over a decade ago after attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), where I studied Visual Communications, and later pursuing professional training in hair. My very first production opportunity was with Playboy, and from there my career began to grow in ways I could have never fully predicted. Read more>>

David Jofre

I grew up in the Northern part of Chile, and when I was about 12, I watched a behind the scenes TV show about how movies were made. In that moment, something just clicked. Acting seemed like a pretty impossible dream back then, but I started making short films, doing theater, and eventually moved to Santiago and studied Film Production. Read more>>

Philippe Morotti

I was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to an Italian Father and a French Mother. My Judo journey began at the age of 12. I left Sweden at the age of 26. I lived in Italy and France for a while, before landing in Los Angeles. It was here that I one day stumbled on Hollywood Judo Dojo, a club that was founded in 1932. Read more>>

Claire Wasserman

I was 30, working in experiential marketing in the ad and tech worlds, and I went to a big advertising festival to bring in clients. Instead I spent the week getting asked whose wife I was, and having a man slur ‘you’re hot’ at me while I pitched him a business idea. I came home and slept for two days. Read more>>

Ayush Abhigyan

When I was a little kid, my grandfather once asked me, “What do you want to become when you grow up?” My answer was simple: an actor. I didn’t really know what being an actor meant back then. I just thought you could become anything if you became an actor. You could be an astronaut, a doctor, a superhero—just about anything. Read more>>

Caroline Mariko Stucky

In my early twenties, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had dropped out of college because the academic route didn’t fit me. My sister gave me a pamphlet about an international film summer program in LA. I was born in Switzerland and lived most of my life there. Read more>>

Darlene Darling

I started singing and songwriting as a kid, spending hours in my bedroom daydreaming and building a little world of my own. I would perform and sing my songs for friends and family, and it was something I loved so much. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a performer. Read more>>

Mike Terrell

My name is Mike Terrell. I’m originally from Philadelphia, PA, and currently based in Los Angeles. I’m a singer, songwriter, actor, vocal producer, and creative, but music has really been the foundation of my life for as long as I can remember. I started singing around eight years old in church. Read more>>

Regina Tseikhin

My journey with The Beauty Box began in 2005 in West Hollywood, California. I saw an opportunity to create something different in the beauty industry, a place where customers could discover unique, high-quality beauty products and emerging brands that weren’t always easy to find. From the very beginning, I believed the future of retail would extend far beyond a physical storefront. Read more>>

Alex Kolodkin

I started Set Scouter because I had trouble finding film-friendly spaces. While working as a commercial and corporate producer, I found location scouting to be one of the slowest and most fragmented parts of putting a shoot together. We often relied on personal networks or scattered listings. Even when a location looked right, it was not always prepared for what a production involved. Read more>>

Ivo Spirov

I grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, and creativity was always a big part of my life. Drawing became a way for me to imagine different worlds, and I was especially in love with animation and the way a character could communicate an entire personality or story. Read more>>

Andrew Svistunov

My commercial career started in Ukraine, when e-commerce brands were just discovering social media. I built a team of freelance creators and we bid on and delivered projects with a fast turnaround. As the work grew, I began producing materials for political clients as well—including the European Party of Ukraine and embassies in Kyiv. You can’t stretch small-crew social work into true high-end production forever. Read more>>

Priscilla Ahn

I’m originally from a small town in Pennsylvania. I moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19. After 2 years of playing open mics and waiting tables, I was about to pack it in and move back home to PA and go to college. A friend of mine was very adamant that I needed to stay and persevere a little longer. Read more>>

Young Man Kang

My journey as a filmmaker has always been about creating opportunities rather than waiting for them. I started as an independent filmmaker, writing, producing, and directing my own projects. Over the years, I have directed seven feature films and more than 30 series, with my work distributed internationally. Read more>>

The Contaminator

I, The Contaminator has reincarnated onto Earth to carry out a mission to reconnect the human-consciousness back to one-ness. I couldn’t do this alone, so I sought after 4 other supernatural femmes to help me do our bidding. Read more>>

KillemAll  Coop

I’m a Seattle raised artist who’s lived in LA for 10 years. I take pride in high-concept audio-visual releases. Enhancing the visual experience is just as important as the music nowadays. I honestly believe I’m the best rapper with a 9-5 Job. I have a background in finance and sales. That’s helped me learn over the years how important representation is. Read more>>

Uriel Marshall

I’m Uriel Marshall, a Brazilian singer-songwriter born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Music has been the central driving force of my life, shaping how I connect with the world and express the cultural vibrancy of my roots. My relationship with music started early. Read more>>

George Steeves

I moved here from Pennsylvania 18 years ago this month. August of 2026 marks my 18 year anniversary of living in Southern California. Read more>>

Israel and Anthony Aquino and Torsarkissian

Red Stag Construction works throughout Los Angeles on high-end residential and commercial projects with an emphasis on the custom, unique, and architecturally distinctive. From custom homes and major renovations to commercial spaces and restoration work, we’re drawn to projects that go beyond standard construction. Read more>>