Inspiring Stories from Pasadena

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 Pasadena’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 the Pasadena’s rising stars below.

Kris De La Pena

My story is 1 of reinvention and pivoting. My whole life my dream was to take over our family’s medical practice and to get into medical school. After graduating from UCLA with a biology degree, I got into medical school, and this is where the story shifts. Read more>>

Coach Peters

Started as a basketball coach and coached at all levels. While coaching as I was training at the same time. I was the director of operations and started conducting the warmup for the program. At the same time, I was working at different fitness studios within the San Gabriel Valley. Read more>>

Deborah Fowler

Dr. Deborah Fowler‘s Journey began in the heart of Los Angeles, California, where she was born the sixth of eight children in a home filled with hardship and often lacking the resources needed to thrive. Growing up in poverty, she experienced firsthand the weight of not having access to help or support so many take for granted. Those early challenges planted a seed in her. Read more>>

Mark Ybuan

As first generation immigrants, we were always taught to keep our heads down, study hard, and to seek a stable career. It wasn’t that our parents weren’t supportive of our dreams and aspirations, they just didn’t want us to have to endure the struggles they faced. Read more>>

Rolando Marin

I’ve been geeking out on the web since the days of dial-up—that screechy modem sound was basically my theme song. Even back then, I knew I’d end up spending a big part of my life on the internet. Read more>> 

Katie O’Gara

I started dancing at the age of three, and from the very beginning, ballet captured my heart and imagination. What began as a childhood activity quickly grew into a lifelong passion, guiding my education, training, and eventually my career. Like many dancers of my generation, I grew up in a world heavily shaped by competitions. Read more>> 

Desiree De Pace

My path to becoming a therapist began nearly two decades ago, shaped by determination, long nights, and an unshakable belief in the power of growth. As a first-generation college student and biracial woman, I often found myself navigating systems not designed to support diversity, inclusion, or nontraditional students. Read more>> 

Monique Salgado

I never set out to start a business — I set out to serve mothers. When I launched DOULA IS Doula Services, my intention was simple: to walk alongside birthing people in Los Angeles with compassion, strength, and evidence-based support. What began as a personal calling has grown into a trusted and heart-centered practice serving families across LA County. Read more>> 

Zina and Juann Malki and Khoory

We had a vision of opening a bridal shop that would provide the bride and her bridal party with unique styles from around the world, different from what is seen in the mainstream, in addition to impeccable styling and custom design services. The shop is set up as an art gallery, an open concept, where the bride can touch and feel every dress. Read more>> 

Jenice Kim

I initially pursued medicine to become a family doctor, driven by a desire to form meaningful, long-term relationships with my patients. That goal ultimately led me to psychiatry after a personal experience. While in medical school, I was in a unique situation to help a family member navigate their mental health challenges with depression, anxiety, and addiction.  Read more>> 

Amy Min

I began my career in London, assisting some of the city’s most respected fashion photographers, including Nick Knight. Those early years taught me how to translate light and emotion into a story, and to see image-making as both craft and dialogue. Over time, I began working independently across advertising, editorial, and branded content. Read more>> 

Bricia Garcia

Meet Bricia Garcia – Salon Owner, Educator & Visionary Behind Salon Artistry Lounge From a young age, I was captivated by transformation — from natural to glam, from simple to radiant. I’ve always been fascinated by how beauty can make someone feel from the inside out. Read more>> 

Eunice Lee

I’m originally from the East Coast, and I came out to LA after college looking for a sense of purpose. I ended up working with undocumented Asian immigrants in a domestic violence shelter, which led me into mental health advocacy. Read more>> 

Paulina Carrillo

Beactyve started from my living room — just me, a few boxes of activewear, and my daughter by my side helping me pack every order. What began as a small dream quickly became something bigger — a way to inspire women to move with confidence, strength, and purpose. Read more>> 

Serena Teddy

For me, the need for Steddy Health started with my own story. Living with an autoimmune condition, I was told—like so many others—that this was a lifelong fate. Modern medicine has made incredible progress in slowing disease progression, but the price for that progress is often steep. Immune-suppressing drugs save lives, but they also leave patients vulnerable to infections, heart disease, and even cancers. Read more>> 

Carmine Sarazen

I always loved live music. It’s what my group of friends did growing up. In 2009 after getting sober from Heroin and Prescription drugs I decided to get into the arts as means of making a living. I needed it. Over the years I worked as a wedding photographer, photo assistant, camera op, assistant director, etc. Read more>> 

Janice Hiromi Reinold

I’ve been photographing people my entire life. My father is a photographer and he taught me a lot about posing and composition when I was little. Growing up, I loved using my film camera to capture candid moments of my family and friends. I still remember the excitement of picking up my developed photos from the store and holding my work in my hands. Read more>> 

REBECCA HERBERT

Football has always been a part of my life. I’ve been involved in the football community since my son was five years old, starting with the West Covina Bruins. What began as me helping out as a team mom grew into bigger roles such as the team’s athletic director and then vice president. Read more>> 

Victoria Dong

I am a passionate sound designer grew up in the Northeast of China. I moved to Los Angeles in 2019, with an academic background in Ancient Chinese Linguistics from Peking University. During my studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, I have dedicated myself to enhance my craft as a sound designer and re-recording mixer. Read more>> 

Nusha Nouhi

My story began at City of Hope Medical Center, the summer between my first and second year of college. I had volunteered there before, but this time was different. I was placed in the pediatric cancer wing. Read more>> 

Angelle Laigo

I was born in Saipan Northern Marianas Islands and lived in the Philippines for the first 5 years of my life and emigrated to Alhambra, California. I consider Alhambra to be my hometown as most of my childhood was spent in this little town outside of Los Angeles, where I developed a love for music at a very young age. Read more>> 

Rev. Dr. Omega S. Burckhardt

My parents were hippies who were founding a Utopian community in the Costa Rican jungle when I was conceived. They were spiritual but not religious. In fact, they were rejecting the formal religions of their upbringings. I grew up traveling between the US and southern Mexico, being homeschooled for short periods. Read more>> 

Gary Keith

I grew up in a town called Ormskirk in the UK. I left school at 15 and a half. During school, I had a paper route, and after leaving, my first job was picking Brussels sprouts for a local farmer. He paid me very little but allowed me to collect unemployment benefits to make ends meet. Read more>> 

Andrew Montes de oca

I was a college dropout — broke, uncertain, and just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I started working in coffee simply to get by, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with it — the craft, the connection, and the sense of community that forms around a good cup. That passion slowly turned into a purpose. Read more>> 

Nancy Bland

After 50+ years in the travel industry arranging meetings and conventions for large groups I lost my job due to COVID. I stayed home for two years, then decided to volunteer somewhere. I searched the internet and found that La Crescenta Woman’s Club rented their clubhouse (a 100 year old home) as a major fundraising for scholarships and other philanthropic donations. Read more>> 

Eliza Hackathorn

I was shy and anxious as a child, but acting classes gave me peace – both on stage and with the creative people around me. I loved collaborating, experimenting, tossing out ideas, and laughing at the possibilities. In 7th grade, our class play lead dropped out two days before the performance, and I stepped in. It was pure joy from start to finish. Read more>> 

Iman Cheng

I started my music studio during the pandemic, I designed the space, picked the color, logos, I even assembled every single furniture by myself. I am very fortunate to have great people surrounded me and support me throughout the journey. Read more>> 

Tony Zhu

About ten years ago, I finished my MFA in Creative Producing at CalArts. That was really the moment I stepped into the contemporary art world. For a few years, I worked in museums where I was mainly responsible for public programs in performance art. Read more>> 

Leslie Yick

My north star in this life journey has always been to help make the world better than it was when I entered it. I see myself as a soul in a human body that engages in the world through a curious experiential mindset and the grace to be authentically imperfect. Read more>> 

Leslie Maynor-Anderson

Fantasy Frostings is a family-owned wedding cake business that was founded in 1971 by Joyce Maynor in Los Angeles, California. With a passion for baking and artistry, Joyce laid the foundation for what would become a beloved institution in the wedding cake industry. Read more>> 

Gianna Rinaldi

My interest in psychology was born in my high school AP Psych class, where my teacher Miss T made the subject come to life. To this day I use her fun stories and analogies in my work and to study for my exams (the amount of times I think of her friend, Amy G. Dala …). Read more>> 

Ignacio (Nacho) de la Parra

My name is Ignacio de la Parra, but everyone calls me Nacho. I am a Muay Thai and MMA fighter, Striking coach and personal trainer. I’m originally from Zaragoza, Spain, and am currently based in Los Angeles. I began my martial arts career at the age of 14 and very quickly fell in love with it. Read more>> 

Anthony Britton

Dr. Anthony Britton, DC Founder • Sports Chiropractor • Martial Arts Champion Dr. Anthony Britton is more than a chiropractor—he’s a lifelong athlete, coach, and competitor with a deep passion for performance, recovery, and resilience. Known in the community as “Sensei,” Dr. Read more>> 

Audra Baruch

I grew up in Manhattan, New York with a very creative family; my paternal grandfather was a Broadway producer who played piano, my mother was a stage actress, and my dad was an entertainment lawyer for Broadway, so I basically grew up surrounded by theater and music. Read more>> 

Jordan Meinster

My journey started with a frustration: recreational basketball lacked structure and professionalism. I grew up playing the game and spent countless hours in gyms, but the experience was often inconsistent and chaotic. I believed there had to be a better way to play PickUp basketball — one that was organized, fair, and delivered in a professional environment. Read more>> 

Carmen Montenegro-Sis

Entrepreneurship forced me to sit with and work through my fears, build uncertainty tolerance, and expand my mindset. As trees grow when planted in the appropriate environment, I also learned how to equip myself. I allowed myself to build the team I needed to flourish. I’ve been willing to invest in my business through business coaching and continuing education to enhance my clinical skills and grow personally. I am a lifelong student. Read more>>

Olivia Smith

I founded Media Consulting Coaches to help executives, entrepreneurs and creatives build confidence on camera, craft compelling messages and harness AI and digital tools to stand out. Our clients range from institutions like USC and the United Nations to individual professionals. Read more>>