Today we’d like to introduce you to Irina Krivolap
Hi Irina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up far from Los Angeles, in Vladivostok, in the Far East of Russia. From a young age, my dad, a passionate motorsport enthusiast, would take me to local racetracks. I vividly remember being a 4-year-old girl, sitting next to him, mesmerized by the speed and adrenaline of Speedway (flat track competition).
At the age of 16, I bought my first motorcycle, marking the beginning of a lifelong connection with two wheels.
Although I completed my graphic design studies at a university in Russia, my dream was always to work on a racetrack. Unfortunately, there were not many racetracks in my country, and I felt a strong pull to move elsewhere.
Five years ago, I moved to California, and from the moment I arrived, I knew it was the place where I belonged. Here, I could fully express my abilities and pursue my passion. Together with a group of friends, I founded WAWA Racing, a motorcycle race team. A few years later, I established LIETO Factory, a company specializing in design and production solutions for the motorsport industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the beginning, my biggest struggle was my limited English proficiency; I could barely understand people. To overcome this, I devoted countless days and nights to learning the language. Fortunately, the kindness and respect I received from the people here greatly aided my progress, and I am immensely grateful for their support.
After establishing my company, my next challenge was ensuring the quality of our products. To achieve this, I decided to take on the manufacturing process myself. Having spent most of my life as a designer working solely on a computer, this was a significant shift. I had to purchase equipment and immerse myself in learning about printing and production processes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lieto Factory?
“Lieto” means “Happy” in Italian—thus, the name Happy Factory. My passion for racing, racers, and making people happy drives everything we do at Lieto Factory. We specialize in making any team, rider, or driver look professional with our custom designs and wrapping for cars and motorcycles, team apparel, and pit setups, including canopies, flags, and table covers.
As a one-stop shop, Lieto Factory caters to both beginner and professional race teams, ensuring you stand out on the track.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
In just two years, our company has grown to become one of the leading names in the motorcycle racing industry. We collaborate with numerous major teams both within the USA and internationally, and our growth shows no signs of slowing down.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lietofactory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lieto_factory/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LietoFactory/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/wawa.racing/
