Rising Stars: Meet Shervin Azizi of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shervin Azizi.

Hi Shervin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Originally from Iran, I grew up in an artistic household surrounded by painting, writing, and music, so art has always been a core element of my life. Even though my professional path led me to become a CPA, I have remained deeply connected to the creative world, attending as many quality theatre productions, galleries, and musical performances as I can. I try to stay engaged with the world around me and keep up with the political scene as well.
I’m an avid listener of everything from classical music to jazz or folk to progressive rock. I also enjoy playing the guitar and occasionally write my own music. During my CPA prep, I wrote an acoustic folk ballad about the “Business Environment & Concepts” section to help me memorize the material and lighten the mood. It started as a personal project, but when I shared it with my study group, they loved it and found it a uniquely fun and informative way to learn. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/YQm8Zm7NTMw?si=sQNNk-ppvQH1sZKI .

I’ve always been passionate about theatre and that eventually led me to co-found the Sixty Six Theater Co. in West Hollywood with a friend. I helped handle the formation of the company and secured a crucial grant following the COVID-19 shutdowns. The project created a small but meaningful space for local artists to present thought-provoking work. Although our paths separated with that team, it solidified my desire to support the theater community.
In late November of 2025, I officially joined the board of directors for City Garage Theatre (recently recognized by the LA Times as one of the best 52 theaters in SoCal). I plan to use my financial background to support their governance and oversight, but I also look forward to participating in discussions regarding literary themes and future artistic programming.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think any road is ever smooth. The journey to becoming a CPA certainly demanded a lot of self development in terms of discipline and resilience. On a personal level, my wife and I had to live seven years apart and sustain our relationship through brief yearly visits. Going through that period while creating a community in a new city was challenging, but it taught me patience and perspective.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I mentioned, I’m a CPA working in tax and accounting at a firm in West LA. I’ve learned a lot by reading the autobiographies of astronauts (as many as I could get my hands on). It taught me to “sweat the small stuff” (to borrow a phrase from Chris Hadfield) and heighten my standards. This gave me a great perspective and helped me be thorough, resilient, and detail-oriented in my work.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The astronaut autobiographies I mentioned in the previous question helped me fine tune my risk appetite. Life without any risk is disheartening and boring. As Saltykov Shchedrin, a classic Russian satirist, put such a life in a brilliant short fable:
Terrified of the dangers outside, a wise minnow (fish) decides to spend his entire life hiding in a dark hole just to stay safe.
He succeeds in outliving everyone else, but he ends up alone and miserable.
If you spend all your energy avoiding risk, you might stay alive, but it will be a rather meaningless life.

That said, I prefer risk to be calculated and proportionate to the reward.

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