Inspiring South Bay Stories

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 South Bay’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rebel rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool.  Check out the area’s rising stars below.

 

David Kyle Bond

Oh boy, that’s sort of a long story. I encountered attachment theory in a Psychology of Intimacy course my senior year at Gonzaga University, and walked away with language to make sense of what I’d experienced before and after leaving my family home. The professor, Dr. Read more>>

Scott Mallone

Since as early as I can remember, I loved being creative. I’d spend hours alone in my room building LEGO worlds straight out of my imagination. I grew up in a musical house. My dad played drums, my mom played piano and sang. I’m incredibly grateful for that heritage. Read more>>

Joel Berroteran

A childhood highlight for me was immersing myself in all kinds of cartoons, comics, graffiti, and art classes. I loved re-creating what I saw and retelling those stories in my own way. That early passion for the arts naturally led me toward a career in digital creativity. I first majored in graphic design after being introduced to it in high school and learning the fundamentals. Read more>>

Ebony Belser

My name is Ebony Belser CEO/Founder of ECBCREATIONS, LLC. A multifaceted brand/business where I specialize in handmade crochet clothing, accessories, Vegan Cosmetics, and home goods. Today I would like to focus on ECBC LLC’s GROWING sister brand Ecbcosmetics. After a few years in business being a handmade brand overall, I wanted to branch out more to exploring other interest of mine, by hand of course. Read more>>

Nathalia Rotella

I’m originally from Brazil and had been living in Miami before moving to Los Angeles, and that transition ended up shaping the beginning of ELLA. My background is in business analysis, digital transformation, and marketing, and although that corporate foundation taught me a lot, I always felt drawn to a space where creativity and strategy could coexist more freely. Read more>>

Allie Galasso

As everyone does, I have a long form and short form story. I like the short one though! I randomly started doing yoga in 2012. None of my friends were into it and I was seeking change in my life at that point so I was happy to be riding solo and doing something just for myself because I hadn’t really ever done that before. Read more>>

Cess Va

Cesspooool — or Cesspooool.com — started as a raw, DIY punk-inspired fashion project, but it’s grown into a full print-on-demand and custom merch hub for the South Bay community. Founded and run entirely by Cess, every piece on the site is created, designed, and produced by hand with the same independent spirit it began with. Read more>>

Jack Kennedy

I was born in Ohio, moved around the Midwest and eventually to Alabama. I always knew I wanted to be an actor and a writer but never really thought I would. My junior year in high school I performed a heartwarming turn as the Mock Turtle in the local production of Alice in Wonderland and I was hooked. Read more>>

David Ifediba

My story really began in March 2020, when the world shut down and I moved back home in the middle of my senior year at UC Riverside. I graduated online with a degree in Psychology, expecting to pursue a Ph.D. in social psychology. But the pandemic shifted everything. Read more>>

Diana Nguyen

My story began in corporate finance and consulting — a world of structure, strategy, and transformation. I spent over 15 years working with large companies, helping teams navigate complex projects and change. While I learned so much in that world, a part of me always knew I wanted to build something that blended business with heart — something that inspired people beyond spreadsheets and processes. Read more>>

Jerry Witt

A couple years ago I found myself on hiatus from television production. I work as a graphic artist and animator and I was looking for a creative project during the break. I designed a few shirts entirely for myself, just for fun. One of them, a Hawaiian shirt celebrating Lucha Libre, consistently got remarks like ‘cool shirt’ or folks asking where I got it. Read more>>

Andrea Kitchen

My name’s Andrea and I’m the Director of Community Impact at A Sense of Home helping prevent homelessness by creating homes and a community for youth aging out of the foster care system in Los Angeles. Read more>>

Linda Keller

I started running after college when I realized I needed a hobby, and I had no idea how much it would change my life. Running became where I found my people and a space where I learned how far I could push myself. Read more>>

Jordan Pace

Starting with scribbles in her baby book, creating has been within Jordan Pace from a very young age. Raised in Compton, CA, and educated all around the Los Angeles area, Jordan knew art would be the foundation of all her future endeavors. Read more>>

Daniela Jimenez

My journey towards filmmaking began at a young age with a love for storytelling. Like many young kids, I crafted my own fantasy world with my dolls, inspired by the moments I came across in real and unconventionally fueled by the telenovelas I would watch daily with my mom. Read more>>

Gregg Wietstock

When I was around 5 years old I was put in accordion lessons, my mom sang in the church choir. When I was 9 I heard a neighbor playing Creedence, Down on the Corner. Looking back I believe that was how I was drawn to the bass as my instrument. Read more>>

Tori Schladen

My interest and future career path working with children that have unique developmental and health challenges began with an internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI) in 1984 when I was an undergrad. The students I worked with attended the school at the NPI. I couldn’t help but wonder about their families. When was their child diagnosed? What was that experience like for them? Read more>>

Ryan Nowicki

I grew up poor, but I was raised well. My childhood didn’t come with many material comforts, but it came with the things that mattered most, such as kindness, gratitude and the unwavering belief that if you worked hard and treated people well, good things could happen. Growing up with very little teaches you lessons that stick with you for life. You learn resourcefulness. Read more>>

Rebecca Hoetzel

My name is Rebecca Hoetzel and I am originally from Bonn, Germany. I moved to NYC in 2008 to pursue a career in acting and singing which a lot of us know, is an incredibly tough business to be in.  Read more>>

Jordana Johns

Hi! I’m Jordana. My story starts a little further afield than my beautiful town of South Torrance. I was born across the pond in the Emerald Isle, Dublin, Ireland. I own and run a music and acting school in South Torrance, The Creative Factory. The spark for The Creative Factory was ignited in 2022 when my twin boys were diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Read more>>

Bob Harper

After hatching from a dinosaur egg, a schlock movie promoter and his mischievous wife stole me from the fossil park near Dallas, Texas. They raised me along with a few other strays they had gathered from various locales. Surrounded by films and eccentric characters from my friends and family, I grew into an odd fellow. Read more>>

Wilfredo Williams

It all started as an Air Force member being stationed at Edwards AFB around 2003. Learning the California seeing where I can get my talents heard as well begin the recording. Over time, I decided to pass out a free mixtape that eventually got in the hands of a promoter that knew a few people. Read more>>

flo jenkins

I started my actual professional writing career as the youngest (at the time) 1st Black Editor of a national Black teen entertainment magazine, called RIGHT ON! MAGAZINE. It was a hit publication not just a huge hit in the U.S. but internationally–especially with young people in London and the Bahamas. Read more>>

Sherman Wellons

My early years were spent with my nose in a comic book. Both my father and I were passionate about comics and together, we explored the worlds of Spider-Man, Batman, X-Men, IronMan, Hulk, Conan, GhostRider, and Spawn. Read more>>

Elise Joan

After graduating from The College of William and Mary, I kicked off my professional journey doing Musical Theater in New York, which at the time was my dream career! During the run of a Broadway Tour, I realized I had vocal damage that ended my singing career in one doctor’s visit. Read more>>

Ashlee Edwards

I like to joke that I became a private money lender by “minding my business and listening to podcasts.” In 2022, I kept hearing about something called a self-directed IRA (SDIRA). The first time I heard about it on a podcast, I was intrigued but busy, so I filed it away in my mind. Read more>>

Orleatha Smith

I never planned on building a beverage company. I was just trying to feel like myself again. My body started reacting to caffeine in ways I could no longer ignore. My hormones were all over the place, my stress levels were high, and my gut was basically filing complaints. I loved my morning ritual though, so the idea of giving up coffee felt dramatic. Read more>>

SK Stokes Kennedy

Since I was a kid, I’ve always had this instinct to see how things could be more elevated, more beautiful, more intentional. I was the one helping my sisters build out their business ideas, taking on leadership roles in school, creating clubs, and doing everything I could to make people feel included and inspired in whatever space we were in. Read more>>

Heidi Tann

Heidi Tann – Billboard-Charting International Recording Artist Filipina-American singer-songwriter Heidi Tann is a Billboard-charting artist known for her captivating fusion of jazz, pop, R&B, bossa nova, and Latin jazz. With a voice that is both soulful and sophisticated, Heidi has performed internationally across Asia, connecting with audiences in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Guam. Read more>>

Jackie VanSloten

When I moved west, first to Portland and later to Los Angeles, my love for movement evolved into a love for the outdoors. I started climbing, surfing, skiing, and running trails around the world, from the rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon to the summits of the Tetons and volcanoes in Chile. Those experiences shaped not just my body but my mindset, reinforcing resilience, curiosity, and the ability to push past perceived limits. Read more>>

Mark Martinez

I am where I am at today because of God, friends, family, and good people helping me along the way! I had two great parents that gave me a solid foundation. They instilled in me, by example, that education, hard work, doing the right thing, having faith in God and drawing on your loved ones in times of despair is all one really needs. Read more>>

Karla Reyes

the road has been so full of surprises and challenges, the main one for me was learning the new language and the different traditions of the U.S. I remember I had a hard time expressing myself in English, because it was hard and, new and In our household spanish was spoken 99% of the time. I made a decision one day,,, find a boyfriend who doesn’t speak Spanish, So i met my current partner ( doesnt know spanish) and i basically forced my self to speak more english to be able to communicate with him. Now im even learning French! Read more>>

Jena Pomeroy

One of the biggest challenges has been navigating a world where access to land, wellness, and even time outside is often a privilege. When you’re talking about food sovereignty, ancestral healing, and equitable access to nature, you’re not just planting seeds—you’re confronting systems of disconnection and injustice that run deep. That can be exhausting work, especially when you’re trying to do it without burning out or burning bridges. Read more>>

Jake Kim

I’ve always believed that technology should bring people closer together — not just make life easier. That belief became the foundation for SodaGift, a global gifting platform that allows people to send local, meaningful gifts across borders instantly. The idea came from a simple frustration: sending a thoughtful gift to someone abroad was surprisingly difficult. Read more>>

 

Yelena Ladanyi

About TWIGZ Floral & Event Design I was truly born into floristry. My grandfather, a botany professor, introduced my sister and me to the endlessly fascinating and magical world of flora when we were little. Read more>>