The heart of our mission at VoyageLA is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In recent weeks we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of West LA’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 West LA’s rising stars below.
Suzanne Bukinik
I came to psychotherapy as my second act. My first career was in the television industry — work that was fun, creative, and deeply rewarding. After two decades, however, I felt ready for a change. I wanted to do something that felt more personally meaningful and aligned with how I wanted to contribute to the lives of other people. Read more>>
Tuesday White
My name is Tuesday White. I’m an Italian-American woman, born in Italy. I spent the first two years of my life surrounded by my Italian family and friends, and a few years later my mom and I moved to Los Angeles, which has been home ever since. Growing up in a creative and supportive environment really shaped who I am today. Read more>>
Prerana Rai
I started working on Melrose back in 2018, and from the beginning I felt a deep connection to the community and the energy of the neighborhood. I used to dream that one day I’d have a place of my own on Melrose a space where people felt cared for, understood, and welcomed. Read more>>
Remo Fioroni
I grew up in Vegas and was raised by a single parent; my father, who worked as a teacher, but drove a cab on the weekends to keep food on the table. Read more>>
Sophie Blowfield
Although I live in Los Angeles now, my journey started in London (where I was born and raised) with a Graphic Information Design degree at Westminster University—I’d initially dreamed of fashion design, but quickly realized editorial and media were my true passions. This degree was perfect because it fulfilled all my interests: art history, creativity, editorial, media, and advertising. Read more>>
Ariyan Parvaresh
My path to design wasn’t a straight line—it was a calling. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and planning for law school, I took a step back and chose to pursue what had always inspired me most: architecture and design. Read more>>
Ruili Wang
I’ve always been fascinated by how space can shape emotion and behavior, and that curiosity is what first drew me toward architecture. I began my journey in China, where early internships exposed me to fast-paced project environments and large-scale urban work. Those experiences helped me build a strong technical foundation — from drafting and modeling to understanding how different disciplines collaborate in real projects. Read more>>
Taylor Doherty
I started my podcast, originally called Taylor’d to You, right after college while commuting from my parents’ house in the Chicago suburbs to the city. Read more>>
Julia Vanderput
I always say my life did not start in one place. It started in the in-between. I was born in Brazil and raised across cultures. That is probably where my obsession with subcultures and human behavior began. I watched how people build identity through the things they gather around: music, nightlife, belief and each other. Read more>>
Tina Sarkisyan
As an undergraduate biology student, I was captivated by the quiet poetry of life at its earliest beginnings. I fell in love with genetics, the reproductive process, and the extraordinary intelligence of the human body—especially women’s health. I knew I wanted a career that combined science, compassion, and education, but I didn’t yet know where that path would lead. Read more>>
Angelica Hernandez
My husband Julio and I both grew up outside of Los Angeles. I’m from Albuquerque, NM and he’s from Chiapas, Mexico. We both moved to Los Angeles to play in the best Mariachis in the world. He played with Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and with Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano (respectively). Read more>>
Antonio Hardy
Our story really starts back in 2022. I created A Conversation Worldwide as a personal outlet. It began as a podcast where I could sit down with people, have real conversations, talk openly about mental health, and just connect with more humans on a deeper level. It was never about going viral — it was about building a space where honesty and community came first. Read more>>
Laura Bermejo Abellan
I began my professional career in entertainment in 2017, even though I had been making shorts before that. I studied Film and Media Studies in Madrid, at the University Carlos III, where I first connected with like-minded friends who were as excited about making movies as I was. But when I graduated, finding a job wasn’t easy. Read more>>
Ronit Greenspan
I grew up on the Upper West Side of New York, in a world that was culturally rich and intellectually stimulating, but also highly competitive. From a young age, I was surrounded by people who valued education, achievement, and ambition, and that environment instilled in me a drive to set high standards for myself. Read more>>
Matt Tuley
I was born and raised in an idyllic suburb a little north of Houston, TX. Heavily involved in theatre, choir and performing live music around my little hidden community. Enrolled in 2015 at Oklahoma City University to study theatre. Worked at a minor league ballpark in entertainment as my summer gig. Read more>>
Lauren Schneider
I discovered my love for interior design in my early twenties while nannying for a family who was undergoing a major home renovation. Watching their space transform sparked something in me—I realized I had both the curiosity and the creative instinct to pursue design professionally. Read more>>
JT & Debbie Moye’
We started our journey as husband and wife who managed separated businesses here in LA but hardly saw each other. We took a long walk on the beach to discuss a plan to start a business and be together most of our golden years. We came up with gymnastics with a twist… Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course Training. Read more>>
Beulah Polito
I grew up surrounded by images that felt almost sacred. My father wasn’t a photographer by trade, but he had an artist’s eye. The portraits he took of my mother and our family were so striking, so intentional, that I found myself studying them over and over as a child. Those photographs shaped me. Read more>>
Ale Fips
I’m Ale Fips, an actress and producer from Guadalajara, Mexico. I started performing as a kid in regional theatre, starring in musicals like El Príncipe Rana and Peter Pan at Teatro Galerías. My career later expanded into television with Disney Channel, TV Azteca, and Televisa, as well as internationally on LATV. I eventually transitioned into film with Cinelatino/Hulu. I moved to the U.S. Read more>>
Cristin D.
Emotional instability has a cost, and it always shows up in your finances, your habits, and your choices.’ I never planned on becoming an entrepreneur. I actually started as a poet—writing was the only way I knew how to survive the weight of the relationships that had broken me. But poetry didn’t just help me cope; it woke up my curiosity. Read more>>
Rockstar Vuitton
What inspired my journey to establish Avenue Of The Starz LLC? My passion for executing goals and turning them into reality. The name was inspired by the street in Century City California near Beverly Hills, The Golden Triangle. Read more>>
Chris Ferqueron
In my twenties, I launched a pizza restaurant in North Carolina, gaining invaluable entrepreneurial experience. After several years, I returned home to Florida and began my journey in the home building industry. Starting with tract homes, I learned the business through hands-on repetition, developing strong organizational and time management skills, as well as a deep understanding of customer satisfaction. Read more>>
Mego Lin
I was born and raised in Taiwan, went to Oregon for college and came to LA for grad school (Art Center College of Design) for film major. Although narratives are my true passion, music videos are the ones really kickstarted my DP career. Read more>>
Marcus Evans
Originally an actor from Chicago, but I’ve lived in LA for quite some time. A friend of mine, during an improv class, suggested I take a standup comedy class with her. It be been hooked ever since. From there, I went on to produce my own improv / standup comedy show in West Hollywood and I produce films as well. Read more>>
Hollyn Alpert
I’m a 15 year old who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I’m a trilingual bibliophile, passionate community-builder, high school student and multidisciplinary storyteller with a love for creative writing, playing piano and guitar, songwriting, acting, drawing and painting. Read more>>
Margot Del Rey
I started my career in the high luxury fashion industry in Paris, working for houses like Dior, Saint Laurent, and Louis Vuitton. I loved the creativity, the pace, and the precision, but when I moved to California in 2016, something in me began to shift. Read more>>
Anastasia Dextrene
I have always been fascinated by entertainment, media and the arts. From piano lessons and playing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ at age three, to pop star by 17, I never doubted my calling to the creative fields. My career as a journalist was sparked by a summer job at the Senate of Canada in 2013. Read more>>
Marsaille Wells
Here it is again with the dashes removed and written as a smooth paragraph-style piece: Hi, my name is Marsaille Wells! I’m 20 years old and currently studying Drama at Aberystwyth University. I’m in my final year, and I really want to make a positive impact in the social media space. I’m a Christian, and I love Jesus so much! Read more>>
Maureen Tepedino
I started painting when I was seven years old. Even at a young age, I felt drawn to color, movement, and creativity. My parents saw that spark early on and were incredibly supportive. They encouraged me and made me feel like I had something special to share. Read more>>
Dr. Jac Medeiros
Holistic wellness was a side hobby that became my career. I was working as the chief-of-staff of a cybersecurity firm, spending my days in incident reports and board decks, then going home to obsessively research the gut-brain axis, Ayurvedic recipes, and adrenal fatigue. Eventually it clicked that tech wasn’t my endgame — I needed something more human and aligned. Read more>>
Joe Cadiff
The path I’m on today as a spiritual teacher and conscious human development coach began during my freshman year of college, when I experienced the first real glimpse of spiritual awakening. I grew up in Los Angeles following a familiar script for success—excel in school, get recruited to a top East Coast college, major in economics, and head to Wall Street. Read more>>
Christo Downs
With 29 years of design industry experience, I am an award-winning creative director and graphic designer living and working in Los Angeles. Born in Cincinnati, I grew up in Phoenix and started my design career in Seattle. After a tour of all of these cities, I finally made my way to my favorite home in Los Angeles in 2004. And still here. Read more>>
Peter Allas
ZAstudios was founded on the collaboration of myself and my NYC classes and Robert Zimmerman in San Francisco. We previously studied for years under legendary Acting Teacher Milton Katselas and have a strong sense of theatre training (mione from the East Coast under ‘Circle Repertory Co.’ and Rob ‘Old Globe, SD’). Read more>>
Adrienne De Guevara
Santa Barbara, often seen as a bedroom community for LA, is home to a strong art community made up of transplants and home-growns alike. This small community contains a variety of small art ecosystems swirling around one another often crossing over to collaborate but mostly thriving as stand alone micro-cultures of their own. Read more>>
Jake Carmen
Food has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up on the East Coast—originally from New York—I was the kid who ran the neighborhood kitchen. My neighbors called me “Bakeman” because I’d recruit other kids as sous chefs while we cooked quesadillas, baked desserts, and delivered meals to the adults. Read more>>
Dishant Pujara
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d become a filmmaker. I grew up thinking I should probably do something sensible with my life, which is usually the first sign someone’s lost their mind. In college I majored in Civil Engineering, which I found genuinely interesting but I spent a lot of the time that I probably should have been studying reading, getting distracted, or watching movies. Read more>>
Vanessa Benlolo
At eight years old, during a difficult time in my childhood, I had an experience that would shape my entire life: I was visited by two star beings who told me that our reality is an illusion. Read more>>
Kelsey Schaefer
I opened up my private practice about three years ago after the birth of my first baby (my daughter). I was inspired to venture off into solo private practice specializing in perinatal mental health after my own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety. I was 6 months postpartum when things started to feel really dark for me. Read more>>
Liron Kayvan
MY STORY — Liron “Kayvman” Kayvan My story essentially starts as a kid. I always loved sports and working out, particularly karate and soccer. It’s how I bonded with a very hardworking father who I didn’t get to see too much. Read more>>
Ange Hadid
I grew up with a mom who had a recurring motto: never pay for fake gold. It wasn’t until I started shopping for jewelry as an adult that I realized that the jewelry market was breaking that rule from every dimension. For the longest time, the most desirable gold, 18 karat solid gold, has been unfairly gatekept behind legacy logos and absurd markups. Read more>>
Jenna Alcala
I fell in love with imagery long before I ever dared to call myself a photographer. I grew up in California surrounded by horses, salt air, wild light, and these wide-open places that make you feel small in the best way. I didn’t know it then, but all of that was quietly teaching me how to see. Read more>>
Weiqi Cai
I started my journey in storytelling long before I ever touched a camera. As a child, I was drawn to visual narratives—comics, animation, and films—because they offered ways of seeing the world that felt larger, deeper, and more emotionally honest than ordinary life. That early fascination eventually led me to study animation in college. Read more>>
Aloni Ford
My journey has really been a blend of creativity, courage, and community. I started in the entertainment world, learning early on how powerful storytelling and memorable experiences can be. Over time, I realized my real gift was bringing people together — especially women — in spaces where they could feel inspired, seen, and energized. As my career grew, so did my love for the water. Read more>>
Mia Germain
I’m a Los Angeles native, raised in a bilingual family where both of my parents, Daiana Baldanzi and Clark Germain, made it a priority that I grow up speaking Italian. That early immersion in language shaped everything about me. It gave me a deep appreciation for communication, culture, and the emotional nuance behind how people express themselves. Read more>>
Joey House
From Runway Lights to Divine Light: My Journey For years, I lived in a world of beauty, creativity, and glamour; as an international model, actress, and founder of House of Petals, my flower boutique and speakeasy that became a sanctuary for artists, musicians, and Hollywood’s elite. Read more>>
Alexis Von Kuykendall
I was born in Oakland and drawn to beauty from the start-hair, makeup, fashion, interiors, painting. Art was always the subject where I thrived, so after high school I followed that creative pull to study interior design in Santa Barbara. A few years in, I realized it wasn’t my path, so I moved to Los Angeles to pursue makeup artistry. Read more>>
taina vale
I arrived to LA 10 years ago with my 13 year old daughter as a puertorrican attorney wanting to do acting. Read more>>
Tiffany O
I launched LA Flower Girl from the ground up, no backing, just vision and passion. With a background in entertainment marketing, I’ve collaborated with talent and influencers and managed corporate sponsorships and product placement. I’ve also executed fashion styling for high profile shoots. These experiences have taught me how to marry creativity with strategy. Read more>>
Debbie Goodman
I packed up a U-Haul and headed to Los Angeles with my guitar, and who would eventually become my future husband and percussionist. I left behind a budding country career in Nashville to pursue rock in more progressive California. Read more>>
Egor Sherman
Our Story My journey in the ductwork and ventilation cleaning industry began in early 2022, right here in Los Angeles. What started as a small operation focused mainly on dryer vent and HVAC duct cleaning quickly grew into something much bigger. As we served more homes, we saw firsthand how essential clean air systems are for health, safety, and comfort. Read more>>
Christina Kuklinski
I’ve been a water person my whole life — from jumping fearlessly into mommy-and-me swim lessons as a baby to doing open-water triathlons as a teen. I’ve always felt most myself in, on, or near the ocean. At 17, I learned to scuba dive with my dad, and that completely changed the course of my life. Read more>>
Troy Centazzo
Opal Cremation offers direct cremation services- the most straightforward and most inexpensive type of cremation. No service is involved, but families often decide to schedule a celebration of life at a later date. Throughout our years in the industry, we noticed a high incidence of funeral services that are not entirely forthright about their pricing. Read more>>
Tenice Holman
Do you remember a moment in your life when you had the utmost clarity? The kind of clarity that reveals a door, one leading to a path you subconsciously yet wholeheartedly know you must walk through. Read more>>
Nemanja Stevanovic
My journey began with an instinct, a quiet insistence, that human creativity would soon face one of its greatest tests. I am a painter at heart, though my work now moves fluidly between canvas and digital space, forming a kind of conceptual ecosystem where each medium reflects and refracts the other. Read more>>
Minelli Eustácio
I fell in love with yoga in 2012 and have not stopped practicing. After completing my first teacher training in 2015, I was offered a job at my local studio and have been creating mindful spaces since then. Read more>>
Andrew Feltenstein
Absolutely. My career has really grown out of a deep commitment to music, storytelling, and creative collaboration. I started out composing and supervising music for advertising, and early on I realized how important it was to have a space where creative people could truly collaborate — not just a recording studio, but an environment where ideas move fast and artists feel supported. Read more>>
Anton Martiushev
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would spend hours copying pictures from books and album covers, trying to understand how light, shadow and form worked. Read more>>
Tania Hassanzadeh
I am a Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon in Beverly Hills, CA. While I grew up just outside of Los Angeles, I moved cross-country for my education and training for well over a decade! Read more>>
Hayden Greiwe
With schooling in traditional narrative film from the University of Central Florida, Hayden’s yearning for storytelling grew. This passion pushed him to move from Florida to Los Angeles in 2020. Since moving, Hayden has been fortunate to work alongside award-winning directors and DP’s. Hayden Greiwe has been a career camera operator with over a decade of experience specializing in Trinity, Steadicam, and Gearhead operations. Read more>>
Britt Abundant
I’m Britt Abundant, a student and teacher sharing the practice of yoga as a pathway for community care and collective liberation. My story is rooted in curiosity—trying to understand why I’m here, what I value, and where I fit. Growing up biracial (Black and white), born on a cusp, and an only child to separated parents, I often felt split in two. Read more>>
Caroline Halloran
Growing up in a religious household, I was often shielded from important elements of culture. My parents warned me about the influence of marijuana as a gateway substance, but forgot to caution me about a far more addictive drug, music. It was not until the summer of 6th grade that I first was exposed to one of my favorite bands, The Doors. Read more>>
Maksym Balter
I started my career in 2009 in Ukraine, working as an Assistant Director at the national TV channel Inter. That first job gave me hands-on experience with studio production, tight schedules, and broadcast standards, and it convinced me I wanted to stay in filmmaking long term. Read more>>
Sean Garrity
My band FULL CIRCLE BOYS all share a very similar origin story. Growing up in the competitive dance world shaped our work ethic and musical inspirations. Working professionally opened us up to the other entrainment spaces; music, acting, film. Our love for dance blossomed into an even larger passion for music. Read more>>
Lisa Wagner
I spent over a decade working as a nurse in the Emergency Department at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. It was an incredible place to learn — fast-paced, demanding, and filled with moments that shaped the way I care for people today. Read more>>
Avaryana Rose
As a child I was severely bullied for wanting to be a model and actress. They made fun of my looks, my shyness, anything they could. Over the years I grew to have a thick skin, and decided to take action. I created Babes Against Bullying to spread awareness about just how common bullying is for children and adults in the industry. Read more>>
Bob Koch
For the most part, I think things have come pretty easy for me but I am a hard worker. I feel lucky but I also believe in the sentiment “you make your own luck”. I worked hard, I saved money and made a goal to retire as young as I could. That worked out pretty well. Now, my music is in a way my work. When I started this journey I was just a guy who knew a few chords on a guitar but could structure a song and write lyrics. Now, with the help of my friends I’m about to have three albums released and hopefully will perform more often to live audiences. Read more>>
Greg Payton
I was born in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York, an 80s baby, to two hard-working, blue-collar parents who made sure I was with them, if I couldn’t be with my older siblings after school. My parents did all they could to ensure I could focus on school and have room to discover what I wanted for my life, which turned out to be a life in professional creativity. Read more>>
Kristin Sheehan
My twenties felt full of motion and purpose. I spent weeks working as a child and family therapist on the South Side of Chicago. On weekends, I performed improv comedy, and any free time I devoted to travel. Each facet, in its own way, taught me how to listen and humbly stay open to what unfolds. Read more>>
Ty Baze
Heather and I met just after high school and have three children (ages 31, 29, and 15), We recently arrived in Santa Monica this past July after reciving marching orders to our third appointment. Together, we are passionate about sharing the Gospel, the good news and to share the Hope and the reality of new beginnings with others no matter what walk of life they may come from. We absolutly love this community where God has us in this season. Read more>>
Andrea Gylthe
I grew up in Norway as a professional downhill skier, sponsored at just 11 years old. My childhood revolved around training, competing, and learning how to perform under pressure. When injuries forced me to leave the sport, I had to rebuild my identity from the ground up. That experience shaped the resilience, discipline, and reinvention that now define my career in digital strategy. Read more>>
Kat Dickerson
When I found my first grey hair at thirty, I blamed it on a long-running disagreement with a close friend. The concept of aging was never on the table. Like many, I spent years in denial. Eventually, though, as aging became unavoidable, my outlook began to shift. Read more>>
Shirin Galili
Their responses were reactive to a particular action, without understanding the underlying issues or how to effectively respond to them to get actual improvement. Over time, I put together all the knowledge and experience I had about education and about children and understanding them and working with them and helping them and I put together very easy-to-follow, effective & practical tools for parents. Read more>>
Gianba Vinzoni
After a career in the Italian Navy Seals, Gianba began working in a kitchen. It wasn’t easy, considering he started out with zero experience, but he worked his way through the ranks, and his cooking and confidence grew even more when he moved to Los Angeles in 1995. He discovered that he could channel the same drive, focus, and love for pressure he had in the Navy into the fast-paced world of professional kitchens. Read more>>
Katie Schmidt
I am a trauma-informed Behavioral Food Therapist. I live in Oakland, and I see clients virtually from all over, including many who live in LA. I help clients explore their story with food but also the story that lives underneath; the life experiences, environments, relationships, and neglected trauma and desires that have shaped their relationship to food. Read more>>
Arnella Barbara
I was never meant to live a small life. I started as a singer — even though my parents didn’t want me to be one. They wanted a lawyer, a doctor, a wife, a mother — the story that ends in safety, not fire. But I wanted so much more than that. Read more>>
Joan Caroline Nelin
Originally from Denmark, I began my career in the jewelry industry and became a certified Diamond Grader from GIA in Carlsbad, California. Precision, beauty, and excellence were at the heart of everything I did. Read more>>
