Inspiring Stories from West LA

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.

Sona Avetisyan

I started my business at the exact moment my entire life changed. I left Glendale, where I had lived most of my adult life, and moved to Marina del Rey. Read more>>

TANNA HARRIS

As a native Texan, I made Los Angeles my home in 1986 to 2016, and for 30 years learned to creatively cook & experiment, with olive oil a major ingredient in my exploration. Read more>>

Neha Kothari

I’m the founder and designer of Kothari the Label, a luxe, modular Indo-fusion brand that blends the rich, colorful heritage of Eastern fabrics with modern Western silhouettes for all genders and identities. The idea started long before the brand itself. I’ve always felt that my blended roots weren’t fully represented in traditional South Asian clothing. Read more>>

Amanda Ross

I’ve carried this story with me for most of my life. I always knew one day I’d share something about my childhood, but it wasn’t until my mom passed away in my early thirties that I seriously considered telling it in a real, tangible way. Still, I wasn’t sure when or how it would take shape. Read more>>

Hank Rosenfeld

I wrote my first story in 4th grade at MacDowell Elementary in Detroit, As an adult in cities like NYC, MPLS, SF and LA, I worked as a folk journalist, hearing the voices of Americans and publishing their stories in newspapers, magazines and on radio shows across the country. Read more>>

Brian Morris

My gift emerged early in life and was shaped through Northern California’s tech and art schools. Over the next four decades, I refined that foundation across the Bay Area, the mountains of Lake Tahoe, and ultimately the creative landscape of Los Angeles. Read more>>

Sarah Sidharta

I could have never imagined I would be making jewelry today. It wasn’t something that I thought of doing from a young age. It has been a pleasant surprise. I studied fashion design, worked in textile design and became a make-up artist. After that I worked in the tech industry. Read more>>

Veronica Farias

I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico and since I was a little girl I always wanted to be an actress, I would grab my dad’s camera and do little short films, I would put my sisters, family, neighbors to act in them, I acted in them, directed, and edited these little home videos. Read more>>

Camie Llano

My name is Camie Llano, I was born and raised in Colombia with two huge passions, both equally as important; music and acting, and I guess I was the official black sheep of the family because I was the only was with artistic tendencies and dreams. Read more>>

Strong Bird

FYI – I wrote something entirely different here but the universe made me sit on it and while sitting on it I went through an artistic and deeply personal identity crisis. It was long overdue, I am finally through it, and I am redoing all of my answers to all of these questions because of it. . Read more>>

Stella Michon Barnes

My path to becoming a therapist began with the transformative experiences I had in my own therapy. After a traumatic and unstable adolescence, I was fortunate to find a therapist who offered steady support, safety, and genuine care—an experience that changed the course of my life. Read more>>

Anna Boyar

I began my modeling career in Moscow when I was 14 years old. More than anything, I dreamed of traveling the world and expanding my horizons, and I felt that modeling could open those doors for me. At 15, I signed my first international contract with Elite Miami and traveled to the United States with my mom for my very first modeling contract. Read more>>

Ronit Heimanson

I’m a mother of three – first. Two girls and a boy, they are grown now but will always be my babies. I’ve always been creative, as long as I can remember myself. I got a college degree in kinesiology because it was “practical’, then got another degree in merchandise marketing from FIDM. Read more>>

Jennifer Yonda

I didn’t start Skate Hunnies with a business plan. I started it because I got my ass kicked at Friday Night Skate. I showed up to Friday Night Skate with a $5 pair of garage sale Rollerblade Lightnings and tried to keep up with a crew of skaters who’d been doing this since the 90s. Read more>>

Carly Kremer

I suffered for years with an autoimmune condition. Over-the-counter remedies just didn’t work for me. I was on a European trip in my 20s when I had a severe case of tonsillitis for, like the fourth time that year. A pharmacist in Italy recommended I try propolis, which is a powerful bee-derived ingredient that’s been used as a healing remedy for centuries. Read more>>

KRISTINA SEREN SARI

Infusing the mystique of the past with a bold, avant-garde spirit, Kristiana transforms raw wood into masterpieces of unmatched aesthetics. Our handicrafts are both a departure & a destination, immersing beholders with Mother Nature’s majesty and inviting keen eyes to discover hidden gems of time. Renowned for evocative silhouettes, each artwork carries its own distinct personality and manifests Anatolian savoir-faire in craftsmanship. Read more>>

Debe Arlook

Originally from New Jersey, I’ve called Los Angeles home for over 40 years. I love our city’s diversity, creative energy and the fierce protectiveness Angelenos show for one another when most needed. We come together and hold each other. It’s where I raised my kids and where my grandchildren are growing up, so even with long stretches in Colorado (where I am as I write this), my heart remains in L.A. Read more>>

Daniel Ho

The next struggle was forming an independent record company in 1995. I started small, and to this day it remains just that – small. I learned how to do everything from playing different instruments, to recording, mixing, mastering, photography, graphic design, website design, filming, editing, and color-grading video, and promoting my music. It was tedious at first, but I’ve come to love the entire process! Read more>>

Pat Walker

I have been in the travel industry in some form of fashion for over 40 years – first as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, an air rep for Princess Cruises, Operations Manager at USC Student Travel, and finally entertainment travel. Most of my clients were high profile, actors, producers, writers and directors. Read more>>

Lee Wind

I’ve always been into writing stories, since I was a kid. After grad school in Boston, I moved out to Los Angeles to pursue telling stories through film. I wrote a bunch of screenplays that didn’t get produced, while I worked a lot of different industry jobs until I ended up editing television. Read more>>