We had the good fortune of connecting with Obinne Onyeador and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Obinne, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Honestly, asking questions, when you don’t understand. It may seem like an obvious one, but so many people don’t ask questions when they need help and ultimately end up messing up assignments or not getting anything done because they didn’t understand. It’s always better to ask and move on!

Also, just having a positive attitude goes a long in the entertainment industry, People may remember a good interaction they’ve had with you, but they will Definitely remember a bad interaction. With the industry being so relationship-based, being nice goes such a long way!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been so blessed with support and amazing opportunities since graduating and joining the entertainment industry. My biggest challenge when I started was figuring out which career would allow me to contribute to the industry in the way I want to. Although there has been an increase in BIPOC stories being produced in TV & Film, we still want to see way more as an audience. I really want to help champion those untold stories by BIPOC creators and help push the narrative that BIPOC folks are not a monolith. I am constantly learning new ways to achieve those goals, but trusting my opinion and allowing myself to have a differ from the majority can be helpful in the end to bringing fresh ideas. My life experiences inform my opinions and trusting my unique perspective is additive in value is important when I am inevitablyy will have to fight for a creator’s work to be produced.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a foodie so we would have to have brunch every morning, starting at Larchmont Bungalow Cafe to have some of their amazing red velvet pancakes, then pop over to the Fairfax Melrose Flea Market for a little shopping adventure. At some point, we would check out the Aziz Gallerie in Leimert Park, then eat some amazing Jamaican food from Kingston’s. All this food would make us due for a hike, so we would explore the Griffth Observatory trails, take some majestic photos from the top then head to Tu Madre for a breakfast burrito to-go. We would end the week with a nice sunset visit to Will Rogers beach!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to shoutout out Evolve an amazing organization in Los Angeles dedicated to creating pathways for underserved communities to find entry positions in the entertainment industry. They have been instrumental in my growth within the industry! I’d also love to shout out to Tayanna Todd, who currently is a Coordinator at Lionsgate within the Inclusive Content & Business Strategy department. Her support this past year has been so helpful and appreciated as I learn and grow in this industry.

Instagram: @life.ala.obi

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obinne-onyeador-5241b711b/

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