There are so many factors that affect how our lives turn out, but one of the most interesting is how our backgrounds give us unique strengths and perspectives that affect who we are as adults. We asked rising stars from the community to tell us about their background and upbringing and how they feel it’s impacted who they are today.

Mxxa | Alternative Pop Artist

I grew up in the Coachella Valley. Growing up, there wasn’t much to do for younger kids and teens so I found a passion in music with all the time I had on me. My parents had a big influence on me and my style. My dad was into a lot of rock, specially classic rock and alternative music and I fell in love with that genre. My mom liked more of the poppy mainstream stuff which I also found really inspiring.  Read more>>

Jolece Rivera | Freelance Illustrator, Comic & Storyboard Artist

I’m from upstate New York and both my parents are of Puerto Rican heritage. Growing up a Boricua in a majority white neighborhood and town I was looking for representation anywhere I could. So I looked to cartoons, movies and books. I loved animated movies and TV shows the most. So when I started drawing for myself I made sure to always represent people from all different kinds of backgrounds, and that was always the most exciting part of creating my art. Read more>>

Logan Regnier | Cinematographer

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota but moved when I was pretty young to a tiny town called Randolph. It had a population of about 300 and probably still does. We had a post office, fire department, two bars, a gas station called Woody’s Pump n’ Munch and a K-12 school which I lived across the street from. Read more>>

Tyler Garrett | Musician

Hello, I’m Tyler Garrett. I am from a small town in South Carolina. I grew up in.a religious area and my family is all southern baptist. I was in the praise band in the youth group at my church and was the lead singer. I knew that with singing and music, I could somehow escape this caged life I was living at home. I always felt a bit different from my peers and even my family. Read more>>

Michelle Marakasherry | 3D Lighting Artist & Director

I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and grew up there for most of my life till I had to leave for college; so up until then, I lived in a kind of a bubble where Indonesia was my whole world. But it was great; to me, it was peaceful and full of warm memories of me and my friends and family. My mother was Indonesian, and my father was Indian, so I had these two wonderfully different and rich backgrounds that I was constantly surrounded by my whole life. Read more>>

Kevin Vaisman | Motion Graphics Designer

I was born in Miami, USA but was raised in Caracas, Venezuela since the age of 2. Growing up in Caracas played a significant role in shaping my career as a multidisciplinary motion graphics designer. Caracas, with its vibrant, diverse culture and strong design sensibility, offered a rich tapestry of traditions, art, and modernist influences. This environment fostered a broad perspective and deep appreciation for various artistic styles, nurturing my passion for visual arts. Read more>>

Taran Mitchell | Composer

I was born in Derry, Ireland, but my childhood was far from normal. With my parents working in the film industry, we were always relocating as they took on various projects. By the time I was twelve, I had attended schools in London, South Africa, Canada, and Ireland, giving me quite literally the most confused accent you’ve ever heard. Read more>>

Polina And Victor Po&vic Couple | Content Creators

We are Po&Vic, an intercultural couple residing in the charming Prince Edward Island, Canada. Our TikTok and Instagram handle is @poviccouple, a creative blend of our names—Polina and Victor. Read more>>

Asia Sullivan, PA-C, MPH

I am from a very rural community in southern Alabama called Castleberry. Per google, the latest population count is 470 people. In my community, access to any medical care, especially quality medical care was very limited. Not only that, the stigma around STIs and the LBGT community was rampant and often prevented folks from seeking sexual health services. Read more>>

GoodeBlazer

I grew up in a small town in rural North Carolina as an only child with not a lot of things to do. There were no skating rinks, no malls to hang out with friends, no bowling alleys so on and so forth. So if I had any desire to be entertained or have fun, I had to use my imagination and this was essentially the training ground that built my creativity. Read more>>

Emily Blumberg Mary Schmidlein

At The Booze Babes, our team comprises two passionate bartenders: Mary Schmidlein and Emily Blumberg. Our journey began in 2015 when we met at a bar where Emily trained Mary to bartend. Little did we know that our working relationship would flourish into a beautiful friendship and exciting business partnership, transforming our shared dream into reality. Read more>>