We asked some brilliant folks from the community to tell us about the most important lesson their business or career has taught them. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Tariq Alobaid | Visual Designer and Brand Strategist

I owe a lot to my cultural background as a young creative from Kuwait, born and raised there and being surrounded by art. Historically, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to be developed after the discovery of oil in the 1940s, and for a time was the center of the Arabian Gulf’s regional art development. This essence of art still rings true to this day, Kuwait today being known for its media output from television dramas to advertisement and marketing. Read more>>

Marcela Velasquez | Business Woman

At the age of nine my family and I left Honduras and migrated to the United States. I was born is a small city called Comayagua.
Being from a country where opportunities were limited has pushed me forward and makes me hungry for success. I saw how hard my parents worked to be able to give my sisters and I a better future here, and that is something that will forever be engraved in me. Read more>>

Kent Smith | Writing/Recording Artist, Brand Owner/Creator, Podcast Host, Leader and Influencer

My name is Kent Smith aka LockWest and I’m from Lynwood California. Being a proud native of Los Angeles and the inner city areas around LA, it plays a huge part in upbringing, psyche and nature versus nurture. The city of Lynwood was the most intricate and vital space I knew. Being a smaller city in LA county, everyone knows everyone. Grandparents and elders know each other, parents know other parents and young people either know each other or are quickly becoming familiar with their peers and surroundings. Read more>>

Leonardo Perez | Filmmaker

I’m from Mexico, and I’m a filmmaker. My background can be seen in what I do. Being Mexican has taught me to be perceptive, to find a way to fulfill your dreams or at least never give up. Mexican cinema, for example, is linked to my work as a filmmaker. Not so much in the themes of my short films, but in how they are approached. We cannot escape the context, but we can manage it to tell an authentic story. Read more>>