Meet P J

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

Hi P, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think it’s necessary to life. In it’s truest form, everything is a risk, though the weight of it is different for everyone. Even still, we do our best to mitigate the ones that’ll have the greatest (negative) impact with the ones that’ll afford us the greatest rewards. Investors take risks all the time. Adrenaline junkies laugh while jumping out of airplanes. The marginalized…well they just simply have to exist at times. I thrive in it, but i’m also calculated and analytical. I do it mainly by standing up for injustice and calling out things that don’t make sense. With my company, I want to change the narrative and reframe the way people view others who are different. I want to see what happens and see if it’ll make a difference. I hope it does, but if it doesn’t, that’s ok because at the time, it was worth it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started in social justice and grassroots organization as a teen, helping out my community in the ways that we could (leading clubs, groups, helping other kids pilot testing new programs…etc). Then in college, I got into working for a segment at kpfk radio and fully thought I’d expand to politics. I took one theatre class at csula and never looked back…until now. To be honest, leaning into being a performer helped me mold all of the things I wanted to do into one. I got to be a part of the biggest events in the world, see magic come to life, travel the world, and tell stories in so many different ways. A few years ago, I realized, I can still talk about political issues, I can still lament my challenges, I can still explore taboo subjects, and I can still curate dope events all through ART so I should. I took all the things I loved and learned how to make it make sense and out came Kink In Kolor and another soon-to-be disclosed company in the works.

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.
oooooo I love this question! I’d say book a hotel in DTLA adjacent. I chose this area as it has the most accessible public transportation and it’s walkable. The main freeways can easily take you to other places and the views are fantastic (yes it’s saturated with the unhoused, but I still think this is where you’ll find the melting pot that makes up LA the most and they are also apart of our communities). For food, going to the communities that the cuisines are named after won’t steer you wrong(e.g. Thai town…literally has all the best thai food). While I can’t share all my faves, here are a few: Jitlada has the best Spicy Thai food (don’t order the basics, go to the back of the menu and peep the unique stuff). Ave 26 is known for dope late-night tacos, and Blessed got thee best curry goat and oxtails. Honorable mention is Kalaveras for brunch fun and beautiful decor. For Drinks/Dancing: Wolf & Crane, Short Stop, General Lees, Cana Rum Bar. They all have dope ass bartenders with a great mix of locals and transplants. Some nights they even have live music or special themes. My fave beaches are Point Dume & Laguna Nigel, the water is clearer and the views are great. Dockweiler is also a good choice if you wanna have a bonfire on the beach with your peeps. For Art: There are museums like the Broad and MOCA, as well as amazing murals all over LA. All Power Books is a great indie bookstore and community hangout spot as well as the Watts Empowerment Center. They are top tier when it comes to community advocacy and seeing in real time how those within the community show up for each other. I mean there’s SO much honestly and it depends on what you like….but there is literally something for EVERYONE.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wanna shout out Reach LA because they’re creating a space that serves both adults and youth through their offerings. I think this is great, especially when you consider what young people have gone through recently. Kids and teens today just lived through a pandemic, and now they’re navigating a world where they’re experiencing a social deficit and trying to understand society as a whole. They spent their formative years behind screens, missing out on key experiences that usually help define who they’ll become. To be thrust back into the world without any real preparation or lived experience—that’s incredibly tough. Many companies and organizations overlook this reality, so I want to give Reach LA a shout-out for recognizing it and making a difference. I know homeschooling exists and other alt schools…but it’s different when it’s taken from you rather than it being a decision you chose to make. We are ALL navigating life and finding our footing (and I commend all the companies and orgs that are acknowledging this and crafting better work culture, mental health practices and etc..) but I don’t see as many orgs/companies making a concentrated effort for both in this way.

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Image Credits
Jenny Rolapp Photography & Kam Kam Photos.