Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Eddie Torres

I am from East Los Angeles, California. My background, born and raised in East Los Angeles, seeing the community underserved and underrepresented, and watching the 1970 Chicano Moratorium, I was involved with my uncle and father in community activism-oddly, as it may seem, being a gang member. How my background and upbringing impacted me now, the majority of East Los Angeles residents feel one of three ways. One, politicians don’t care about East L.A., therefore why should I waste my time, no one is going to listen. But, my belief is you have to get involved and not take no for an answer, never give up, and remember, you are not going to win every challenge you come across. Read more>>

Ariana Armendariz

I am from Redondo Beach, Ca. My mom was a flight attendant growing up, so we traveled a lot as kids. She was a single mom, my dad passed when I was five. She worked very hard to always give my brother and I what we needed, due to that we have always had a very good work ethic. Read more>>

Roopal Tyagi | Actor, content creator, meditator

I am from India, born and raised in the south, and currently based in Mumbai. Growing up in India instills an innate sense of spirituality that seeps into one’s heart and soul, often without conscious awareness. I never actively thought about it—I was too caught up in being ‘too cool’ for it. However, over time, I realized that many of my actions and values were deeply influenced by this subconscious spiritual grounding. Read more>>

Khoa Nguyen | Illustrator

I grew up in the bustling capital city of Vietnam, surrounded by a rich blend of culture and tradition. While deeply immersed in the Eastern way of living and social norms, my parents, especially my mother, raised me with a less traditional approach. Their guidance not only shaped my beliefs but also influenced how I approach my work. Read more>>

Brandon Kanion | Artist: Singer, Fashion Designer, Painter, Actor, Film Maker, Architect

I’m from Baltimore Maryland. Born and raised. In Baltimore, there are no lights. No Cameras. No Glitz and Glam. Everything we have, we made ourselves. It wasn’t given…. We had to work hard, and make it with what we had. Most of us aren’t even given the bare minimum, but we have made masterpieces out of thin air, with little to no resources. Baltimore Artists are whatever the Apex predator is afraid of. We are something different. If you see a Baltimore Artist on your way in life…. Tell them how precious they are, because the light that’s shining in them?!?! They went through some things to get there. I was raised in the black church, in a single family household where my mom did her best to make sure we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. Read more>>

Benny Sanches | Electronic Music Producer, Recording Engineer, and Remix Artist

I am from Houston, Texas. My Father was a well-established Country & Western singer, songwriter and guitar player. My very first memory as a child was sitting on stage with him at a concert. I was still in diapers. I remember the sound of his very deep resonating voice and the thousands of people in the audience. I was too young to understand what was going on but the memory is still very clear. Music was always a part of my family’s life growing up, especially Country & Western music from the 60’s and 70’s. Motorcycle gangs and playing pool in “beer joints” where a big part of the fabric of my life back then and the music of the time was the perfect soundtrack. When the 1980’s arrived and I was then a teenager, I got my first big boom box and I discovered cassette tapes.  Read more>>

Nikolai Pleshkov | Founder of INTER LEAGUE LA – Amateur soccer league for Adults

I come from Russia, from a small town deep in the Murmansk region with a beautiful name—Polyarny. The town is located within the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea, which itself is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Murmansk is often compared to Alaska, but our climate is warmer thanks to the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current in the Atlantic. I lived there until I was 17 years old. Read more>>

Yanci Chen | Registered Architect, AIA, LEED AP

I am originally from Dalian, a beautiful coastal city in China. Growing up in a city surrounded by both natural beauty and rapid urban development sparked my curiosity about the built environment from a young age. The contrast between traditional architecture and modern structures taught me to appreciate design’s role in shaping communities and daily life. Read more>>

Denize Verduzco | Founder of Mommy Friend

I was born and raised in Arleta, California and after marrying my husband Miguel Verduzco in 2015, we moved to Lancaster, California. Both my parents were born and raised in Mexico and later migrated to the United States to pursue the American dream. Watching my father advance in life with only a 3rd grade education has had one of the biggest impacts in my life. I witnessed first hand my father’s worth ethic, ambition to succeed, and a relentless attitude to better himself and achieve the American dream. Read more>>  

Elizabeth Goldmane | Actress, Comic & Writer

I was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to two immigrant parents from Latvia. They are the biggest dreamers I know, and the biggest supporters of dreaming big. As a child, I never knew when we were struggling financially or if there were major challenges my parents were tackling. There’s never been a challenge my parents haven’t or wouldn’t overcome. They built their lives from the ground up in Canada in a mere three years before my birth and continued to progress after I was born. They were able to give me the best childhood possible, filled with as much opportunity as they could provide me with. Read more>> 

Ally Elliott | Cottage Baker

Growing up in a small town in New Hampshire, community has always meant a lot to me. In my town, everyone knew everyone, and you did things out of the kindness of your heart expecting nothing in return. Every holiday my family would be giving our neighbors and friends baked goods to help bring some cheer, and it made me so happy to be able to provide even a little bit of cheer over the holidays with my baking. Moving out to LA after college, I knew I wanted to continue to provide that joy even if it wasn’t a full time job, and being able to connect to customers that continue to come back to my food stand, and bring a sense of community out to this large city, gives me more joy than I could ever ask for! Read more>>

Tom Lamb | artist and illustrator / owner Tom Lamb Maps

I was born in Cambridge, MA, then moved to England, then Montreal, and then back to the Boston area where I graduated from Mass College of Art. After graduation, I spent about 20 years working in Hollywood as a visual effects artist. I found much inspiration and encouragement from my father, Derek Lamb, who was an award-winning artist and animator. I started drawing at a young age and gravitated toward drawing maps when I was a teen. I’ve always been interested in my surroundings and the sense of belonging in various places. My interest may have stemmed from living in different cities as a child, and it’s fulfilling for me to provide that sense of place for others with my artwork. Read more>>

Paul Towers | Photographer

I’m originally from San Diego but moved to Los Angeles for college in 1994. Growing up in San Diego, just across the freeway from Miramar (where Top Gun used to be) I was always fascinated by the planes flying overhead and the art of flight. My father, a Captain in the Navy and later for American Airlines, exposed me to aviation early on, and I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in the air. Naturally, I developed a deep love for flying and attained my private pilot’s certificate in my mid-20s. Read more>>

Marisa Ray | Writer & Producer

I grew up in a multi ethnic household— my father’s Indian and American, and my mother’s first-generation Japanese. It wasn’t something I thought about much growing up, but as I got older, I began to introspect about which cultures I felt bonded to and why, and which ones I felt a little disconnected from. It got me very interested in what families have the ability to pass down, and the question of what’s created when disparate things collide. Read more>>

Cindy Shih | Fine Artist and Digital Marketer

Having immigrated to Los Angeles from Taipei with my family at the age of three, I’ve always considered myself a half-immigrant. Technically first generation, but mostly American, but my parents made it a point for me to learn Mandarin and ensured I understood and celebrated my Chinese heritage. I made most of my childhood memories right here in Los Angeles. Read more>>

Patricio & Inigo Hernandez-ysasi | Co-founders of Casa Ysasi

We were born in Mexico City, a place where art and craft are deeply embedded in daily life. Our upbringing shaped our sensibility toward the connection between art, space, and light—values we carry into everything we do at Casa Ysasi. Our mother, an architect, taught us to appreciate the subtle ways light transforms a space, while our father introduced us to Mexican art, music, and traditions, like the vibrant alebrijes that filled our home. This combination of emotional architecture and cultural craftsmanship instilled in us a deep respect for handmade objects and their stories. Read more>>

Trish Choa | Foodie & Social Media Marketer

Growing up in the Philippines food has always been the focus of my family.

From eating the most flavorful Lechon (whole roasted pig) from Cebu city, to having balut as a midnight snack, and indulging in the freshest seafood from the local mercado, food has always been a central part of my childhood experience. Read more>>

Greg Mania | Writer

I’m originally from Central Jersey—which, contrary to the belief of many fellow Jerseyans, is indeed a legitimate region!—and I moved to New York City at 18 to attend college. I lived there for 14 years, and honestly, NYC *is* my DNA. Every version of myself was shaped by the city, from my early days exploring the nightlife scene to finding my place in the writing and publishing world. It’s where I discovered the true meaning of community, built chosen family, and learned how to navigate the constant push and pull of a relentless city. Read more>>

Adrian Perez | Pacoima Artist & Lifelong Learner

I’m from Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley. I was born to two Mexican immigrant parents. Growing up as a Chicano, I was used to swap meets, street vendors, food trucks, and Mexican celebrations. Pacoima has a predominantly Latino population while having a long history of high crime rates.

My parents went through countless struggles to give me the opportunity to have a good life in California, so I went on the straight, narrow path. I stayed in school, kept away from negative influences, and attended university at UC Irvine for 4 years. While Irvine was safer and cleaner, it lacked the culture that Pacoima had. Read more>>

Richard Pink | President, Pink’s Hot Dogs, Inc.

I am Richard Pink, Co-Owner of Pink’s Hot Dogs. I was born into the Pnk’s Hot Dog business. I grew up with the business while my parents ran Pink’s. I inherited the business. Priior to inheriting the business i was responsible for the management of shopping centers as a real estate professional. this experience taught me the importance of various aspects of the retail business including the importance of friendly service, attractive atmosphere, quality and consistency of the food, marketing of the brand, and morale and longevity of the employees. I applied these principles to Pink’s when my wife, sister and i took over Pink’s. Further,, as a student I earned a B.S in business, and MBA in business and a law degree. Read more>>

Yassin Adams | DJ / an audiovisual storyteller of SWANA nostalgia

I was born mid-day on February 14th, Giza Hospital (Egypt), 1987 and lived in the heart of the capital (Cairo) from birth, until I turned 25 years old, in 2012. That was 1 year following the Arab Spring, the same year I immigrated to the US to apply for political asylum.

Egypt has been, and is, known to be, the entertainment hub of the region, which has, undoubtedly, impacted me in a multitude of ways. Whether it was the pressure to stand out, or stay ahead, in the ever-expanding and constantly-evolving music scene of Cairo, being an openly sexually-active cisgender woman definitely made it .. umm .. spicy, let’s keep it light. 👏 But, overall, I feel quite lucky to have been raised in a family of multidisciplinary artists who are especially musically inclined. Read more>>

Imogen Hawgood | Artist and illustrator

I grew up in the countryside of Northern England, where I now live and work as a painter and illustrator from my home studio. While I paint a variety of different subjects, most of my work depicts locations which seem out of place or unusual in some way; like a helter-skelter in woodland clearing or a glowing cinema on a residential street. While I am certainly a countryside person at heart, it was a visit to Los Angeles several years ago which has had the most influence on my work. Perhaps it is because LA is different from the landscape that I grew up in, that it has fascinated me ever since and continues to inspire my paintings. Read more>> 

Erika Zambrano-morales | Program Coordinator and Co-founder of the Zambrano-Morales Family

Born and raised in East Los Angeles- Erika is the first member of her family to graduate from high school and hold a master’s degree in Psychology. Dulce’s master’s degree is in Education while Johnny’s is in Sociology. They value the importance of mentorship, academic resources, a college education, and family and community values are essential values that they cherish. Read more>>