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

Hi Anastasiya, how do you define success?
My current definition of success is the ability to decide which problems to spend my time on, and the freedom to work at the intersection of several disciplines, surrounded by interesting and inspiring people. Having the separate channels of interest gives me more spaces and tools in which to play, often providing inspiration as to how to connect disparate ideas and solve problems in non-traditional ways.

Part of my definition of success is also being part of the conversation – as a listener, a voice, and a member of a community. I am a believer in the impact of your circle on your now and your trajectory, and have been beyond fortunate with the incredible people I have been able to interact with.

Lastly, I believe that a big part of success is happiness, and how the individual defines that.

Be intentional, be innovative, be kind. Stay consistent, and good things will follow.

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.
During my career to this point, I have been fortunate to be able to engage in business, technical, and artistic pursuits. While at some points in my career, the intersection was quite clear (such as when I worked at the Laboratory for Non-Invasive Brain-Machine Interface Systems exploring neural correlates of how people perceive and create art), at some other points it has been less clear. In my current position within strategy consulting in healthcare, the connection between art and my day-to-day may seem less intertwined. In parallel to my work in consulting, I am currently a recording artist for Level 3 Music Group LLC. and Chief Artistic Officer of ExquisiteMorphs, crafting curated art in partnership with AI across digital and tangible media (exquisitemorphs.ai). I have found that no matter the level of intersection, both parts of my work and life help feed each other, improve my skills, and expand my perspective.

I will have a single dropping in February, produced by Kevin Posey.

I review coffeeshops (predominantly in LA) here: https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/2nVUgg_EwrIgEbAR6dA-gvVnMcNUmA

A few things I learned working at various levels of intersection:

Two things are rarely a waste of time: doing what you are passionate about and learning something new.

Every “good” opportunity should be a “pivot”: one foot should be planted in something you can bring to the table, and the other should be reaching into unexplored territory.

Don’t be afraid to be forward in the direction you want to go, however be willing to do the work to get there. A “yes and” mentality goes a long way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1 Always coffee first! I would bring them to a DTLA favorite, such as Nice Coffee or Andante. We would grab take-out at Wake and Late (favorite gluten-free option for breakfast burrito, also selling addicting iced lattes!) and eat it in the Blue Ribbon Garden on top of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Next, we would wander through the halls of the Broad, catching up as we experience the art. After, we would grab happy hour and dinner at Redbird.

Day 2
Coffee at Two Guns or Hi-Fi. Then, a day playing volleyball at Hermosa Beach with acai bowls midday and burgers on the pier for dinner. Perfect, simple day!

Day 3
Brunch at The Waffle, and over to Beverly Hills for some shopping! Sample sale of the week at 260LA, and champagne in Beverly Canon gardens. Check out the Eclipse sample sale on South Robinson, and grab dinner at Same Same Thai.

Day 4
Grab coffee at Document, and head to the Marciano Art Foundation to see the latest artwork. To continue the museum day, we would stop by the Petersen Automotive Museum, looking at all of the incredible car exhibits. Then we would return to K-Town to grab KBBQ, and walk it off in the surrounding area (stopping at boba) before heading back.

Day 5
Breakfast at Yellow Vase, the onto hikes in PV. Lots of fun options!! Coffee after at Rose Park Roasters in Long Beach, and dinner at In-and-Out.

Day 6
Grab coffee at Mavro or Sachi.LA, then walk around Abbot Kinney, stopping in stores (such as Shinola!) and grabbing a bite at a food truck or local restaurant. Then, we would head to Venice beach for ocean air and people watching. End the day with a Orange Mocha with hazelnut milk and a glass of wine at Ten.

Day 7
Breakfast at Poppy+Rose, then a walk through the flower markets in DTLA. Go to the ROW to walk through the cute design and food shops, stopping for lunch at Pikuniko and to get our nails done. Then, we would play arcade games at Arts District Brewing Company, drinks at Death+Co, and late dinner at Wurstkuche.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Too many to recognize – so many people and experiences that helped me on my path!

A few shout-outs, thank you to:

My family, for allowing and encouraging me to work on many things from a young age, and continuing to push high performance in each.

My collaborators, for bringing your voice and perspective, and sharing your brilliance.

My mentors, for pushing me up, providing me with advice, and for letting me know when my thinking is off.

And my friends, for providing fun, support, and sometimes distractions when some distance from the projects provides clarity and perspective.

Website: anastasiyakopteva.com

Instagram: @anastasiyakopteva

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiyakopteva/

Other: exquisitemorphs.ai

Image Credits
Hollywood Headshots, Yoshua Photo, Svetlana Linde, Curio Trix, ExquisiteMorphs (Original photo by Stephen Cheong-Leen).

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.