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

Hi Calista, how does your business help the community?
Cali Star Entertainment, LLC is a multi-platform entertainment company created to inspire others to pursue possibility. So many of us experience barriers and limitations, whether they are based on our own insecurities or external factors. Through our creative projects, we aspire to continuously break barriers and to show others that you can be more than the limitations that you or others have placed on your life. Through our ventures, whether in music, fashion, film/tv, events, web3, or other mediums, our purpose is to impact lives, culture, and communities in a positive way.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Cali Star Entertainment, LLC was birthed out of my desire to help break barriers and to inspire others to pursue their dreams, even if they may seem impossible at times. As the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, my personal journey to somehow realize my childhood dream of becoming both a singer and a lawyer has really impacted how I navigate my life. I remember feeling so small and overwhelmed with these goals at many different times, but somehow I ended up becoming both. Even though I feel like there is so much left to accomplish, my hope is that in sharing my journey and my story, people may feel less alone and may hopefully feel encouraged to look within at the dreams they may have buried and to find the courage within to really go for it. All of the projects that I do, whether as the pop artist CaliStar or as the founder of Cali Star Entertainment, are always done with the underlying purpose of inspiring others and making a positive impact. There is usually a deeper layer and hidden meaning under each project that is released, and my hope is that people will connect with the art, creativity, and the stories underlying it all. So far, we have released music and music videos through my pop artist persona CaliStar, and we have more projects coming soon, which I am excited to share with everyone.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our office space is located in the Arts District in DTLA, and there are tons of hidden gems in the area, including specialguest and the Uprisers store. If you haven’t been to Intercrew in K-town yet, it’s always a blast, and they’re open for dinner, too. If you love boba, check out Boba Guys and their famous strawberry matcha lattes. One of my favorite dessert places is Paderia, and their egg tarts are to do die for (and their seasonal cookies and cream cookies are my second favorite). If you make it down to Orange County, you’ll want to check out Toast Kitchen + Bakery for amazing food and pies (taro blueberry and black sesame thai tea caramel are my top two) and Fill Bakeshop for mochi donuts and mochi cookies. There’s always so much to do and experience, and my favorite events involve supporting different nonprofit organizations and causes, as well as my friends’ performances and projects.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out the amazing ladies of specialguest, Mylen Yamamoto and Michelle K. Hanabusa. Bridging underrepresented small businesses with legacy businesses through strategic partnerships, specialguest is dedicated to fostering an ecosystem that cares beyond profits, but also people and the planet. From Tansingco’s days on Shark Tank pitching Cropsticks and managing talent through Clique-Now, to Hanabusa’s experience building the community-based streetwear brand, UPRISERS and co-founding Hate Is A Virus, the team is focused on building community. I am so lucky to be friends with these incredible women and to build with them. Stay tuned for more information from specialguest.

Website: https://www.calistarentertainment.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caliwu

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/calistawu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calistarmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/calistarmusic

Image Credits
Cali Star Entertainment, LLC

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