Meet Cherella Nicholson & Christiana Faulkner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cherella Nicholson & Christiana Faulkner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cherella & Christiana, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Queen Haven is the synergy between purpose and partnership. We created Queen Haven as more than an event space—it is a place where community meets luxury, and every detail is infused with intention. Our success is rooted in a shared vision and mutual respect for what each of us brings to the table. Christiana leads with extraordinary creativity and a refined eye for experience design, while Cherella brings operational strategy, community insight, and a deep commitment to inclusive economic development.

Together, we’ve built a brand that reflects our values: dignity, excellence, and belonging. Our success also stems from our ability to listen deeply—to our clients, our community, and each other—and to transform that feedback into beautiful, customized experiences. Queen Haven doesn’t just host events; we hold space for stories, celebrations, and transformation. That clarity of purpose, combined with intentional collaboration, is the heart of our brand’s success.

What should our readers know about your business?
Queen Haven is an intimate event and community space located in the heart of Inglewood, California. We created this space to fill a unique need in a rapidly changing city: a venue that offers both luxury and intentionality—where elegance meets access, and celebrations coexist with purpose. We are proud to be a Black women-led business redefining what it means to gather with dignity, care, and beauty.

What truly sets Queen Haven apart is our concierge team and our hospitality-forward approach. Unlike many event venues that simply provide a space, we offer a full experience. From the moment clients walk through our doors, they are met with warmth, professionalism, and a team dedicated to ensuring every detail is seamless. Our concierge team is trained not only in logistics but in care—because we believe that how people feel in a space is just as important as how it looks.

But just as important as what we do is how we built it. At the heart of Queen Haven is partnership. Too often, entrepreneurship is framed as a solo journey—but we are living proof that business can be built in friendship, trust, and shared vision. We’ve leaned on each other in moments of uncertainty, celebrated each win as a team, and used our different strengths to build something stronger together. Our friendship is not a backdrop to the business—it’s part of the brand. When clients walk into Queen Haven, they’re stepping into something that was built with love, balance, and mutual respect.

We’ve also had the privilege of receiving support from a small group of mission-aligned investors—people who believed in this vision early on and wanted to contribute to something meaningful. Their investment helped bring Queen Haven to life and allowed us to build from a place of shared trust.

The road here hasn’t been easy. We’ve had to navigate limited access to traditional capital, the complexities of opening a venue in a growing market, and the sheer emotional labor that comes with building something from the ground up. But we stayed anchored in our purpose. We listened to our community. We held each other accountable. And we moved forward with a clear intention to build a business that is both profitable and principled.

What we want the world to know is this: Queen Haven isn’t just a venue—it’s a vision. It’s proof that community-rooted businesses can be beautiful, that hospitality can be healing, and that we don’t have to choose between impact and income. Most of all, it’s a reminder that we don’t have to build alone. At Queen Haven, partnership is power—and we’re just getting started.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If our best friend was visiting, we’d give them the full Queen Haven-curated experience—rooted in culture, community, good food, and beautiful energy. Los Angeles is full of magic, and Inglewood in particular holds a spirit that’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s soulful, creative, and alive.

Day 1 – Welcome to Inglewood
We’d start at Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen for breakfast—Black-owned, full of good vibes, and the perfect way to ease into the city. Then we’d stroll through Rogers Park, where both of us have fond childhood memories. It’s more than just a park—it’s where so many of our early experiences with community, joy, and creativity were shaped. From there, we’d walk along Queen Street to show them where Queen Haven lives and talk about the vision behind the space. Dinner would be at 1010 Wine, an elegant Black women-owned wine bar and restaurant—perfect for good conversation and a glass of something beautiful.

Day 2 – Arts & Culture
We’d spend the day in Leimert Park—visiting local vendors, catching live music, and soaking up Black art and culture. There’s a creative energy in the air that feels timeless. Dinner at Alta Adams in West Adams would follow—a soulful, elevated dining experience that feels like home.

Day 3 – Beach + Beauty
We’d start with a scenic drive to Dockweiler Beach for ocean air, sand, and reflection. Afterward, we’d grab lunch from El Colibri Juice Bar—Cherella’s favorite lunch spot—for something fresh, nourishing, and delicious. We’d keep the day slow and soulful, maybe journaling seaside or just letting the ocean work its magic.

Day 4 – Queen Haven Day
We’d host a private, intimate dinner party at Queen Haven, featuring a beautifully curated meal by a local chef. Christiana would handle the event design and décor, transforming the space into something magical and deeply personal. With candlelight, music, and intention, it would be a celebration of friendship, creativity, and shared vision—exactly the kind of gathering Queen Haven was built to hold.

Day 5 – Explore the Unexpected
We’d spend the afternoon exploring The Broad, one of LA’s most inspiring modern art museums. After taking in the exhibits, we’d keep it spontaneous and pull up on a local food truck for tacos—because sometimes the best meals are found curbside. It’s casual, delicious, and pure LA.

Day 6 – Soulful Saturday
We’d start the day at Porto’s Bakery, because few things bring joy like a box of warm cheese rolls and potato balls. Then we’d head to Highland Park or Melrose for vintage shopping and wandering through independent shops. That evening, we’d catch a local open mic, a pop-up gallery, or live music—wherever the creatives are gathering, we’ll be there.

Day 7 – Reflect & Recharge
We’d close the trip with morning yoga at Black Being, a beautiful wellness collective centering the healing of Black women. After class, we’d head to Sip & Sonder for coffee, journaling, and a final exhale. No plans, no pressure—just time to reflect on the joy, the creativity, and the power of being in community.

In our view, Los Angeles is not just a city—it’s a rhythm. A patchwork of neighborhoods, artists, and sacred spaces that hold memory, movement, and momentum. That’s the kind of experience we love to curate—not just as hosts, but as community-builders.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without question, Queen Haven stands on the shoulders of many. This space was dreamed up in community and continues to be built with love, labor, and unwavering belief from those around us. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our families—especially the women who raised us to lead with integrity, creativity, and conviction. Their quiet sacrifices and loud affirmations laid the foundation for how we show up in the world.

We also want to honor the community partners and nonprofit leaders—particularly Black women—who have long been the architects of care, culture, and collective advancement. Their leadership continues to shape how we think about impact, justice, and the power of space. Queen Haven is a reflection of their work and a commitment to create a venue where they feel not only welcomed, but centered.

And intellectually, we are deeply influenced by the work of bell hooks and Henri Lefebvre. hooks’ writings on love, community, and liberation, and Lefebvre’s theory of “The Right to the City,” have profoundly shaped how we think about space—not just as a backdrop, but as a catalyst for equity, belonging, and social transformation. Queen Haven exists because we believe space matters, and we’re grateful to every person and idea that helped shape that belief.

Website: https://www.queenhavenevents.com

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

Facebook: Queen Haven Events & Community Space

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/queen-haven-events-and-community-space-inglewood

Other: (424) 227-6907
hello@queenhavenevents.com

Image Credits
Photo credits to ThirtyThreeFifteen
IG: @ThirtyThreeFifteen
www.thirtythreefifteen.com