Meet Mikkel | Founder of Give Hope Studios™ | Head Of Creative At Sons Of Summer

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

Hi Mikkel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was never part of my life plan. It wasn’t born from ambition or a lifelong dream, but emerged from necessity. Sometimes the most transformative journeys begin when we have no other choice.
I arrived in the United States as a seven-year-old immigrant, following my parents to Los Angeles. Through circumstances beyond my control, my visa expired. Suddenly, I found myself in an impossible position—no social security number, no driver’s license, and no legal path to traditional employment. All conventional routes to earning a living were closed to me.

I once believed nursing would be my salvation—not just a career, but a potential pathway to citizenship. When that door closed, I was forced to reimagine my future. Looking inward, I reconnected with the artistic passions that had colored my youth and flourished throughout high school. My love for painting and sketching hadn’t just been hobbies—they were signposts pointing toward my true direction.

In graphic arts, I discovered the perfect synthesis: a harmonious blend of digital innovation and creative expression that felt like coming home. What began as my plan B revealed itself to be my destiny—a calling I might never have answered had circumstances not compelled me to listen more closely to my authentic self.
This challenge became my catalyst. Unable to work for others, I had to work for myself. I immersed myself in learning both the fundamentals of business and in honing my craft as a designer. My entrance into the creative field wasn’t just a career choice—it was my only viable path forward. What began as survival evolved into something more powerful: the discovery of my true calling and the courage to forge my own way when traditional doors remained closed.

Through the years, graphic design became my gateway into a vibrant ecosystem of creative industries. A single skill blossomed into a versatile creative repertoire spanning advertising, architecture, art, fashion, film, digital media, and beyond. My design expertise allowed me to move fluidly across these sectors, each project enriching my perspective and expanding my capabilities.

As my professional canvas widened, I didn’t just adapt—I thrived. The diverse experiences across these creative disciplines crystallized into a unique vision that demanded its own space to flourish. This evolution culminated in the founding of Give Hope Studios—a creative atelier born from the convergence of necessity, resilience, and artistic passion, embodying both my journey and my aspiration to inspire others through design.

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?
The Double Threat:

Give Hope Studios breaks the mold with our dual identity—we’re both a creative agency and a studio/venue rental space. Most companies pick a lane, but we’ve built something different. This hybrid approach gives us a killer edge: we truly understand where content lives and how it’s applied. When we create, we’re thinking about the complete journey of a project, not just one piece of the puzzle. That’s our superpower.

The Vision:

I’m super excited about our future. The creative industry is shifting dramatically, and we’re here for it. The exciting part? Our future has this beautiful out-of-focus quality—we can see the silhouette but not every detail, and that’s the thrill of building something revolutionary.
We’re working toward our dream: a 24/7 creative compound. Imagine a space with a studio, venue, bar, restaurant, and coffee shop all under one roof. A place where creatives can fully immerse themselves without leaving the ecosystem. Think Soho House, but with the actual space and tools to execute your wildest ideas. A creative playground that never sleeps.

Our Proudest Moments:
Two projects stand out that show what we’re capable of:

• First, “Beast of the Pacific”—a feature film we’re pushing toward getting financed and produced. We shot the first 30 minutes in the Philippines last October with Sons of Summer, where I serve as Head of Creative. It’s a World War II story told through the eyes of a Filipino woman named Esa who leads a resistance against Japanese forces. This action-martial arts film highlights our Filipino heritage through a story of resilience and survival. Working with the producer Steven Kiefer and writer Tony Arriola to bring this to life in the Philippines has been incredibly meaningful.

• Second, we designed and led the creative direction for Justin Bieber’s “Justice” album. Working directly with him to transform his vision into reality was mind-blowing. We also designed the merchandise and marketing materials for both his “Changes” and “Justice” albums. Total pinch-me moments.

The Blueprint:
My path to success follows two simple but powerful principles:

• Show Up — This means being prepared and delivering on promises. So many people in this city talk big but can’t back it up. The bar is surprisingly low—just doing what you say you’ll do puts you ahead of 90% of people.

• Leave Places Better — Wherever I go, I commit to improving the situation. This takes intentionality and awareness. Whether it’s making sure my team feels less stressed working with me, literally picking up trash, or staying organized—it matters. I want people to feel that bringing me onto a project makes everything better, not more complicated. Our industry has enough high-pressure situations without adding unnecessary stress.

Overcoming Obstacles:

When facing challenges, I take things one step at a time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by massive projects, but breaking them down makes everything manageable. Having the RIGHT team is also crucial—like the Navy SEALs on impossible missions, we can’t predict every obstacle, but we come prepared, trust each other completely, and always have each other’s backs. This approach dramatically increases our success rate.

The Bigger Picture:

Here’s what I want the world to know: A kid born on a sugar cane farm in the Philippines—an immigrant with every disadvantage—built a life working with some of the biggest names in entertainment. I’m a “nobody” who got to be part of extraordinary projects, and that was only possible because of God.

I believe I have a bigger calling, and so does everyone reading this. God designed us all for greatness, regardless of our circumstances, shortcomings, or “qualifications.” He has amazing plans for each of us and wants nothing but the BEST. When we trust Him, He takes us on the wildest, most fulfilling ride of our lives.
This isn’t just my story—it could be yours too. ✨

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?
First things first—we’re hitting up Maru for that god-tier coffee and banana bread, no debate! ☕️🍌 Absolute non-negotiable to fuel the day.

After the caffeine kicks in, we’re either sending it on some LA golf courses (iykyk the golf obsession is real) OR better yet, road-tripping to Palm Springs for the elite golfing experience. Palm Springs just hits different—it’s literally my SoCal happy place. The drive there? Basically a mini-podcast session with killer views.

If this is during Spring, we’re 100% pivoting to Mammoth for some slope action! And that drive up the 395? Chef’s kiss! We’re talking Western Film Museum pitstops, the cutest small towns that literally look like movie sets, hot springs along the way, Death Valley, and casual views of Mt. Whitney just casually flexing in the background. The journey is lowkey as elite as the destination. Been absolutely LIVING for ski season lately. My wife and I are constantly up there with our doggos whenever there’s snow—it’s our whole personality at this point, and zero regrets about it.

To wrap the perfect day? We’re doing a full urban crawl through LA’s coolest neighborhoods. Silverlake? Check. Atwater? Obsessed. Arts District? Say less. Just bouncing between hidden gems, art spots that aren’t on everyone’s IG feed yet, and places where the vibes are immaculate. Low-key exploring the city like we’re main characters in our own indie film.

That’s the dream week—maximum fun! LOL ✨

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Let’s be real—no one crushes it alone! Major shoutout to my absolute ride-or-die, my wife Kay Aranas! 🙌 This woman has seen me at my 3am panic mode and my victory lap moments—always showing up with zero hesitation. When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re basically signing up for the wildest rollercoaster you’ve never seen before, and having someone who’s like “Let’s do this thing!” even when the track looks sketchy? That’s next-level love. Kay hasn’t just supported my dreams—she’s helped build them brick by brick, putting in that same blood, sweat, and hustle. I still pinch myself that I found my perfect teammate.

And I can’t talk about my story without hype-ing up my superhero mom! Single-handedly raising three kids? #IYKYK that’s god-tier difficult. She sacrificed EVERYTHING so we could have options she never had. Everything I am today started with her believing I could be something great when the odds said otherwise. Love you Mom.

In Filipino culture, we’ve got this whole “chosen family” vibe that hits different. My Ma & Pa (not biological, but might as well be) stepped in and showed what unconditional support actually looks like. While juggling their own two kids, they still showed up for my mom, my siblings, and me in every way possible. Never once with the energy of “this isn’t our problem.” Just pure love, zero questions asked. That kind of found family gives you the confidence to take big swings in life, knowing someone’s always got your back. Forever grateful doesn’t even cover it! ✨

Website: https://www.GiveHopeStudios.Com

Instagram: @givehopestudios | @mikkelaranas

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

Image Credits
John Policarpio,Daniel Zamora,Kay Jo Aranas,Steven Kiefer