There are so many factors that affect how our lives turn out, but one of the most interesting is how our backgrounds give us unique strengths and perspectives that affect who we are as adults. We asked rising stars from the community to tell us about their background and upbringing and how they feel it’s impacted who they are today.

Anderson Hao | Songwriter

I’m from Columbus Ohio! I had a lot of freedom growing up that I feel like a lot of my friends growing up in cities didn’t experience. Both a blessing and a curse of course, I was left to my own devices for most of my childhood. I spent my teenage years following bands from city to city on tours and I got hooked on that feeling (hence the career path). I always felt comfort in writing and I think it just made sense to become a songwriter in a lot of ways. I’m grateful to have come from a place with so much open space to experience and grow. I had a lot of room for trial and error. Read more>>

Abraham Gutierrez | Paintier and writer

was born in Van nuys California but I moved to Utah when I was ten. Although I’ve been here for a long time there’s some things I just can’t get used to like people staring at you and here people seem to not think it’s a problem. I have one other sister but it feels like I’ve always liked to keep to myself. Read more>>

Amy Jay | Singer Songwriter & Graphic Designer

It seems natural to start with beginnings, so here we go! I’m originally from Florida. My early childhood was in Miami where I remember nostalgic snapshots of always being near the ocean or pool, and the Cuban food, music and culture. My grandparents introduced me to Frank Sinatra, Gloria Estefan and classical music (my paternal grandparents played in an orchestra). I also very much remember the 90s pop and alternative playing on the radio. Read more>>

Chase Korzep | Director

I was born and raised in Las Vegas. I’m from a family of educators who really showed me the importance of curiosity and perseverance. I never fit in to the school system or the lifestyle of Las Vegas. It’s all desert and a strip of parties, so I really had to lose myself in adventure storytelling and other worlds to be excited about life. I became extremely curious about animals, other planets, unexplored territories, and history. Read more>>

Xiaotong Wen | Digital Artist, 3D motion designer

Born and raised in china, a city where winters are very cold. I’ve been learning painting since elementary school, including traditional Chinese painting, figure sketching, and landscape oil painting. Read more>>

Siobhan Diores | Founder of The Birth Realm

I was born and raised in the Sunset District of San Francisco. My mother came from The Philippines in the 80s and my Irish-American father’s family has been here for several generations. My 3 siblings and I were raised to have a lot of pride and loyalty to the city, including a big emphasis on civic engagement, My dad had us canvassing and attending marches often, so my sense of responsibility to participate in my community started very young. Read more>>

Miriam Kuhlmann | Filmmaker and Artist

I grew up in Germany, in what I would say was a very sheltered environment. German society overall is rather risk-averse and safety-first. Engineering technology and the automotive industry are dominating, which still results in a very male-oriented, structured and rule-based lifestyle. In retrospect, I guess I was unconsciously trying to break outside that box by being constantly drawn to the arts, and trying to find what my palette was. Read more>>

Robaflor | Band

The band members are from different parts of Los Angeles. Daniel and Puga are from South Central, Christian is from Boyle Heights, and Eric is from North East Los Angeles. We are all come from immigrant parents and with that comes shared experiences that we continue to discover amongst ourselves. Music has been a source of joy for us all and for us it’s special to be able to share it with one another and our listeners. Our background is the catalyst behind our music and expression. Read more>>

Melanie Valero | Actress

I grew up in the Sunshine State Florida, where I was born in Boca Raton. My family is from Colombia, where my hispanic culture has helped me with being bilingual, dancing, cooking and so much more. My parents always had my siblings and I involved in sports and the arts. When I started dancing at an early age, I realized the passion I had for performing. Whether it was hanging out with friends or at a family party I would be so excited to put on a show for everyone, Read more>>

Chianni Lin | Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Growing up in Taiwan, my interest in and experience with Oriental healing practices began when I was very young. Taiwan is a society deeply rooted in Asian culture and Chinese Medicine. I received lots of information and stories on all kinds of healing arts growing up from my grandparents, parents, and in school. And my family actively practiced Chinese medicine, meditation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga. I actually received my first acupuncture treatment when I was 4 years old. Read more>>

Yvonne Arasa | Graphic Designer & Photographer

I was born in raised in the Bay Area. I didn’t have the best childhood growing up and I was abused alot as a child. Growing up I didnt have a voice and when I became an adult and started healing my trauma I became a more postive person and be an advocate for those who dont feel they cant be themselves or scared about talking about mental health issues. The impact of my childhood gave me a voice as an adult to stand up for myself when others wont. Read more>>