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.

Betty Ke | Independent Artist as singer-songwriter

Growing up in Taiwan, music has always been a significant part of my life. My journey with music began early, as I immersed myself in percussion for over 13 years. Read more>>

Yoontaek Hong | Director & Cinematographer

I’m from Seoul, South Korea, one of the most fast-paced and crowded cities in the world. Growing up there definitely shaped who I am today. I was always in a highly competitive environment, both at school and outside. This upbringing made me very driven and competitive, but sometimes I feel like I lost something in the process. Read more>>

Mercedes Riegé | Actress & Singer

I was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina- yes, like Messi- but I moved to New York to pursue a career in theatre in 2021 at 18 years old. As a stubborn teenager, I always wanted to move to the greatest city in the world; I always felt Rosario was “too small” for me (eye rolls). Read more>>

Sandra Martinelli | Digital Creator & Cookbook Author

I was born and raised in the Bay Area, CA – the first in my family to be born in the United States. My mother, four uncles, and grandparents emigrated from Vietnam to the US in the mid-70s. When they landed in the US, they had very little money, but a ton of grit. Read more>>

Aurora Cecconi | Graphic Designer and Art Director

I’m originally from Italy, from the city of Verona. Before moving to Los Angeles, I spent four impactful years in Milan, where I studied Graphic Design and Art Direction at NABA, New Academy of Fine Arts. Read more>>

Doc Clarke | Apparel creator, Artist Developer,& talent booker

I’m originally (I was born in Oklahoma due to my father being stationed in Air Force. Moved to NY at the age of 4 months old )born to a Jamaican father & Panamanian mother. My father was murdered when I was about 7 or 8 years old. At the time of his passing my mother & I had already moved to California. California raised me. Read more>> 

Sergey Murdoc | Visual art creator

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. Unofficially, we call it the “cultural capital”. Childhood was divided into two sides: one was inside museums and theaters, where a beloved grandmother took care of the creative and spiritual development of her grandson, the other in the depths of street culture, where lessons were taught about friendship and betrayal, the need to defend one’s interests at any cost. Read more>>

Lisa Parker | Founder, Trilome®

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, in a religious home, attending private Christian schools. Our house, which I believe was haunted, overwhelmed my nervous system. Terrified of ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ spirits, I didn’t have the tools to understand what was happening or ask for help, so I learned to dissociate by the time I was seven years old in order to cope. Read more>>

Che Johnson | Actor, Storyteller and Landscaper

I think a lot about my upbringing. Especially having grown up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney which is an extremely finacialy wealthy part of the world. My parents would often take us traveling to less Economically thriving areas growing up like Lao and Myanmar. Read more>>

Mehula Singh | Production designer

I was born in Meerut, a small city in India, and was brought up in Mumbai, a bustling metropolis. My early childhood was spent on a cargo ship. Until I was ten years old, I lived on a cargo ship, traveling from one side of the world to the other.  Read more>>

Chris Crooks | Artist, Creative Director, & Entrepreneur

I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had never lived anywhere else until I moved to Vegas. Cincinnati is one of the best places in the world to me. It’s not a place a lot of people have been but it’s a place that means so much to the people who have. Read more>>

Shih Hung CJ Hsu | Guitar Player/Instructor

Hi, here is CJ, I’m from Taiwan, As an Asian, I consider myself quite fortunate. Most traditional Asian families typically do not encourage their children to pursue a career in music. However, my family is a bit special. They have been very supportive of me since I was little. Read more>>