Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Claire Dew

Starting my own business with some thing that was a must for me. We live in a time and age where gatekeeping and people hindering other people’s growth is a thing. And for many, this comes out of a place of insecurity and or a deeply rooted fear. I was noticing that every time I wanted to get up and get out and do more within my role. I was always stopped or told to stand down. It wasn’t until I got the chance to work with people that had different ideas and goals, that they envisions for their lives – without that sense of insecurity, but almost a sense of purpose and freedom. They were not worried about what people were doing around them. They were simply focused on the vision at hand. Seeing and experiencing that in real time, helped me then realize that I had not only the potential but I had the right and the audacity to go after my dreams. Simply put I had control over my own destiny. So starting Dew Media Productions, wasn’t just to start a business to say I have one, but it really was literally a lifeline to keeping my dreams alive. Read more>>

Victoria Cho

As far back as I can remember, my parents always ran their own business, so I think entrepreneurship has been ingrained in me from my upbringing. I started Metalepsis, a concept-driven jewelry business, in early 2018, and this year I launched my interior design business under Studio Piola. The idea of running my own business comes to me very naturally. While it doesn’t mean I’m great at it (yet!), I thrive on having a purpose and passion that I believe can eventually become a successful venture. Read more>>

Jessica Etting and Amanda Roessler

Jam was definitely born from a lightning bolt moment between the two of us. We’re both pretty organized (love a good color-coded chart!), but as busy working moms, we were overwhelmed by the chaos of modern family life and the daily mental load–the who’s going where, who’s driving, what needs to get done, what needs to get bought ticker-tape that was running through our heads each day. Read more>>

Michaela Rabinov

I was laid off from my 9-5 job when all the tech layoffs were happening a few years ago. It was a blessing in disguise, I was very ready for a change but hadn’t been able to take the leap. I spent about 2 months applying for jobs I didn’t want, and finally my partner asked me what I really wanted to do. I told him that I had always wanted to be a photographer, something I had done as a hobby since I was a kid. He told me I should go for it – that if I wasn’t making money in six months, we could revisit the plan. So I went for it and haven’t looked back since! Read more>>

 Junchao Ma

I have always believed that entrepreneurship is a cornerstone of innovation and technological advancement. I see starting my own business in robotics as a way to make robots more accessible, ultimately helping and assisting people in their daily lives. Plus, I love the idea of building something from scratch, watching it grow, and knowing it’s making a positive impact on society. Read more>>

Rami Altawil

Rimaal’s conception, was driven by a passion for music and a desire to create something meaningful. I found common ground in my love for music, particularly house music. I realized that I wanted to create more than just parties; I envisioned community-driven events where people could connect and enjoy quality music together. This dream inspired me to turn my passion into a reality, bringing people together in a unique and enriching way. Read more>>

KAR33M

When I became a musician, I learned very quickly that the business side of the music industry can sway the process of creativity. The business can dictate everything, from what you write/sing about to how it is produced and consumed. Read more>>

Heather Mitchell

The idea behind my brand, Brea, was born from my decade-long experience in the fashion industry, working with both mass-market retailers and luxury brands. Over time, I realized my passion for creating my own company, leveraging my understanding of the business’s operational and creative aspects. After moving to Los Angeles, I was inspired by the city’s entrepreneurial spirit, the abundance of local vendors, and my dissatisfaction with my 9-to-5 job. Read more>>

Katya Souchitski

To be honest, the thought process began very unexpectedly. I started my social media journey at the start of college in 2016. At the time, I was studying Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Merced. All things related to social media were more of a hobby. Post topics included my journey of writing and publishing my book, which was about my story of surviving the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. Additionally, I posted a lot about body positivity and fitness tips since I was a certified fitness trainer in college. One thing led to another, and I started to grow a loyal following. Brands began reaching out, and I essentially began creating this personal brand. Read more>>

Anastasiya Kukhtareva | manager/producer

To be completely honest, starting my own business became a process of necessity. I didn’t really have a runway or plan and was sort of forced to jump right in. But the beginning of the story starts with me working as a development executive, first at Tobey Maguire’s company, Material and then with Lynda Obst Productions. Also, Steven Canals is a main character in “how I became a manager!”. When Steven was a grad student at UCLA, I tried to bring his show POSE to Material – it ultimately wasn’t the right fit. So I had said to Steven, “I can’t sell your show but I can get you manager.” I had met Jarrod Murray who had partnered with Allard Cantor through a mutual friend. Jarrod had also grown up in Alabama, there aren’t too many of us out here! Steven ended up signing with Jarrod and Allard at Epicenter. Then, when I couldn’t quite figure out what was next for me in terms of the executive path, and didn’t have the resources or the credits to be a producer on my own, Allard approached me at a party and said “why don’t you come work with us as a manager.” At the time, it was a big leap for me and in a sense, starting over in terms of building from the ground up, but I said yes and was with Epicenter for five years. It was a perfect segue as I was their internal development person working on client’s scripts, but then, started signing clients on my own. When the strikes happened, it wasn’t possible for Epicenter to keep me on, so I decided that until the business rebounded I would try going at it alone. Since January of this year, which is when the town has started coming back to life, I’ve been able to sustain thus far. A client staffed on a show in January and then another one staffed on a show in the Spring. A few pilots got optioned and bit by bit, it’s been really gratifying to see that I have been able to make it work on my own. I think for me, the years that I’d spent in development building relationships and also honing my taste made it a fairly easy transition and finding the hustle to just keep at it has been keeping me afloat! I’d love to be part of a collective or find a path for being partnered with like minded individuals who have different skillsets than me at a bigger company, but I think it would have to be the right fit and a place that has a vision of how to sustain in the current marketplace with the changing landscape. But in the meantime, management is something that I have been – in some ways – training for my entire career thus far. Read more>>

Rio Mackenzie | OhGummi CEO

I realized there were items in the market that were missing, and that people were looking for it. I would wake up and think why anyone hasn’t come up with that business idea yet. That is why I figured it would be helpful for people to have an eco-friendly and vegan gummies that actually care about nature and also cares about our consumers. Read more>>

Paul Lee | Founder of Cheer Los Angeles

I was a young adult during the AIDS crisis in the early 1980’s. It was a time of sadness, frustration and anger as our community was ravaged by this disease and our government response was non-existent. At the time, the LGBT+ community took it upon themselves to mobilize and care for our community as well as protest the lack of governmental attention and resources to fight the epidemic. By the time I founded Cheer LA in 2001, the approach to HIV/AIDS was much different but my need and desire to continue to fight and give back to the community and help those battling HIV/AIDS remained. It was this thought process that brought me to founding Cheer Los Angeles. Read more>>

Joe Scarnici | Photographer/Videographer

There was never a question about starting my own photography business—it’s what I’ve always done. I’ve been taking photos since I was 15, and the idea of not turning it into a business never even crossed my mind. Read more>>

Vanessa Kapadia | Author and Illustrator of the ‘It’s That Time of Year Series’

I wanted to create something to help my son — something that wasn’t available when I was growing up but that I would have loved to have had: something that would have helped me understand my culture while being raised away from India. So one day, I had the idea to create a fun and interactive book series for kids to learn about their Hindu culture, one that incorporates universal concepts like counting, number recognition, and fun games to practice shape recognition. I submitted an inquiry to a self-publishing agency and heard back within a few hours, which marked the beginning of my journey. Since then, I’ve published two more books as part of my series and brought its management under my own business instead of continuing through the self-publishing agency. Read more>>

Naomi Fukuta | Owner of Dulci Paws

When I started, I had just quit my job in eCommerce. I was spending a lot of time with my dogs, trying to decide my next steps. I made a lot of new friends at the park and noticed there was a need for reliable dog walkers and pet sitters. They had many horror stories which was upsetting. I started by partnering with a friend who had the same ideals as me. We did a lot a research by looking at the market as well as talking to our potential clients about their expectations and needs when it came to their pets. It was important to us that our future clients could trust us and know that their pets would be taken care of as if they were our own. As we went along, my partner decided to move forward in another direction. After amicably splitting, I saw the potential of this business and continued on with the research we had done. I gave myself milestones to meet and eventually, I was able to hire incredible staff members. Now, most of our clients come from word of mouth. Read more>>

Hillel Teplitzki | Composer

The primary reason for starting my own business was to gain the freedom to collaborate with a wider range of individuals, including other composers, producers, and friends I have long wanted to collaborate with.

SABI

I grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs and business owners: my father is an independent real estate appraiser, my grandparents owned a video store in Artesia, the school where I learned piano was privately owned, and in high school, my aunt opened a bar restaurant in Cerritos, still operating today under new ownership. Seeing others take these risks and succeed inspired me to believe I could do it too. Read more>>

Annie Semenova | Mentor For Hollywood Moms

I came to the US almost 10 years ago, alone with my 5-year-old daughter. I knew that from then on, I would be both mom and dad to her. I wanted to be present in her life, to take her to activities – dancing, singing, acting, piano. A 9-to-5 job wasn’t an option for me. I wanted to help people, but also, help my own child. Read more>>

Garrick Lee Aka Gman | Tattoo Artist / Renaissance Man

After earning a fine arts degree and incurring significant debt, I spent seven years working as a studio designer in the advertising sector. The job provided a steady salary and stability in my twenties, but it lacked the artistic fulfillment I craved. Read more>>