Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation. More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Carla Rosso | Makeup Artist

Where I’m from isn’t a simple answer for me. I was born in Puerto Rico my parents are from the Dominican Republic and I was raised in Miami, Fl. All of these colorful rich Caribbean culture run in my veins.as a Makeup artist I love playing with color and textures which remind me of the vibrant Caribbean. Read more>>

Noora Pohjanen | Dancer & Costume designer

I was born & raised in Finland. I started doing gymnastics at the age of 6 till I was 17. So my childhood was mostly spending time at the gym training or at competitions. I wasn’t naturally gifted in Aesthetic group gymnastics but my mentality of working extremely hard since I first time stepped to my first training session, led me to 12 times national champion and member of national team of Finland, winning multiple international titles including World championships twice. Read more>>

Olivia Norman | Ceramicist

I grew up in the Bay Area in a small suburb of San Jose called Willow Glen where I’d ride my baby pink beach cruiser across one busy street to where my best friend lived. Pretty picturesque. What I’m most grateful for in my upbringing is that creativity was encouraged and my parents have always told me to pursue what I love, no questions asked. Read more>>

Reanna Marchman (Smith) | Photographer and Creative Director for Her Tribal

I’m from a little town in the high desert called Pinon Hills. I was raised by my great aunt and great uncle from the time I was 4 until I was 15 when my great aunt passed away and my great uncle had a stroke shortly after leaving him unable to care for us. Even though I wasn’t raised by my mom and dad I feel I had a pretty stable and loving upbringing, though our family had it’s flaws like most do. Read more>>

Mengxue Tan | Composer for Film, TV and Video Games

I’m from China. I was born into a musical family, so I came into contact with music very naturally from an early age. I play the piano and Chinese instrument Guzheng when I was five years old. I studied concert composition during my undergraduate period and created a lot of Chinese national instrumental music. Read more>>

Almas Shewa | Founder | Interior Designer

I was born Inglewood, but my family is from Surat, India, I was raised Gujrati, Muslim and speak the language fluently. Being a Gujarati, Muslim, women, not only do I identify as a minority in India but also in America. We grew up in modest house in Inglewood within a predominantly black community near the forum. Read more>>

Akanksha Shyam | Cinematographer

I grew up in India. Where on one hand, the magic of Bollywood is ingrained in you. Color, drama, and over-the-top extravagance are a part of your vocabulary. When the pendulum swings to the other side, in terms of the Indian film industry, you get extreme social realism. Growing up, I was able to volunteer in NGOs and do social work that exposed me to important human stories that needed to be told. Read more>>

Pieter Rotthier | Visual artist, music composer & sociologist

I currently live in Antwerp, Belgium. This is also the city in which I grew up. So since I have lived here almost all my life, it has most certainly influenced me. I was raised here, went to school here and studied sociology at the local university. But it influenced me in other ways as well. Antwerp is a very international city with a lot of diversity, since we have an important harbor. So I get a lot of different impressions from different people, which keeps the city interesting. Read more>>

Coby Chatwin | Co-Founder & CEO

I grew up in Lake Elsinore, CA with a family of 4, where both of my parents and even my grandparents were entrepreneurs. Their career paths / lifestyle brought many highs and lows, but, ultimately, it brought a level of freedom that allowed for them to be extremely involved in my and my sister’s life. Read more>>

Marcos Justo | Film Maker / Scare Actor

Hi. I’m Marcos and I’m from Burbank, California. Being born a horror movie fan and living in Burbank has had a huge affect on where I am in my life today. I’m a young horror film maker and scare actor. Burbank is the epicenter of the Horror Film Industry and has given me so many opportunities to pursue my passions. Opportunities that are literally not available anywhere else in the world. Read more>>

Saul Benito Frausto | Cosmetologist

I am from a small town in Nayarit, Mexico called La Peñita de Jaltemba and I grew up watching my mom work in the beauty industry as a hairstylist. I said to myself, “If she is able to take care of me and my brother at this level, I can definitely scale it and make it bigger”. From there, I decided to attend beauty college but my mom discouraged me from going saying I would not make a good living or be successful. Read more>>

Clarissa Echegaray | Jeweler & Entrepreneur

I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley to two loving parents of Mexican and Spanish descent. They always made sure that my two older siblings and I not only never went without but always had everything and more. They both taught me the value and reward of hard work and were always supportive of what I wanted to do with my future. Read more>>