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.

Anthony Tam | Founder of Anton SV Patisserie

I am originally from Malaysia. My family has been in the food and beverage industry for over 30 years. Growing up, I was raised in an environment where I was surrounded by people working hard and was also taught to take care of others. These principles have stayed with me till today. Read more>>

Jeremy Ross | 3D Modeling & Lighting Artist

I’m originally from a suburb near Montreal in Quebec, Canada. However I’ve grown to live a bit everywhere including the rural side of Quebec, Europe and eventually Florida. Interestingly enough, I was never too big on art growing up. In fact, I always had the choice between music and art and never once considered taking art. I would always be playing games or watching movies in my free time, or go out hiking with my dog Norky, a sweet mix between a Samoyed and a Malamute, to explore the nature around the places I’ve lived. Read more>>

Rose Seybold | Founder of Rose to the Occasions Events

I grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley. When I was a kid I always thought I would follow in my family’s footsteps and become a teacher. My freshman year of college was in 2008 when the great recession hit and I lost my funding for college. This shift led me to taking classes at community college and working in the service industry. The year I turned 21 I decided to spend the summer in Alaska working in a remote upscale lodge. When I got home to Solvang I was older and wiser and eager to jump into the wine industry. Read more>>

Caleb Serban-Lawler | Influencer

Caleb Serban-Lawler is an American actor, producer, videographer and photographer born in San Diego, California on December 7th, 1999. He now resides in Los Angeles. He is best known for his very popular TikTok page @calebserbanlawlerr, Instagram page @calebserbanlawler and feature film acting roles. He began his acting career with a minor role on The Hat: Viral Spots. He soon after achieved nationwide recognition for his unique celebrity film and photo production skills. Read more>>

Aleksei Doktorevich | Filmmaker

I was born in Moscow, Russia almost 22 years ago, and I lived there for 18 years. As a kid, my mom took me to live theaters a lot, so I saw many performances early in my life. In school, I was studying Russian classic literature heavily (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and others). I traveled around Europe and Asia a lot with my family, so from early on I got introduced to different cultures. All that, in my opinion, made me pursue a path of an artist and move to LA to study filmmaking (art that encompasses all arts). Read more>>

Javes Charles | Dancer & Actor

I am from the Caribbean Island of St.kitts.It is a small country where performing arts is both valued in the culture celebration but not respected as an education or career.I started off in music with guitar .It was the first kind of performance art I had to express myself especially growing up with it from my father’s side .Even with that form of expression I lacked any true showcase of who I truly was a person and a performer. My father being a well known musician and teacher in my small country most of the time I was mostly referred to as Mr.Charles son. Read more>>

Calvin J. Miller | Dancer, Creative director

Well, I’m born and raised here in LA. I lived in South Central, Inglewood, NoHo and now Korea-town. When I graduated from Locke Senior High School I started class at UCLA and was apart of NJROTC. I felt like this made me so closed off. When I left I became so much more in touch with who I am. I’m a dancer now, creative director, artist. I’m happy. Read more>>

Mya Ferguson | Business owner

I was born in Saginaw MI, raised in Ann Arbor MI. Two totally different cultures but they both play a part in how I interact with people personally and professionally.. On one end if you’re not careful you can be trapped and boxed in based off others capacity instead of your own. Then on the other end it’s endless possibilities for life and success. So it helps me remain humble & recognize how blessed I truly am, also how this is just the beginning. Read more>>

Peggy Shu | TV Background Designer & Visual Development Artist

I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. I spent mot of my childhood either reading mangas with friends or drawing manga at my desk. Growing up in Taiwan, anime and Japanese manga were definitely a huge part of my life. I was fascinated by how much story-telling a single brush stroke could do in one panel. I wanted to be a manga artist and make a living out of art. Meanwhile, I struggled a lot academically because I only wanted to draw. My parents realized I did not fit well with Taiwan’s educational system. Read more>>

Tres Dean | Writer

I’m from Richmond, Virginia and that city has everything to do with who I am today. Richmond’s a special town, just enough of a big city to keep locals around and attract transplants and just small enough to run into someone you know every time you’re at the grocery store. It’s home to my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, which houses the number-one ranked public arts school in the country. It’s also a service industry town (real ones know it’s got some of the best dining on the east coast) and as a result cost of living stays low. Because of this, every year there’s a new influx of art school freshman who, upon graduating, Read more>>

Chia Ying Lin | Illustrator, Art healing practicer, creator

Hi! My name is Chia and I’m an illustrator from Taiwan, a semi-tropical island country with mountainous landscapes. Like many other kids, I enjoyed drawing and making crafts in my childhood. I’ve been living near hills since I was born. Birds and frogs singing were my alarm clocks and lullaby. Also my dad loved mountain climbing, so our family trips were usually into forests in high altitude. As a result, I am very familiar with the sensations of mountains which make great impact to my creations. Read more>>

Lilly Lev | Actress

I’m from Russia and I used to be a pop singer. I’ve travelled all over the world with my show. Mostly Europe in China. In 2013 I’ve done 50 show sin 3 months. In 15 cities. That led to my passion for acting later, because I came to Los Angeles to perform the show and got an offer role in a movie with Eric Roberts. That’s when I fell in love with acting and decided to move to the US permanently. Read more>>

Charlie Langford | Chandler, Fragrance Enthusiast, Novelist, Dad

Now that is a big question for a guy like me. I’m a Navy brat and disabled Navy veteran, so I feel as though I’m from a little of everywhere. Originally, though, I’m from Honolulu, Hawai’i, but New Orleans, LA is home now. It’s the only place I’ve been with a similar inviting vibe to it. As for that upbringing you mentioned, it was pretty strict and regimented, I think. My parents are still together, and I see them as both contributing greatly to who I am. My dad carved the rough form, keeping me strong and decisive, while mom polished me to a fine luster, making me compassionate and considerate. Read more>>

Glenn Louis Evans | Adventure Cinematographer and Producer

I grew up on a small blueberry farm in Oregon in a town called Hillsboro. I would work my family’s farm as well as other neighbors farms. I was constantly around animals and agriculture and I really liked it. My father was a college English professor who then became a Vice President of a toy company called View Master. I used to hang out with the photographers that would shoot all the 3D Stereo images for the reels and often times my Dad and the photographers would get to fly down to Hollywood to be on the set of big features. Read more>>

Keta Burke-Williams | Founder of Ourside, luxury non-toxic fragrance brand

I grew up in Ohio as the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant mother and American father. My family is integral to who I am and to Ourside, the business I’m building today! My mother would often tell my sister and me a story of visiting Tunisia and smelling midnight blooming jasmine for the first time. That story has had such a profound impact on me that I’ve carried it with me through the years. I’ve long loved the power of scent and fragrance as self-care, whether it’s the smell of my mother burning candles, my sister cooking and baking, or my dad’s cologne. Smells are how I try to remember, calm myself, and energize myself. They can take us to times and lands we’ve never visited and connect us to others. Read more>>