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.

Paola Carleo | Photographer & Graphic Designer

I was born, and raised in Italy, Rome. I moved to LA 15 years ago, and I consider Rome, and Los Angeles my home, two different realities which help me to see things in different perspectives. I’m an actress, which helps me to deeply understand all the emotions in front of the camera, and a graphic designer, which gives me knowledge about composition, and editing. Read more>>

Lorenzo Sidoti | Composer

I come from Rome, Italy, and half of my family comes from Messina in Sicily. I think that the historical importance of the city of Rome and the cultural melting pot that always characterised Sicily had a huge impact on me, as a human being, and my art. I’ve grown up in a family full of music that has always mixed genres, we are used to starting the day with Mozart, having lunch with Jethro Tull, having a break with Miles Davis and ending the day with The Beatles. Read more>>

Charles-Henri Avelange | Music Composer and Producer

I am originally from France, in the French Riviera. I grew up a stone throw from the Cannes Film Festival. In some ways, that impacted a lot my decision to eventually become a composer for film and television. At some point in my youth, my family and I spent some time in a Knight Templar medieval castle, which happened to house the last species of giant bats in Europe! It’s during that time I develop my artistic self. Growing up in a building like this so rich in history makes one kid’s mind go wild. My dad was in the French Army and from my mom side, I have a long lineage of very talented painters. Read more>>

Mizz | Creative multi hyphenate – actor, musician, model, activist

I am originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but I grew up in the U.K. I think that growing up in such a diverse place like K.L. allowed me to have a deeper empathy and understanding towards people. The emphasis on community at home also showed me the importance of having people who love, value and support you. Although I now live miles away, I am grateful to have friends and family that continue to show their love for me despite the distance. Read more>>

Sofia Garza-Barba | Director & Writer

I was born and raised in Monterrey Mexico, surrounded by art, color and magic. If you’ve had the chance to visit Mexico, you know what I’m talking about. Art lurks in every corner. I started doing what I’m doing, because my father exposed me to films and music videos, and was so mesmerized by what I saw on the screen that I wanted to be the one making that. Since my father was a journalist, I had access to a lot of video cameras he owned, so I started to play with them just for fun. Whenever I had the opportunity to use it, I did. I always found a way to experiment my skills shooting home videos with neighbors, and in school at computer class. Read more>>

Lizeth Cuara | Mommy & CEO

I grew up in Compton California, where I lived with my older brother and my mother. I was raised in the 80’s, a time where we played outside in the streets till dark, played with barbies on the front porch, ran through the sprinklers during the summer, and we rode our bikes to the corner markets. Sadly, it was also an environment where gunshots, sirens, and gang violence were part of my norm. We actually lived through the Los Angeles riots, I remember the whole city in flames. My mother raised us on her own, and despite all of the challenges my mother faced first as an immigrant, then as a single mother and always having to work two to three jobs at a time, as a child I do not have one memory of my mom complaining. Read more>>

Gisela Adisa | Film TV and Broadway Actress

Wow, this is such an important question, because so much of where we come from can play a part in our respective paths to success. Thank you for asking that. I’m a first generation American, raised by parents who bravely migrated from the Caribbean and West Africa. As most “hyphenate-Americans” know, ours is an interesting predicament – it can really be tough, navigating between the two (or in my case, three) worlds within our selves. Read more>>

Raye Zaragoza | Music Artist & Songwriter for Spirit Rangers on Netflix

I was born and raised in Manhattan, New York! I grew up in a 400 sq. food studio apartment with my Mom, Dad, sister, and brother. In this tiny apartment, we had a melting pot of cultures – my Dad is of Indigenous (Mexican & Akimel O’otham) descent, and my mother is from Japan (and is also Taiwanese). Being mixed race has greatly influenced who I am today, because it is my greatest passion to uplift diversity in the entertainment industry through storytelling. Read more>>

MAXIM | Visual Artist

I was born in communist Czechoslovakia with not many prospects of having a good and successful life. I have a twin brother whom I have always been very close with. We dreamed of escaping the iron curtain and becoming famous musicians. In my teenage years, I went on to an art school, and not long after I graduated, I left for the United States, where I fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming an artist. I have built a career as a fine art painter. Over the years, I think I have transformed my dreams into an ambition. I have always been very motivated and driven, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact I grew up with no options for a satisfying life. The desire to change my fate made me who I am today. Read more>>

Dani Hagan | Singer, songwriter, performing artist

I am from Grand Forks, North Dakota. There was an incredible arts community that I was raised in. I grew up on stage and back stage surrounded by good people. I was immersed in acting, singing, and dancing since I was 5, taking lessons at every opportunity. Ballet gave me discipline, acting gave me imagination, singing gave me confidence, and songwriting gave me expression. I have more creativity than even I know what to do with, so my parents were wise to enroll me into every creative outlet possible. I’ve worked very hard to maintain the foundation of who I was raised to be as I’ve continued to grow up over the years. Read more>>

Katherine Therése Patricia Whaling | Teacher & co creator of Starseed Community School

I am from East London, a coastal city in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Being the youngest of eight children I always say I was born into community. When I was five years old we moved onto a permaculture farm on the outskirts of the city, where we lived with two other large families in an intentional community. We were very active in the anti apartheid struggle and from a young age I was aware of the prejudice and injustice that existed in the world around me and was shown by the adults in my life what it meant to be an activist, not only to fight against systems of cruelty and oppression but how through the way you speak, act and live your life you can embody those just futures you wish to see. Read more>>

Joel Lulandala | Natural Born Hustler, Entertainer, and Hospitality Consultant

I was born in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. I believe being a first generation American immigrant had a major impact on who I am today. My strong work ethic comes from observing my mother work multiple jobs while having a successful nursing career at the same time. I was raised to never make excuses nor rely on others. I was exposed to low income areas, suburban areas, and urban areas which molded me to relate to individuals of various backgrounds. I have the ability to connect with many people from different cultures due to growing up in various living conditions throughout my childhood and teenage years. Read more>>

Ravit Reitman | Nail Artist

I was born and raised in Israel. As a kid I was always into drawing and dancing, the aesthetic aspect of anything drew me in. Whether it was in movement or on a piece of paper, it made me feel confident and comfortable, it was a safe place for me. After serving in the Israeli army for 2 years I wanted to pursue a career in the makeup industry. I took a TV and film makeup course. Shortly after, my husband (then, still my boyfriend) received an offer to move to Austria and work for the airlines. Read more>>

Tyler Hansen | Actor / Writer / Director

I’m from Eden, NC, which is a very small, southern town. I grew up an only child (well, I’m still an only child), but had an annoyingly big imagination. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I knew I wanted to be an actor, but my mom says when I was 3 or 4 I turned to her after watching a movie and simply said “I want to do that.” And it hasn’t changed since. Fridays were my favorite day of the week — not because it meant no school for two days… but because it meant “Blockbuster.” Read more>>

Ayako Karasawa | Actor

I was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan. It’s a very unique city where old and new are mixed together. Also, it’s a city that values arts. I was very lucky to have a lot of opportunities to see and feel genuine arts, paintings, sculptures as well as performing arts (both contemporary and traditional) through exhibitions that old shrines and temples have or at museums and theaters. That probably led me to have deeper interests toward the arts.  But I would say the first initiation was from my parents. They were into arts so whenever they had time, they took me to museums and theaters. Read more>>

Lindsay Dickens | Model, Actress & Screenwriter

I grew up in the north west suburbs of Chicago, Il. When I was younger, the majority of kids I went to school with were white. I struggled a lot with identity issues being bi-racial (Black & Italian). Kids would call me “dirty” “Oreo” & “zebra” and make racist remarks frequently. Around my white friends I wasn’t “white enough” & around my black friends I wasn’t “black enough”. I even struggled with checking the race box on standardized tests or forms because back then you could only pick one–you could only be one thing. Read more>>

Jacqueline Avalon | Womenheart Champion & Registered Nurse

I’m a 30 year old 1st generation Filipino born and raised in Panorama City, Ca. I lived and studied in the US until I was 11 when I moved to Manila, Philippines. I completed high school in 2010 and obtained my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 2014. I moved back to the US after receiving my degree and I have been a registered nurse for about 8 years now. Apart from this, I’m a woman who has lived with congenital heart disease (notably Ventricular Septal Defect) for 28 years. Read more>>