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.

Satya Reyes

I grew up in a small town in Michigan and had the delight of having land to explore and many animals to care for and play with. I’ve been in Los Angeles for over 30 years now though! Longer than I lived in Michigan.
It’s funny isn’t it, how we don’t always know how good we had it until it’s out of our reach? Once I had children, I really wished I could raise them in the same way I was, with ponds and trees to play in and frogs to catch. I’m dreaming now, 30 years later, of getting back to a small town with a creek running through my back yard. Read More>>

James Lee

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and have always embraced the vibrant Southern California lifestyle. After earning my Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford, I launched my career at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo. Around the same time, I was commissioned as a Naval Officer in the Reserve Engineering Duty Officer program. I also assisted in my father’s business, further enhancing my education by earning an MBA from the University of Southern California. Raising my two wonderful daughters has been among my proudest achievements. Read More>>

Kelly Turnbull

I’m originally from Northern Canada, just a few hours inland from the Hudson Bay. So the part of the country where the snow starts falling in September and doesn’t stop until June (or at least that’s how it was when I was growing up, who knows what things are like with the climate these days) It was a Manitoba Hydro corporate town, so most people were either Hydro employees or people there to support Hydro families (school, hospital, grocery store, that kind of thing), and the majority of people lived in housing you rented from your employer. I usually tell people our two main exports there are hydroelectricity and Canadian Stereotypes. Read More>>

Jiaqi Zhou

Growing up as an only child in Shanghai, China, my childhood was often quiet, filled with moments of solitude that sparked an insatiable curiosity within me. From a young age, with endless time to myself, I found pure joy in creating—whether it was sketching beloved characters from the novels I read, weaving precious memories into funny comics, or sculpting whimsical paper mache figures. The process of creation became a means of expression, an escape that transformed the repetitive ordinary into something magical. Read More>>

Richard Liu

I was born in Pennsylvania, but I’ve lived across the U.S.—in California, Virginia, and Maryland—as well as in Fuzhou, China. Moving between such distinct environments exposed me to a wide range of cultures, traditions, and artistic influences from an early age. Growing up between Chinese and American cultures, I experienced two very different ways of seeing and understanding the world—whether it was through language, rituals, or artistic traditions. Read More>>

Lonely Richard

My name is Will and I co-front Lonely Richard with Alex Carr.

Alex and I have been best friends going on 23 years, which means our music tastes developed together. At age 10 we were listening to Bowie. We graduated to the Velvets in high school and then when I was a sophomore, Alex, ruined my life by introducing me to Elliot Smith’s Either/Or. Our mutual obsession with a certain kind of sad bastard music kind of set us on the path.

Oh and we’re both originally from New York City! Read More>>

Tibor Simon-mazula

Although there were no other fine artists in my family, my brother was a tattoo artist and muralist and both my parents loved art; my mother would buy a painting rather than a car. She worked as a doctor, but also in the theatre. Growing up around theatre people and later studying cinematography in Budapest influenced my expressive style. Despite this, I didn’t go to art school as a kid, but took art lessons separately from an artist who had traveled and seen a lot, encouraging me to be adventurous. Read More>>

 Amber “pumadoescosplay” Martin

I grew up in the small suburban town of Monrovia, CA. The majority of the residents were financially very well off, while in contrast, my family was extremely impoverished. I was one of the few black students all throughout my school career. I was bullied from elementary school, and the way up until 10th grade for my weight, not having nice clothing, being nerdy, and for being alternative. I only had a couple friends, who are actually my closest friends to this day. I was very shy, introverted, neurodivergent, and had zero self esteem. I was kicked out at 16 by my mother for getting pregnant, and had to learn how to fend for myself with no help from family. I have overcome years of being homeless, and it has not been an easy road for me for a single day in my life. Read More>>

Vincent Rosas

I was born and raised in Lorain and Parma, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. Growing up as a child of divorce, my mother was the driving force in our lives. Raising three kids while working tirelessly to provide for us was no easy task, but despite the challenges, my mother was (and still is) always there for us and instilled in me the drive and resilience to pursue my dreams. She taught me to be resourceful and relentless in going after what I wanted. From my father, I learned the power of humor and connection, as well as the understanding that friends can be just as close as family. That lesson shaped the way I approach my career. Read More>>

Stanko Zovak

I was born in Los Angeles, but in a very strong Croatian community. My grandparents fled from there in 1960, and that cultural background continues to have a strong influence on me and my family even today. It influenced me to the point that I moved to Croatia for 3 years to experience life like my grandparents did. All of these cultural experiences throughout my life gave me a unique perspective that I think differs from people who only know American culture. I feel like I see life a little bit differently now, which allows me to have my own voice in comedy. Comedy has always been something that I wanted to do, because I really enjoy making people laugh. I think being able to relate to other people, or allowing others to relate to you, is one of the core ideas behind the comedy that I perform, and having perspectives from two different cultures allows me to connect with more people. Read More>>

Coco Kleppinger

I come from grassroots theater which is fiercely artistic and familial-loyal and deeply energetic. Because it’s so hard to get a show put up in those spaces, we often ask, “Why this story? Why this story NOW? Why this story with these people?” I think those questions are more important than ever when looking at film, television and online content today. There is a LOT of content being put out and so I feel it’s vital to take on stories that I will be proud of when I look back from a later date in history, to curate my storytelling and career, to make sure I’m telling stories that will hopefully make an impact. Read More>>

Nayanna Holley

I’m a proud LA native raised in Inglewood, California. Music has been with me since day one. My dad was a background singer on Michael Jackson’s ‘BAD’ tour when I was born and ever since then, music has been a part of my life. From tagging along with Dad while he toured the world, to eventually studying music at Arts High (formerly know as the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts). I fervently chased this dream. Seeing through my father that a career in music could be more than I pipe dream gave me the confidence to continue chasing a life in the arts. I continued my study of music at Western Michigan University and eventually found my way back home to LA where my career planted it’s roots. Read More>>

Leticia Orozco

Originally from Guatemala, I immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s as a young girl. Adjusting to a new country, learning English, and absorbing a new culture while maintaining my own identity was challenging but ultimately enriching. Being a single mother was tough, but I was never truly alone—my mother, brothers, and sister were constant sources of encouragement and support. Experiencing the ups and downs of life as a young single mom while navigating cosmetology school taught me resilience and empathy, qualities that I now extend to every client and coworkers.  Read More>>

Ray Hsu

Growing up in Taiwan, my journey started with my mom, who would take my sister and me to museums every chance she got. Looking back, those visits were my first real exposure to art and creativity. I’d wander through exhibits, absorbing everything, and I think that’s where my passion for visual storytelling first took root. Read More>>