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.

Leslie Simon

I was born in Arizona and raised in an upper middle-class family alongside my five siblings. I was encouraged to achieve good grades, participate in athletics, and pursue my artistic passions. As a fourth generation Arizonian on my father’s side, I am deeply fascinated with Arizona history, particularly tales of Wild West outlaws like Billy the Kid, Belle Starr, and Doc Holliday. I have always enjoyed writing about morally gray anti-heroes and ‘others’, and exploring what sets them apart as wicked. Read More>>

Ali Dilley

I’m from a working-class family in rural Illinois, where survival came before self-care and emotions were often pushed aside. I grew up queer and closeted, living with undiagnosed neurodivergence and complex PTSD, without access to therapy or the language to understand my experiences. Even as a child, I carried the weight of keeping things afloat—managing emotions, anticipating needs, and doing whatever it took to maintain a sense of stability in an unstable environment. I am the quintessential perfectionistic, responsible, and driven eldest daughter. Read More>>

Wilder Simmons

I was born in San Francisco, and grew up in Fresno, CA. When I was 5 years old, my family got a VHS camera for Christmas and that’s when the storytelling seed was planted. I loved making home movies. My sister and I would loosely plan out the characters, start filming and make up the rest as we went. I have my family to thank for my interest in the arts, but even more importantly, they taught me to be confident in my own voice. Read More>>

Raffy Piamonte

Although I was born in NorCal, I credit much of my upbringing and personal growth to my time in San Diego. At a young age, I was consistently encouraged by family and friends to explore different artistic sides of myself. That support led me to join competitive dance teams, play in marching band and wind ensembles throughout middle and high school, and even dive into Filipino cultural dance through my high school’s Fil-Am club. Read More>>

Yusuf Ali

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio during one of the worst winters in our city’s history. My upbringing was filled with drama,excitement, confusion, happiness, harshness, laughter and love. Today I consider myself a product of my environment in a positive way. I didn’t end up in jail,I used those experiences to instead to relate to audiences. Read More>>

Goldwyn Thandrayen

I was born in Mauritius it’s a tropical island located off the East coast of Madagascar, think Hawaii but better and yes our beaches are spectacular and shark free.

I moved to Glasgow Scotland after high school to pursue a degree in International Business Law and have a better chance of making music a career. Read More>>

Susannah B

I was born in New York City, on the island of Manhattan, and I grew up there – a city kid in the 1970s and ‘80s. New York was grittier, dirtier, and more dangerous than it is today, but as a kid, it was great. I could take the subway and public buses, I could walk everywhere , and I was independent from an early age. That gave me a sense of worldliness and, more importantly, tolerance. Growing up among millions of people – all packed onto this tiny island – I learned to accept and appreciate those who were different from me. I had no choice. Read More>>

Sabrina Rogers

I’m from Petersburg, Virginia, and I was raised by two incredible people I’ve proudly called my parents since I was in diapers. Although my mother is biologically my aunt, she and her husband—my dad—chose to raise me as their own when my birth mother was unable to provide the care I needed. My mom had originally decided not to have children, while my dad already had kids of his own and dreamed of raising one more. Together, they made a selfless decision that changed my life. Read More>>

Zoe Meehan

I’m from the OC, Orange County, CA. My background and upbringing impacted who I am today by forming me into a well educated, grounded, and creative girl. I was blessed by growing up in a very nice beautiful area, and I am adopted by Caucasians and thankfully I grew up as a very fortunate girl and my life experience from the OC and being an African Caribbean American bubbly, creative person has worked in my favor which I’m truly grateful that everything is aligned how it’s meant to be! Read More>>

Veronika Kluse

I’m originally from Riga, Latvia. Growing up, my parents raised me to be brave, independent, and unafraid to dream big. My mother often told me, “If you truly wish for something with all your heart, the universe will conspire to help you achieve it.” That mindset shaped the way I approached life from an early age. Read More>>

Leonie Persch

I’m from Germany – I grew up in a small town in Bavaria, and later spent six years in Berlin working as a songwriter before moving to Los Angeles two months ago, to launch my fully independent solo artist project. Growing up in Germany definitely shaped me in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to work ethic, structure, and this almost obsessive drive to “do it right”. Read More>>

 Gabriel Gumbiner

I’m from West Hills, California, and I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I went to El Camino Real Charter High School, where I played volleyball and worked hard in the classroom. My mom immigrated from El Salvador, and she’s always been my example of what it means to work hard and stay grounded. That mindset has shaped everything I do. Read More>>