YASSMIN S. OF CHURCH & STATE

Yasmin Sarmadi, took her foodie interest to a business level and launched a downtown LA gem, Church & State despite it being the worst time in our economy.

JENNIFER I. BIELER

Jennier L. Bieler, a marriage and family therapist who found through her work with substance abuses and disorders, her passion for dialectal behavior therapy—the idea that two opposing ideas can coexist at the same time.

REBECCA LEWIS

Rebecca Lewis, who through a tragedy ended up becoming a silversmith and launched her own jewelry line, Gramercy Eight.

Kara Dykert

Kara Dykert turned the simplest life joys into a business: curating dinner parties and drinking whiskey.

Alissa Bell

Alissa bell, a discontented accountant who gave it all up to start a letterpress company, Alissa Bell Press.

Freya Estreller

Freya Estreller, a real estate developer turned foodie who made an art project into a business or two, Coolhaus and Ludlow Cocktails. 

Margalit Ward

Margalit Ward, grew up thinking it was normal to own your own business and now consults and coaches people helping them grow their own dreams into businesses. 

Dr. Martin & Dr. Zavala

Dr. William Martin and Dr. Shelly Zavala, therapists who saw a need for affordable programs to help patients looking for treatment for compulsive and addictive disorders; thus was born the Body, Mind Spirit Intensive Outpatient Program. 

Nora Minassian

Nora Minassian, a designer from Iran with a personal love for outerwear paired with a dislike for the office life who launched a jacket-centered business in the city of Los Angeles. 

Caren Magill

Caren Magill, found usually in and out of a relationship with the corporate world who finally decided to take the leap toward her experiences with body-building and started her own fitness-based food business.

Erin K Smith

Erin K Smith, a savvy set decorator who melded her professional experience with a newfound love for tarot by way of a traveling caravan.

Jaclyn Johnson

Jaclyn Johnson, a NYU alum who once responded to a Craigslist job post that ended up launching her into the world of social media marketing before her own launch of a marketing agency, We Are No Subject. 

Dechel McKillian

Dechel McKillian, grew up and stayed on the pat to becoming a pediatrician. It wasn’t until before taking a break during the MCATs she realized her most surprising yet natural love: fashion. She now works as a fashion stylist. 

STACEE COLEMAN & KIM BYERRUM

Stacee Coleman and Kim Byerrum, the duo behind a music licensing and supervision company aimed to find talent and all from the creative comforts of their downtown loft. 

Kimberly Fowler

Kimberly Fowler, a lawyer turned pioneer in fitness who after a physical accident, ended up starting a movement by combining yoga and spinning called YAS.

 

Amanda Micallef

Amanda Micallef, noticed a lack of curation on the Internet which sparked the beginning of her own magazine, Arsenic, that also serves as a platform for other creative people. 
 

Meyghan

Meyghan, a model turned designer whose youthful rebellion led her to the art of welding and furniture design. 

Do Kim

Do Kim, a numbers fan who turned her enjoyment into a proficient business in a male dominated industry. 

Ursula Hessenflow

Ursula Hessenflow, an art and business major who paired her analytical and creative skills in creating a series of start-ups and businesses through unique partnerships and teamwork. 

Joanna Kinsman

Joanna Kinsman took a childhood passion of sketching and sewing fashion designs into a full fledged business featuring a swimwear line of bikinis.

BAO VO OF JUICY KITS

Best known for his e-commerce site, juicykits.com, multi-serial entrepreneur Bao Vin uses design and business to connect with people, turning small ideas to tangible ones. 

ANDREA BENDEWALD

Andrea Bendewald, actress and artist who found The Art of Circling, a place where an intentional community of likeminded people gather to share experiences and story.

Adele Sypestyn

Adele Sypesteyn, a natural born artist who ended up finding a love for the details and was the first woman draftsman at a boat company in the engineering department. 

Catherine Michiels

Catherine Michiels, a Belgium born who fell in love with gemology who ultimately found a home for both her and her passion for jewelry in Los Angeles. 

Jill Aiko Yee

Jill Aiko Yee, an Otis alum turned clothing designer who runs her business distinctly based on one on one interactions, spurred by her past retail experiences and current love for working with customers. 

Catherine Joubert

Catherine Joubert, a communication major with a deep appreciation for the film industry who took risks and ended up in a thriving career as a fashion stylist.

Ryan Jordan

 Ryan Jordan, a dreamy actress whose contagious talents and credible background led her to find and own a full-service nanny agency in Los Angeles. 

Jodi Catena

 Jodi Catena, fueled a business through her experience of loss, a child development degree and passion for corporate daycare. 

Amanda Enclade

Amanda Enclade, a “color” lover who developed a product with a small investment and a keen interest in psychological healing.

Sarah Horoqwitz

Sarah Horoqwitz, a perfumer since the age of eighteen, whose story circles around the power of scent and the purpose of a fragrance.

Wade McElroy

Wade McElroy, an Austin, Texas native who managed to bring his roots, restaurant experience and knowledge of BBQ directly into the center of Los Angeles.

Jo Abbie

Jo Abbie, An Australian with an interest in architecture who ended up as a lifestyle writer who once was told she had a gift in writing from her teacher in front of her whole 7th grade class. Which stuck. 

ANGELA PRICE

 Angela Price, spent two decades in Human Resources, before reintroducing herself to her artist side, that led her to become a Terrarium Artist and Garden designer, specializing in small space gardens and is now the creator of Eden Condensed. 

KRIS CAHILL

Kris Cahill, once ran a blog and a radio show, while also working in art, fashion and textiles who finally decided to put her “all” in one basket and became a clairvoyant. 

Joanna Holden

Joanna Holden, a longtime lover of design who works officially as a professional handler of all marketing collateral for brands and companies. 

 

Elise Ballard

Elise Ballard, was fired once from a major job as the assistant for a marketing guru who ended up finding both a relief and her ultimate passion for acting and authoring books. 
 

Sarah Shapori

 Sarah Shapori, discovered a newfound feminine strength throughout her career which ultimately catapulted the creation of her own public relations firm, giving her a new sense of understanding and purpose in the field.

Daniel Shemtob

Daniel Shemtob, learned early on success equated interest and combined his background of real estate and adoration for food into a thriving business—all through a food truck, better known as the Lime Truck.  

Andrea Buchanan

Andrea Buchanan, a writer, producer and director who at a dinner party with her husband, discovered a renewed identity and was called to her surprise, an “entrepreneur” for the first time in her life. 

Janene Zakrajsek

Janene, a pet industry leader who pushed the boundary at the get go by her cheeky business name choice, convinced that knowing your audience is all you really need. 

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