Five amazing women charting bold and innovative paths Story By Shanee Edwards | Photos by Courtnay Robbins Susan Ko uses personal experience to heal others While Susan Ko was born in America, she is the child of Korean immigrants. She remembers watching the struggles her mother experienced when they went out shopping. “I watched as […]
Soul Survivor
Shepherd Hoodwin soothes the spirit by channeling the wisdom of Michael – a healing collective of souls By Shanee Edwards Shepherd Hoodwin is a master channel. If you don’t know what that means, you’re not alone. A channel is a person who allows a group of bodiless beings to speak through them. A channel is […]
Why We’re Waiting to Send Our Five-Year-Old to Kindergarten
By Gabrielle D’Addario Our five year old was reciting the ABC’s before hitting two, and can count pretty high, so when I considered waiting another year in preschool versus starting kindergarten, I originally opted for kindergarten. Most of our core group of friends in our preschool class were advancing to kindergarten. For us that meant […]
Out of Body Experiences
LA Film Festival’s ‘The Portal’ debuts in Playa Vista By Christina Campodonico It may be impossible to actually walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, but for a few hours I felt as if I had shed my skin for another’s. Strapped into a virtual reality headset, I’m seeing the Amazonian rainforest through the eyes […]
Walking for a Cure
Randi Firestone remembers her mother Shirley while raising money to end Alzheimer’s By Gary Walker For some, the epiphany of a life’s mission comes during moments of inspiration. For Randi Firestone, hers was sparked by a family tragedy. Firestone, a Playa Vista resident, was visiting her mother Shirley six years ago when she began […]
Back to the Future
The ad agency that told you to ‘think different’ gets a facelift for its 50th birthday Story by Christina Campodonico | Photos by Maria Martin Boasting an indoor “park,” award-winning workstations, a very cool beverage bar, a basketball court and its own entrance tunnel, advertising giant TBWA\Chiat\Day’s Los Angeles headquarters has long been the envy […]
Eva Amantea is ‘On the Spot’
An enterprising local YouTuber chases her bliss one red carpet interview at a time Story By Shanee Edwards | Photos by Yising Kao As a kid, Playa Vista resident Eva Amantea preferred to spend her time playing games and making crafts. She couldn’t understand why people would spend their time in front of a TV. […]
Promoting Inclusion
Film2Future’s new grAD school helps young creatives find their way into the advertising industry Story By Stephanie Case | Photos by Maria Martin In 2017, Film2Future needed a new home. The burgeoning nonprofit, which had hosted its inaugural summer filmmaking intensive for underprivileged and at-risk youth the year before, had lost its grant funding and […]
Playa Vista’s New Bestie
KAWS’ giant BFF has turned a Hercules Campus courtyard into a growing tourist attraction By Shanee Edwards Looking for a new best friend? You’re in luck! Your new BFF has just moved to Playa Vista and is ready to hang out. Sure, BFF is electric blue, has x’d-out eyes on top of his head, weighs […]
A Bombshell’s Double Life
Actress Hedy Lamarr was also a brilliant inventor who spent a lot of time in what’s now Playa Vista By Shanee Edwards “Any girl can be glamorous,” actress Hedy Lamarr once said. “All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.” Lamarr was certainly glamorous, but definitely not stupid. Bewitchingly beautiful, few […]