There are so many factors that affect how our lives turn out, but one of the most interesting is how our backgrounds give us unique strengths and perspectives that affect who we are as adults. We asked rising stars from the community to tell us about their background and upbringing and how they feel it’s impacted who they are today.

Shachi Kale | Visual Artist, Designer and Illustrator

I was born and raised in India and spent my formative years in Mumbai. My parents were both highly educated and well read and traveled, and so we were always exposed to a lot of books and art. My deep interest in the art of children’s books and art in general led me to study design in college and have a career in advertising and design. Just living in India meant being surrounded by color, patterns, and story. All around me there we textiles with patterns, bright colors in jewelry and lush plants. Read more>>

Karen Fiorito | Artist, Activist and Curator

I am originally from a suburb outside of Philadelphia, PA. I grew up in a working class neighborhood, the daughter of a single mother. Both sides of my family were first generation immigrants. We did not have much growing up since my mom was raising three kids with no college education, and she had to work her way up the ladder from the bottom. I remember her telling me that she didn’t get paid the same as her male counterparts, even though she worked harder and was just as capable. She taught me about feminism and equal rights at a young age. I also grew up in a very rural place with farms and lots of nature. Read more>>

Rami Nsour | Executive Director of a Non-profit

I was born in Jordan. My parents met on a picket line in Jackson, Mississippi. My father is a Muslim Arab from Jordan and my mother is of Irish descent and, at the time, was Catholic. My father was a graduate student in the US on a scholarship. My mother was also a graduate student and she was involved with the UFW strike at the time. That story sums the basis of where I choose to do the work that I am doing; the intersection of education and social justice. My parents were co-founders of two of the first Islamic schools in the Bay Area. Read more>>

Dulce Ruby Peralta | Artist & Founder of Despierta

I was born and raised in the West Valley, but my family is from Sonora, Mexico. Because of this, I spent my childhood going back & forth to visit mis abuelos (my grandparents) and extended family over the weekends, holidays, and summer. Before the beaches were overtaken by resorts and golf courses through a boom in tourism, there was a sense of serenity and exploration that filled our time there. ATVing on endless sand dunes and then watching sunsets reflect masterpieces off the Sea of Cortez brought about a great, deep balance into my life that I soon learned to create (and seek) in other areas of my life as I grew up. Read more>>

OZS | Musical Artist

I was born and raised here in Mesa, Arizona, in a household where music was played almost every morning! It was cool listening to the older genres of Latin music, my mom and dad loved playing all types of genre of music. I started as a kid playing the drums at church! My dad is the one that taught me how to play the drums and together we played at our church as a music group. He soon taught me the basics of the piano, which led me to a whole new world of music! I definitely thank my dad for teaching me the fundamentals! Read more>>