Pasadena Magazine - Power Women 2022

Women OF Pasadena F

or our annual Women of Pasadena feature, we linked up some of our favorite local women who are tied to the community by either residence or profession—and

definitely spirit. We’re always happy to connect leaders in the community on our pages, and this year’s feature proved to be especially powerful, proving that two (or three) is better than one.

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Ning Chao guides a discussion with Martine Bury, VP of

programming and experiential at NeueHouse Los Angeles and New York, and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, co-producing artistic director at A Noise Within.

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Jennifer Ashton Ryan was along for the ride with

Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, founder of SpaceKind, and Nadia Chung, the 103rd

We’re excited to share this intimate look at some of our town’s finest leading ladies.

—P R O D U C E D

BY S A M A N T H A B R O O K S

Rose Queen.

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Carole Dixon sat down with Linda Grace, proprietor of

San Marino Café & Marketplace, and Susan Sarich, founder of SusieCakes.

NADIA CHUNG: MICHELLE MISHINA KUNZ; CYNTHIA LAMBAKIS: PETER CHRISTIANSEN VALLI

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Finally, photographer Peter Christiansen Valli shares

insights into working alongside some of the city’s leading interior designers: Jeanne Chung, founder of Cozy Stylish Chic and Designer Domicile, Cynthia Lambakis, founder of Lambakis Interior Design, and Emily Hancock, principal of Rollins Andrew Interiors.

From far left: Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, Nadia Chung, Cynthia Lambakis Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 2

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Women of Pasadena MARTINE BURY AND JULIA RODRIGUEZ-ELLIOTT When artists find their audience within a local community, culture comes alive. Just ask Martine Bury and Julia RodriguezElliott, local content creators who are witnessing a transformation of the art world and see a duty to open doors for more women of color.

BY N I N G C H AO

“Mystic Truths” art installation at Neuehouse’s Bradburry House.

» MARTINE BURY: I have a journalism background; I worked in media for over 20 years. As far as women have come in the creative industries, a lot of the same problematic institutional and corporate cultures still exist. In the workplace, I think that women have to work twice as hard. There’s a legitimate concern and battle for wage equality. As a person who now has an executive position, it’s still about holding the gate open to bring in more women and more talented people who have been disenfranchised in one way or another by society. As a woman of color, it’s especially meaningful to hold a position where I can give others a hand up.

» JULIA RODRIGUEZ-ELLIOTT: I would echo all of that and add that, in the theater, especially when I first started, there were very few women in a leadership position.

Women of color were almost nonexistent.

I didn’t know that being an artistic director was even an option for me. I had experience with female choreographers, but never female directors. But I believe we’re living in a moment of change.

MARTINE BURY, VP of Programming and Experiential at NeueHouse, Los Angeles and New York, neuehouse.com

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A Noise Within King Lear Students

A Noise Within King Lear Students

AS MUCH AS I’M A BUSINESS PERSON, I’M AN ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVES. PEOPLE SHOULD BE PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE, BUT ARTISTS ALWAYS GET ASKED ALL THE TIME TO DO THINGS FOR FREE.” — M A R T I N E B U RY

» MB: I have witnessed change in the last decade or so, just in representation.

NeueHouse is the work and social space for creatives, a dynamic, energetic, and safe space. As people with an arts or creative platform break boundaries, shatter glass ceilings, and switch gazes, it’s exciting to be able to reflect that back in terms of staffing and building a team with different backgrounds and experiences. We are a hub for culture, supportive community, and connection.

» JRE: In the last four years, a significant number openings in the theater world have been filled by women and women of color.

MARTINE BURY PORTRIAT: JEFF VESPA; TOP: BRIAN FEINZIMER

» MB: Demographics are definitely changing. More female creators and creatives are at the helms of companies and the demographics of NeueHouse’s membership community mirror that shift. When building the cultural programming, the diversity of the audience in our community demands that we represent a lot of different voices. Right now, we have a women of color music residency called True Tones. Women are really the champions of bringing those voices to our stages.

I sit in a very lucky place because my work is generating creative ideas and

collaborating with creative artists at all times of the day. I’m constantly managing creative projects the perspective of our businesses—creating sustainable and equitable business models that take into consideration equality and equity.

As much as I’m a business person, I’m an advocate for creatives. People should be paid what they deserve, but artists always get asked all the time to do things for free.

» JRE: Mmmm-hmmm. » MB: It’s tiring. I work all the time. And I work hard. But everybody who’s here is here because they’re passionate about creating a different type of world. I’m sure it’s the same in the theater.

» JRE: I’m consciously trying to put forward more stories by female playwrights and playwrights of color. I believe this will impact American theater in a positive way in the stories we tell and the opportunities we create. This season, we’re looking at characters on the precipice of major change. This theme ties to this moment that we’re living in. Change is in the air, some painful, some joyous, all necessary.

I work with my husband, who’s an artist, so art and life coexist in our

JULIA RODRIGUEZ-ELLIOTT, Co-Producing Artistic Director at A Noise Within, anoisewithin.org

household. We’re planning the 2022– 23 season now. We’re choosing plays and we’ll have conversations at home about what we’re reading. We’ve been in Pasadena for about 10 years. This is a community that values art as essential to the well-being of their citizens. A Noise Within is a place to come challenge each other, and have in-depth conversations within our shared community.

» MB: I lived in Eagle Rock for 19 years.

I know Pasadena like the back of my hand. The beautiful thing about living in California is that we have access to nature in so many forms. Hiking, being by the ocean, the gardens—Descanso, Huntington—my personal great gift of self-care is finding blank space to recharge and refuel.

» JRE: You have to have that space to just think and dream about future projects, not just what you’re dealing with day to day.

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Women of Pasadena LORETTA HIDALGO WHITESIDES AND NADIA CHUNG In light of the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade theme— “Dream. Believe. Achieve.”—you could imagine a conversation between a future astronaut and a Rose Queen veering toward the superlative. But when Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, author of The New Right Stuff: Using Space to Bring Out the Best in You and founder of SpaceKind, and La Cañada High School senior and 2022 Rose Queen Nadia Chung talk about dreaming big, what becomes apparent is how grounded they are. A three-decade age difference notwithstanding, these inspiring leaders discuss what it’s like to have a rich life ahead while processing how far they’ve come. BY J E N N I F E R A S H TO N RYA N

» NADIA CHUNG: I’ve always been somebody who dreams outrageously big and am lucky to have family support me in those dreams, even when they don’t seem practical. Like when I was 13, I wanted to start ballet, even when I had no reason to be doing ballet and I didn’t seem particularly talented at the start. I started in a class with 6-year-olds and came to the point where going professional was looking like an option. Or when I was first announced onto the Rose Court, it felt daunting to go to events and be put into a position I had been looking up to my whole life.

» LORETTA HIDALGO WHITESIDES: When I’m coaching undergrads and young professionals, and I’m reminding them to dream big, I’m also reminding them to ask for help and be considerate of who they are. What happens with us type-A people, is we go through life checking off accomplishments, and then just moving the goalpost further. So, OK, I got a suborbital spaceflight. But I haven’t done an orbital spaceflight. You just pick some other thing that you need to do to make it. It’s a really dangerous game; it’s an addiction like anything else.

me to hear now, being a senior in high school. Before our conversation, I was reading about you and thought, oh my goodness, she’s incredible. I feel like I shouldn’t be speaking to her. And now that I am, hearing your voice, I know you’re human and have experienced things that I can learn from. I see that we don’t have to be perfect in every way in order to achieve our dreams.

LORETTA HIDALGO WHITESIDES,

founder of SpaceKind, spacekind.org

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PORTRAIT: PETER KONERKO

» NC: That’s such a critical point for

GETTY IMAGES

NADIA CHUNG (in white), 103rd Rose Queen, tournamentofroses.com

» LHW: Exactly, perfection is not the goal. Being perfect is too exhausting; that’s for Instagram. How much more fun do you have when you are with your best friends? You let your hair down and you can be yourself. I think that’s what I’m trying to reflect back to younger people. I’m now 47. I’ve been in the Obama White House for a Christmas party, I’ve bought my ticket to fly to space, I’ve traveled beneath the ocean with James Cameron, and I’ve flown weightless some 80 different times on a plane. These are all things that would have floored me as a teenager. And the truth is that after each of those high points, I came home, took off my gown, and was back to being me. I had all these moments of glory, and each one faded really fast. I had to make sure I was dreaming big, responsibly, being healthy along the way, and practicing gratitude so I didn’t just get to the top of the mountain and feel really lonely. I learned to really love who I was at the end of the day. » NC: Dreaming big responsibly, I love that. For me, being part of the Rose Parade felt like a huge, full-circle moment, with how beautiful the procession is and seeing all the people who

“PERFECTION IS NOT THE GOAL. BEING PERFECT IS TOO EXHAUSTING; THAT’S FOR INSTAGRAM.” — LO R E T TA H I DA LG O W H I T E S I D E S

came out to celebrate. Especially because we’ve all been through so much through the pandemic, to see how many people came out, ready for the New Year, inspired me, as your story inspires me.

I’m just curious, what was it like to be weightless?

» LHW: It’s like being in the womb. Like, yes, I belong here, I’m floating and feeling completely at home. And at the other end of the exact same moment, it feels completely foreign and exotic.

My favorite part is that it turns adults into kids. You know how adults are hard to impress and don’t pay much attention to anything but their phones?

When they’re going up in the plane, they turn into kids again because they can’t predict what’s going to happen. When you’re weightless, your physics model of the world that you made when you were 2 or 3 years old is wrong. So, you turn into a 3-year-old with your brain being like, what is going on? Instead of

being asleep at the wheel, you have to be totally present.

» NC: I want to be more present, because, being a senior, I’m at a period of transition. I am looking forward to a lot of things, and I will be leaving behind a lot of things. And I guess I find myself often thinking retrospectively, but also thinking about the future—so much so, that I have to remind myself of what is important in the moment right now.

LHW: Yes, absolutely. Going on a

G-Force One flight, it’s not exotic. It’s just a 747. You can have the magic of that weightless moment on a simple level, just by stopping and being present to a leaf, or the fact that we have oxygen, free and abundant, on the surface of this planet, or that gravity is holding us to the surface instead of us flying off into the cosmos. Anywhere, anytime, you can feel that same kind of magic by just getting lost in the present moment.

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Women of Pasadena LINDA GRACE AND SUSAN SARICH A fixture in the San Marino community, Linda Grace owns and operates the beloved San Marino Café & Marketplace while giving tirelessly to local charities. A newcomer to the area, Susan Sarich is the founder of popular SoCal bakery staple SusieCakes, which just opened its 24th location, here in Pasadena. These dynamic women discuss the trying times of the pandemic, running a woman-owned business, balance, silver linings, and where to have a little fun in Pasadena. BY C A R O L E D I XO N » LINDA GRACE: I think the last two years

» SUSAN SARICH: For me, it certainly was LINDA GRACE, Proprietor of San Marino Café & Marketplace, cafesanmarino.com

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the biggest challenge of my professional career that I’’e ever faced, even more

TOP: SHELLEY BOYLE

for anyone in the food business, or any business, it’s been really tough. When the pandemic hit, I launched into this very transparent panic-survival mode. I was only two years into the business, and I was still trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing. And I knew that, no matter what happened, I’m not going to give myself an option to fail. I have to figure this out. So, instead of hiding in my shell, I reached out to the community and asked, “What can I do for you?”

And they said, “Linda, we don’t want another grocery store.” So, I opened a marketplace in the café. I think that’s the moral of the story—I just kept having to pivot and figure it out, but it was more of a need to listen, and that’s what I did.

diffi cult than launching SusieCakes in Brentwood in 2006. It was really tough on an emotional level having to lay off employees. And it was tough on a physical level because we only had the bare-bones team members to get us through the full lockdown, and we were working tirelessly to come up with ways that we could pivot. We completely redesigned our business model to adapt to the new environment. Guests weren’t allowed to come in the store, the days and weeks of operation, everything changed. So, the silver lining is we were able to survive, and the outcome of that survival was actually a more viable business model for moving forward in challenging times.

need parking, street access, and all of the things that we know we need to be a successful bakery location—and the terms of the lease have to be financially viable as well. So those two factors weren’t always coming together for us. We looked for a long time and then something came up. It was defi nitely pre-pandemic because I remember the landlord worked with us to assure that we were still able to open even though it was such a challenging year. We’re very intentional about choosing sites that are about community and like a local neighborhood feel. And for me, Pasadena has always felt like a tight-knit, supportive community where people who live there support the local businesses.

» LG: I agree 100%. There’s so much of an output. I think people want to support small businesses and want more women-owned businesses—let’s not shy away from that. I think that those are really important factors. And we happen to be in a community that wants that, and we can give them that. I think that being a woman in any business, especially in hospitality, there are certain challenges—everybody expects you to smile and be happy all the time. And I’m a very hands-on owner, I’m in the café a lot. I’ll make the soup five times a week, or I’ll be at the register 10 days in a row, so I really like to be active. Sometimes I’m busy and I don’t get to say hello because I’m ultra-focused in a moment.

TOP: SUSIECAKES.COM; BOTTOM: GETTY IMAGES

» LG: Definitely. What I’ve experienced in my business in the last two years is just major growth. We grew leaps and bounds. I found my business plan from 2017 and I did double of what I had projected for 2021. I think for the ones who figured out how to get through a pandemic, you figure out a whole lot of other stuff too, and I’m a very happy business owner. San Marino kind of chose me. I came up through middle-market banking, and I was at the tail end of my divorce. I kind of hated the corporate life. I knew I loved food and that hospitality was my thing, but I was never was in the restaurant business. And then, a friend of a friend told me about [the café]. I had a conversation, signed a lease, and then five weeks later, I opened. It just all sort of worked and was one of those meantto-be things.

» SS: We’ve been looking [for a space] in Pasadena for the better part of 10 years.

We were just waiting for the right location and the right deal. So sometimes, the right space can come up, but you

SUSAN SARICH, Founder of SusieCakes, susiecakes.com

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Women of Pasadena “ONE OF THE DRIVERS FOR ME TO OPEN MY OWN BUSINESS WAS THAT I NOTICED THAT THERE WEREN’T A LOT OF WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY IN LEADERSHIP LEVELS, CERTAINLY NOT AT VP LEVELS.” — S U SA N SA R I C H

» SS: I think at this juncture in our

ON DINING IN PASADENA SS: Pie ’N Burger (above) is so good and one of my favorite things about Pasadena. It reminds me of some oldschool diners I used to go to growing up in Chicago. So that’s my downtown and then my uptown is The Langham for fancy cocktails and snacks at the bar—those are my two favorite things to do.

LG: I’m a Houston’s person. I love their trout (above), and I will eat there three times a week. I live a very busy life, I’m raising kids, and I’m not going on vacation, so eating out is really the only fun that I have in Pasadena. I feel like there’s always that comfort—I’ll go in there and I’m a happy gal—so it doesn’t take much!

SS: We both work really hard in our businesses, and so it’s nice to go to someplace where the service is really friendly and takes care of you, and I think Hillstone always hits it out of the park on that front. I would love to come see your place, Linda, and have a cup of coffee or something together.

I think it would be awesome.

LG: I love that. And meeting more women in this business who are willing to really teach and kind of bring up that next group of women. I would love to be a part of that.

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world, there is extra pressure on women overall in the hospitality industry, in the workforce, and in general of taking care of kids at home, when school closes or when somebody gets COVID and has to quarantine. I’ve seen it because my workforce is so predominantly female, but I see that responsibility many times does fall on the woman. And then it becomes a decision of family or work, which is a very difficult one. I’ve been in the hospitality industry for 10-plus years prior to opening SusieCakes, and one of the drivers for me to open my own business was that I noticed that there weren’t a lot of women in the industry in leadership levels, certainly not at VP levels. This was in the ’90s and things have certainly changed, but the desire to open was largely around offering progressive careers for women in food service where you didn’t have to work 24/7.

» LG: We’re a band of moms and many are my pillars. Christmas was on Saturday so they wanted me to close on

Sunday. And I had anxiety for a week because I’m still in that mode of “I need to do this. I need to make this work.”

I said, “OK, guys, I’m gonna do it.”

It was really hard for me. But again, I listened. And I think as a business owner that’s growing, I need to know how I can support my staff. That’s very important, especially the moms. I’m a mom—I’m raising two teenagers, and it’s really tough, but we’re figuring it all out. As an entrepreneur, I didn’t take a day off throughout the pandemic. I’ve worked for 11 months in a row, but I’m learning how to be better because it’s so important.

» SS: We are closed on Christmas Day and those three days after for our teams to spend time with their families. We are not open late nights, early mornings.

And so that was intentional to attract a female workforce who can say, “I’m passionate about food service and I want a career in this, but I don’t want to be working every New Year’s Eve.”

» LG: For me, it’s been a personal journey. I wanted to see what I could actually do. And I’m really transparent about this: I’m a high school dropout and I got my GED when I was 22, and then I tried college. I figured out corporate and I got to a certain level, but I knew that there was something else for me. It’s me kind of looking at myself going, “Oh, can I do that?” So, I think I’m going to open a second store, and maybe I can do a third. I’m in that process right now.

» SS: Definitely. My goal is to have SusieCakes become a national brand and a household name. So that still is the plan.

PIENBURGER.COM; HOUSTON’S: FACEBOOK.COM; SUSIECAKES.COM; OPPOSITE PAGE: PETER CHRISTIANSEN VALLI

I don’t know if that’s a man or woman thing, but I’m expected to always be bubbly. So, I’m finding comfort in being behind the scenes a little more.

DESIGNING WOMEN A Pasadena-based architectural photographer connects with three of the city’s leading interior designers, who also happen to be clients and friends. BY P E T E R C H R I ST I A N S E N VA L L I

Left: A residence designed by Hancock.

» IT’S NOT UNUSUAL to have hours-long discussions while photographing interiors; however, designers tend to focus on what’s at hand—design decisions for the space, procuring a central piece, client successes, funny stories about the process. Seldom can we find time for more wide-ranging talks about our lives and work.

Recently, I had a chance to learn about the career paths of three Pasadena-based interior designers I’ve worked with over the years: Cynthia Lambakis, Emily Hancock, and Jeanne Chung. In the end, my suspicions were confirmed: The Pasadena interior design community is largely collaborative, to everyone’s benefit.

It started with my visit to Hancock’s home—a Pasadena beauty adjacent to the Arroyo, comfortably appointed with rich colors and a collection of nooks and crannies, each begging you to sit and pass the time. Hancock was exposed to the design trade from a young age by her grandmother, Victoria Andrew of Rollins Andrew Interiors. But it was Hancock’s experience designing her own home that was the impetus of her design business. “Once my three children were enrolled in school, I embraced my entrepreneurial spirit and decided to explore my potential as an interior designer,” she says.

Bearing the Rollins Andrew crest, Hancock received support and encouragement from Pasadena designers Dorothy Matthiessen and Roberta Huntley. Huntley even turned over her clients to Hancock when she retired. To cover the increase in business, Hancock brought on Jenifer Aldridge, a veteran of

EMILY HANCOCK, Principal, Rollins Andrew Interiors, rollinsandrew.com

the Pasadena design sphere. “I needed to hire someone with in-depth knowledge of the interior design business and its systems,” Hancock says. “There are many facets to the business and Jenifer was the perfect addition.”

Like Hancock, Cynthia Lambakis, whom I caught up with later that day, believes in community involvement. “One of the best parts of living in Pasadena is that our community has such an incredible history of philanthropy in the arts and education, which goes deep for generations,” she says. “I believe giving back to the community is essential in order to maintain the

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Women of Pasadena Chung’s work on the 2018 Pasadena Showcase House

fabric and rich culture of Pasadena.”

Lambakis is a past president of the Pasadena Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Being involved in the community has earned her many valuable connections.

“Through ASID and the Tournament of

Roses, I’ve made friendships and professional relationships I’ll always cherish,” she says.

With 10 years in business under her belt, Lambakis reflects on her beginnings. “Coming from a business background, I was drawn into design having

completed several of my own projects, and I had enrolled in the popular UCLA Interior Design Certificate Program,” she tells me. Breaking away from her successful partnership with Ederra Design Studio in 2018 was a big step, and frightening at times, “but ultimately it allowed for creative freedom and the opportunity to exercise my skills as a businesswoman,” she says.

Lambakis also supports young designers as an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising; she has taken on several interns over the years and introduced them to the day-to-day design business, including the importance of building relationships.

Like Lambakis, Jeanne Chung shares her expertise with her fellow designers as they navigate the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. “2022 will be my fourth Showcase House,” Chung says.

“Design aside, it’s the designer camaraderie I look forward to and enjoy. We

JEANNE CHUNG, Founder, Cozy Stylish Chic and Designer Domicile, cozystylishchic.com

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THIS SPREAD: PETER CHRISTIANSEN VALLI

have a lot of crazy fun.”

Chung, who grew up in the Pasadena area, remembers visiting the Pasadena Showcase House yearly. However, her interest in design really started in fashion, inspired by her family’s clothing business, where she worked alongside her mother and sister.

“I had been interested in fashion, so I headed to New York, where I attended Parsons, and embarked on a career in the hotbed of fashion, only to learn fashion wasn’t the collaborative atmosphere I had imagined,” she says She made her way back to Pasadena, degree from the New York School of Interior Design in hand, and began to build her business. “First, I created a design blog, catching the attention of noted designer Kelli Ellis, who selected me as a style spotter for High Point Market,” Chung says. That evolved into a role as an insiders tour leader at High Point Market, the enormous home furnishings industry trade show held annually in North Carolina.

Through her endeavors, Chung built a solid understanding of the interior design business as well as an impressive network of designers and suppliers, giving her confidence enough to open her Dayton Street design service and Cozy Stylish Chic boutique.

Chung also recently inked a deal with Monogram appliances and several architectural fixture, hardware, and building suppliers to create Designer Domicile, a designer co-working space anchored by a Monogram Experience Center. “The original Designer Domicile concept was part of the 10-year plan, she says.

“When the opportunity arose four years in, I went for it.”

Chung hopes that Designer Domicile will not only be an incredible design resource but will help solidify the spirit of collaboration in Pasadena.

With so many fields pitting women against each other in competition, the lasting sentiment and overall mindset each one conveyed to me, was that, “there’s enough room for all of us.”

CYNTHIA LAMBAKIS, Founder, Lambakis Interior Design, lambakisinteriors.com Left: An interior

by Lambakis.

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P O W E R WO M E N

LAURIE STANFORD TURNER SENIORS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

Coldwell Banker Realty Over my many years in real estate I have discovered that seniors face unique challenges when selling a home. For some it’s been decades since they have sold a home. That’s why I invested my time to earn a National Association of Realtors® Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation. Often seniors are on their own, newly widowed or dealing with themselves overwhelmed. They need a partner and that’s where I come in. The questions come fast and furious. Where do I start? What do I do with all my belongings? I’ve been in this home for 50 years and I’m downsizing.

I can’t take it all with me, and the kids don’t want it. I’ve heard it all and handled it all with empathy, an open ear, hand holding and a team to minimize the stress. Guiding my sellers through the complexities of getting a home ready for sale, going to market and the mountains of paperwork that comes with it gives me so much joy and satisfaction. They are not just my clients but my friends and I take care of them like family. Like my tag line says, I am your key to a successful sale. description or know someone who needs my services, reach out to me. I want to help.

+ Best Advice: Make one decision at a time.

We’ll get through this together!

Accomplishments: Top 2% of Realtors at Coldwell Banker Realty, Seniors Real Estate Specialist.

Bucket List: 388 South Lake Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101 626-483-5269 LaurieTurner@ColdwellBanker.com LaurieTurner.com

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RENÉE SULLIVAN

Bella Casa Home Staging, Inc. Bella Casa Luxury Home Staging and Design was founded 21 years ago by my husband, Wyatt, and myself, as we have always had a love for home renovation, design and reimagining space. After buying and selling several homes of our own, we discovered the magic of staging as we watched the process transform homes and tremendously In 2001, Bella Casa was founded as a result of this success and today we extend our services to thousands of developers, realtors and homeowners as one of the most successful staging companies in California, installing over 450 properties a year.

I have personally worked on thousands of projects and have a true ability to transform spaces new and old, large and small. With a vast knowledge of residential architecture, interior design, art history, renovation, and real estate, I happily lead a successful group of talented designers to create beautiful spaces and places for people to spend their lives.

When not working, I love spending time with my husband, raising our two beautiful boys, cooking, gardening, traveling, and entertaining at home.

+ Best Advice: If you can dream it, you can do it!

Accomplishments: An incredible marriage, two amazing boys, the creation and success of Bella Casa, USC Film School.

Bucket List: I would love to live a year in the south of France with my family.

Fun Facts: single piece of furniture!

626-222-3709 BellaCasaLA.com

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LYNETTE SOHL

BROKER ASSOCIATE COMMERCIAL DIVISION LUXURY DIVISION CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE DIAMOND - TOP 1/2 OF 1% 5-YEAR LEGEND AWARD Berkshire Hathaway, Home Services I knew when I was eight years old that I would be in real estate. I started investing in 20 22 2 time when a young, woman purchasing real estate was not only unusual, but also not easy to do because of the industry limits and bias of the times.

Today, as a results-driven professional with a passion for real estate, I represent clients, marketing luxury-estate, coastal, residential, and commercial properties at the highest level coupled with striving to achieve for my sellers the highest price under any market condition! My clients often become lifelong friends, putting real meaning behind “Your Realtor for life” to help you and your family through the many seasons and reasons of owning real estate.

Strength, integrity, trust, and service exemplify my professional ethic. An expert negotiator, I have a reputation for making complex deals simple and rough transactions smooth for everyone I work with.

540 South Lake Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101 626-665-2649 Fax 626-568-8120 LSOHL@bhhscal.com lynettesohlrealestate.com DRE# 01256496

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MOJI ZAMANI SHAND FOUNDER AND MANAGING MEMBER Shand Import LLC

I am the daughter of Persian Immigrants. I grew up mainly in Pasadena, California area and I began my professional career as an attorney.

After 13+ years of traditional practice in law, I decided to follow my heart & passion and to start my own business as an importer of Fine spirits, with focus on small batch products produced by small businesses around the globe. In 2022, we celebrate our 10-year anniversary at Shand Import LLC, and are proud importers of some of the world’s Rarest Scotch whiskies, Irish Whisky, various unique Gins, Vodka, Cognac, Mezcal, Tequila and more, supplying major stores, chains, restaurants and bars nationwide.

+ Best Advice: Life is too short… follow your heart, your passion and your instinct, but above all, enjoy whatever it is that you do.

Accomplishments: Law Practitioner, Successful National Women’s Business Enterprise, Member of Women of the Vine & Spirits, Nominated Keeper of the Quaich.

Bucket List: Going on a road trip and visiting every state in US. Fun Facts: I love to travel and to explore foreign different cultures. I also love to dance to Persian music and to throw theme parties.

1251 South Shamrock Avenue Monrovia, CA 91016 626-775-4215 moji@shandimportllc.com shandimportllc.com

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LAURI WAX OWNER/FOUNDER Pearls, San Marino

I worked in the fashion industry for over thirty years, with the dream of one day having my own boutique. My vision was realized when I opened Pearls in Mission Village six years ago with the goal of offering unique and quality collections from around the world that are complementary to the community’s lifestyle. San Marino and Pasadena have a long history of quiet elegance, and pearls have always been the ladylike jewelry of choice.

Our lovely customers make every day a delight!

They are the best part of Pearls, as well as our “Pearls Girls” staff, accomplished women from our community who love connecting with our clients.

We’ve been fortunate being next door to the popular Julienne restaurant, a destination dining spot for locals and visitors from near and far. In 2020, I launched our website making it convenient to shop online, as well as enabling our nationwide clientele to stay connected. a second Pearls boutique in my hometown of Newport Beach. It’s on Balboa Island, where people love to visit and stroll. It brings me back to my teen years of sailing with my dad and eating Balboa Bars. There has always been a strong connection between both communities, so it’s a natural second home for Pearls.

I'm grateful for our amazing Pearls family who have helped to make my dreams come true. The door will always be open at Pearls to visit, dream, and fall in love!

2639 Mission Street San Marino, CA 91108 626-403-5001 pearlsltd.com

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CHELBY CRAWFORD

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST Compass

I grew up in two of the most unique and beautiful settings: the beach and the mountains. The sunny Manhattan Beach, California, and “The Little Switzerland of America,” Ouray, Colorado, were both exciting and picturesque places full of adventure.

After spending time living abroad in France and traveling the Cote D’Azur, I returned home with a romanticized love for old-world architecture, art, and design. When Pasadena became my home in 1994, I completely immersed myself in learning about residential luxury real estate. It has proven to be a perfectly matched profession for me.

Passionately exploring new and creative ways to market amazing properties, cultivating lifelong business relationships, and challenging myself to stay on top of my game.

My clients love that I am calm and patient. I am not a salesperson: I help guide them by opening pathways for them to discover what they are seeking. I have long-term clients who have been with me for decades. My business is based on repeat and referrals.

+ Accomplishments: Crawford received the International President’s Elite Award for sales production in 2020 and leads in the top 2% of her company worldwide. Crawford also has a long history of community involvement and was the 2019 recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors.

DRE# 01399237

680 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91101 626-536-2002 chelbycrawford@gmail.com chelbycrawford.com

Best Advice: There are only two days of the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and one is called tomorrow. So today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.

— Dalai Lama Bucket List: Hike to the top of Machu Picchu.

Fun Facts: I have two amazing adult children with who I love spending my time with! I got married in 2021 to the love of my life.

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LUCY MAO REALTOR Compass

The story of my career is always evolving. It begins with my time as director of sales in the wholesale gift and home decor industry, traveling the world, deep in sales and product development/ 1 hotel living, and never fully unpacking a suitcase, I took a leap of faith powered by nothing but my was something better out there. That brings us to my incredible journey of building my residential realtor business from scratch to what was a $63 million year in 2021. And as we head into 2022, I am thrilled to have by my side my daughter Monica as my buyer specialist, my son Nathan as my administrative support, and not too far in the wings, my daughter Caitlin managing my social media from Seattle. It is the family business that I never planned on creating. It’s taken a few years of where we are today and know that our clients that comes from working together.

+ Best Advice: was and it’s taken me almost 10 years and a personal health scare to really grasp this concept.

S and remind yourself of it every day. It’s life and Accomplishments: $63 million in sales volume for 2021.

Bucket List: 1. Volunteer for my favorite local that. 2. Live on the Big Island for a period of at least 6 months.

Fun Facts: I have three completely mismatched cats whose names are Popoki, Hapuna and Kona: it explains why you probably see fur on my clothing these days.

680 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 150 Pasadena, CA 91101 626-831-2201 lucy.mao@compass.com lucymao.com

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KIMBERLEY WU, DMD, MS

CO-FOUNDER & ORTHODONTIST Wu Orthodontics | Little Crown Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Growing up, I lived in Canada, North Carolina, Beijing, Shanghai, Boston and spent Christmas in Hong Kong.

After moving to Los Angeles, I started three orthodontic practices from scratch. During this time, my husband and I had three kids, and the oldest is only six, so needless to say some days get a little crazy!

At MIT, I was teaching kids how to solder circuit boards when I realized I loved bending wires and mentoring kids. I shadowed an orthodontist and we bonded over a shared love of movies, one of my favorite pastimes. That led me to choose orthodontics, where I get to bend wires and mentor kids all day! During residency, I even soldering a 3D world with an airplane spinning around it.

+ Education: Graduate of MIT & Harvard School of Dental Medicine Bucket List: Learning to cook in France, Italy and Japan.

Fun Fact: As senior class president, I delivered the MIT commencement speech in front of 10,000 people. I was so nervous, my leg was shaking the entire time!

Hobbies: With three silly and fun-loving kids, there is no shortage of adventure. We love to bake, cook, hike, try new foods and travel to new places.

Best Advice: “If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack. If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have.”

1525 Fair Oaks Avenue South Pasadena, CA 91030 626-403-6500 WuOrthodontics.com

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LORA UNGER

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Pasadena Symphony & Pops

Under Lora Unger’s enthusiastic leadership, the orchestra has become a connecting force for good in the community, a leader in providing young preeminent source for musical concerts that nourish the mind, spirit and hearts of audiences of over 50,000 each year.

+ Best Advice: Always treat your employees and customers the way you want to be treated.

Accomplishments: Leading the orchestra through the pandemic and coming out stronger on the other side, plus ensuring that 9,000 public school students received online music classes for a full school year during at home learning.

Bucket List: Spending a summer in Greece.

Fun Facts: I love to climb mountains and drive fast cars.

150 South Los Robles Avenue, Suite 450, Pasadena, CA 91101 626-793-7172 | pasadenasymphony-pops.org

SUSAN BARILICH ATTORNEY/OWNER Susan Barilich, PC

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I grew up in the Midwest, spent a number of years in Texas, and ended up in California moving around and made good friends everywhere I have been. My values are traditional, my mind-set is open, and I have great taste….as long as it is affordable.

+ Best Advice: Never give up. Every day presents new possibilities and set backs also present new opportunities. It’s not about what you encounter in life, but how you deal with it.

Accomplishments: Trial lawyer, successful business owner, Tournament of Roses member, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts member, former President of Commercial Real Estate Women Los Angeles, Super Lawyers 2020 2021 and 2022, and Pasadena’s Best Lawyers 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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535 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 504, Glendale, CA 91203 818-500-0377 | susan@barilichlaw.com | barilichlaw.com

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GABRIELLE K STAPLETON, CFP®

MANAGING DIRECTOR

ARROYO INVESTMENT GROUP CAPITAL RESEARCH + CONSULTING What services do you provide to your clients?

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