Los Angeles Downtown News 11-15-21

November 15, 2021 I VOL. 50 I #46

‘Futuristic Warrior’ FIDM student designer looks to ‘Mortal Kombat’ for inspiration Cathay Manor LA temporarily fixes Chinatown building’s elevator

+ Community mourns Randy Ross

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LA temporarily fixes elevator in elderly residential building

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer he city of LA temporarily fixed one of two inoperable elevators in a 16-story residential building where occupants were subjected to unsafe and hazardous building conditions with no option but to walk up and down flights of stairs.

Cathay Manor in Chinatown is a low-income, 270-unit residential high-rise for elderly people, or a household with at least one member being 62 or older. The building’s two elevators, which service all of the residents on the property, have had recurrent outages that began to draw wariness from the city in September, prompting inspections from Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

City Attorney Mike Feuer announced 16 misdemeanor charges against the owner and operator of Cathay Manor in a complaint filed on Oct. 27, expressing condemnation for the situation that left elderly residents without an operable elevator from mid-October to Nov. 5.

“It’s outrageous that vulnerable seniors living in a 16-story high-rise have endured multiple days without safe and working elevators. These are parents and grandparents having to forego daily activities like medical appointments, shopping for food or meeting with friends and family. Nobody — especially older adults — should be trapped,” Feuer said in a release, following the announcement of the charges.

The Chinese Community on Aging (CCOA) Housing Corporation, a nonprofit organization that owns and operates the residential building, and its president and CEO, Gong Donald Toy, are listed as the defendants in the city attorney’s case.

Toy has not been available for comment about the city’s misdemeanor charges or the current standing of the situation at Cathay Manor.

Councilmember Gil Cedillo, District 1, introduced a motion on Nov. 5 to contract with an elevator repair company to “immediately restore elevator service temporarily with the approval and cooperation of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), and to the extent feasible repair the elevator(s) at Cathay Apartments in Chinatown.”

As of 6 p.m. Nov. 5, one elevator was tem-

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porarily fixed and is being manually operated.

Cedillo’s motion cites the Urgent Repair Program and says that due to a prolonged outage of the elevator, the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) “has the authority to designate a contractor preselected by LAHD to make the repairs” on an emergency basis.

Funds transferred and appropriated from the city’s Foreclosure Registry Fund and the Urgent Repair Program to contract an elevator repair company amounts to $1 million.

The funds taken from the Foreclosure Registry Fund will be repaid by Toy for direct and related costs, fees, interest and 40% of the cost for the city’s work of “administering any contract and supervising the work required,” according to the motion.

Cedillo said, in mid-October, when both elevators were inoperable, that his staff requested that LADBS, LAHD and the city attorney’s office come together to “investigate, assess and find immediate solutions.”

“My paramount concern is for the safety, security, and accessibility of our seniors and tenants at Cathay Manor,” Cedillo said in a statement.

“It is unacceptable to have inoperable elevators. That is why I took action by introducing a motion to contract with a qualified elevator repair company to immediately restore elevator service on a temporary basis, and to the extent feasible, repair the elevators, which we were successful in getting one of the elevators operating manually.”

Issues with the building’s elevators are seemingly more complex and span beyond simply buying necessary parts and fixing the elevator, however. It has been mentioned by those associated with Cathay Manor and in Cedillo’s motion that, though basic repairs are needed, complete modernization of the elevators might be in question. Cedillo’s motion also calls attention to delays caused by the global supply chain issue disrupting imports and exports and accessibility to resources, effectively hurting economies and commerce worldwide and, in this case, elderly residents of Cathay Manor.

Coupled with the temporary elevator fix, Cedillo said his office has “secured the commitment of nonprofit organizations to provide staff and volunteers to serve as attendants to assist seniors who live in the

Cathay Manor residents wait for the one, manually operated elevator in the 16-story, 270-unit, lowincome residential building for elderly people.

Photo by Chris Mortenson

building.”

Nonprofits helping Cathay Manor residents carry groceries, medication and other personal items to their apartments include Chinatown Service Center, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Department of Disability and Saint Barnabas Senior Center.

In Cedillo’s statement, he listed the following other resources that will be available to Cathay Manor residents: • Friday, Nov. 12 — Deliver free groceries to tenants.

• Saturday, Nov. 13 — Deliver free meals to low-income seniors provided by EveryTable as part of my Senior Meal Program.

• Thursday, Nov. 18 — Free laundry service provided by Laundry Truck LA. • Friday, Nov. 19, on a weekly basis — Deliver free meals to low-income seniors provided by EveryTable as part of the Senior Meal Program.

• Saturday, Nov. 20, on a weekly basis — Deliver free groceries to tenants.

Lu Tsoi, an elderly tenant, was helped with moving a wooden cabinet to Cathay Manor’s lobby with the one operable elevator.

Tsoi lives on the third floor of the building, and moving the cabinet to her apartment might not have been possible for Tsoi without the elevator.

Like most of the tenants in Cathay Manor, Tsoi is reserved and does not speak much English. From what she was comfortable saying, Tsoi mentioned that she needs the elevators fixed because “I pay rent, so I need it.”

David Amaya is one of the elevator mechanics with Specialized Elevator, an independent California elevator company that operates the elevator manually until the elevator can function safely and properly on its own.

A chair sits in the corner of the elevator, where the elevator’s operating button panel is located, and the chair not only seats Amaya and other elevator operators for their entire shift but gives them a place to keep their snacks and water.

“Right now, we’re running it on inspection

speed. That’s why it’s running so slow,” Amaya said as the elevator moved up the 16-story building. “That’s the only way to get (the elevator) working. There’s controller parts burnt out upstairs, so this is the best that they can do (to get the elevator working) for now.”

Amaya and other elevator operators working in the Cathay Manor elevator will be working in shifts manually operating the functioning elevator for 24 hours a day.

“We’re trying to do the best we can. Like today, I’m working until midnight, but I started work at 7 a.m., so I’m working a double shift right now,” he said.

As far as how long Amaya and elevator operators will need to work shifts to maintain 24-hour elevator service for Cathay Manor residents, Amaya said, “From what I’m hearing it might be a while.” But ultimately, he wasn’t sure how long the elevator mechanics would be needed to service residents or when either elevator might be completely fixed.

Due to the 24-hour service required to manually operate Cathay Manor’s elevator, Amaya said, “When it’s slow I can take a little break. … It’s just busy, you know? It gets busy in the morning and dinnertime, then it gets quiet, which is good, because then we can take a little break.”

The manually operated elevator system is not necessarily common knowledge for most, including elderly Cathay Manor residents. On each floor, a yellow box hangs on the wall next to the elevator where a resident should press the call button if they would like to use the elevator. The button allows them to tell the elevator mechanic which floor they are on.

Due to many of the residents not understanding how the system works and most being limited in English, Amaya said he had to come up with a system to work around the situation.

“It’s pretty hard (to track them down). …

They just push the (talk button) and that’s it, so I just go down every floor and knock (on each floor’s elevator door), and they’re pretty good about knocking back (to let me know where they are),” he said with a laugh.

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For these 16 days, orange is a verb

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist wear orange for 16 days in a row to stand in solidarity with other activists committed to ending violence against women,” I said, between mouthfuls of ceviche.

I was in the tropical paradise of Puerto Vallarta. My friend Anne Peterson had been grappling with how to ask me why I was wearing orange, day after day, often from head to foot. We were at a luxurious resort to launch an inquiry with other women about what it means to be female in these times.

Anne, who is intellectual and full of fun, said, “I’m glad you said something about the orange. I was wondering if you were in some kind of cult.” “Norwegians don’t join cults. Although if you count melted butter worship… yes, I am in the melted butter sect,” I said. I digress.

In 1995, in the last paragraph of my book “Beauty Bites Beast,” I wrote: “My commitment is to make self-defense just as accepted, inexpensive and accessible as a vaccination or swimming lessons.

Eventually, the world will be made up of women who resist being oppressed emotionally, physically and spiritually as a matter of course. And that will be a better world for everyone.”

So yes, I wear orange every year from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 in solidarity with other women’s rights activists as a symbol of the vision to end gender-based violence.

(I’m also firmly in the “against violence in all forms” camp, but I can only take on so much.)

I have been on a long-haul journey, made even longer since 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. I wasn’t thrown by it, however, as I have experience with such things. For decades I have linked arms and hearts with intrepid women all over the world who have wrestled with an even more pernicious and dead-

“I

ly pandemic: violence against women and girls. I want to yell, any chance I get, “Don’t you understand the sheer waste of human potential that’s committed every time a woman or girl is assaulted or beaten, sometimes to death?” What could possibly be gained by allowing mainly men to systemically squelch the other half of the world?

In 1995, I attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. I saw how the world’s women have a lot in common, but the experience they shared the most was fear of men’s violence directed at them and their female loved ones. Stranger-on-stranger violence is less common than violence from family or acquaintances. Ho-hum. Whenever I mention this, the typical reaction I get is either a

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Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations. This is significant because the UDHR was the first international declaration to specifically acknowledge women as deserving of human rights.

Never heard of either of the events those days represent? Don’t be surprised: The mainstream media loves ignoring most things to do with the United Nations, especially anything involving women and girls.

I am so proud to be part of my Empowerment Self-Defense family, who are really into Oranging The World! They are a group of people devoted to a global approach when empowering women-identified folks to stop violence as it is happening. Last week, I was honored to attend the launch of a coalition of these organizations, now under the umbrella of IMPACT Global. We empower women and girls by teaching simple yet effective emotional, verbal and physical boundaries. Watch this column for further developments, including a genuinely groundbreaking smartphone app that teaches women to empower themselves at their deer-in-the-headlights look or a shrug of own pace. They get to practice safety, resignation. boundary-setting, what to do in dangerBut wearing orange? ous situations, and much more; it’s in the Starting in 1991, the U.N. Women testing phase now. group launched a public awareness camSpeaking of digital natives, there’s a repaign to “Orange the World” — orange cent success story on TikTok that went vibeing used as a verb — as a reminder ral. A 16-year-old had been kidnapped, that violence against women and girls and she knew the hand signal for “Help! continues to be the deadliest pandemic I’m in immediate danger!” It’s holding up globally. It is now supported by the U.N. four fingers, palm out with the thumb secretary-general’s “UNITE by 2030” cam- across the palm, and then closing the finEXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski paign to endSTAFF gender violence. gers over the thumb, like trapping the WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero Why those dates of Nov. 25 to Dec. thumb.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala KirkWhile in the kidnapper’s car, she ARTfour DIRECTORS: Olivares, the Stephanie Torres 10? In 1999, yearsArman following gave the signal to another car, and the STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chavez U.N. Conference on Women Luis in Beijing, person who saw it also knew the code!

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed Police were called, and the girl was freed.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb Nov. 25 as the annual International Now that’s grace under pressure!

FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris Day for the Elimination of Violence against Ellen Snortland has been writing an orWomen. And Dec. 10 is the day in 1948 ange gender column for decades. Contact her that the Universal Declaration of Human at authorbitebybite.com.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Andres de Ocampo, Luke Netzley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Bridgette M. Redman, Michele Robinson, Ellen Snortland STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Mortenson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Alberto Santillan, Tina Turnbow ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

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Lea DeLaria is mad about her latest project

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor ea DeLaria just left rehearsals for the Pasadena Playhouse’s production of “Head Over Heels.” The “Orange is the New Black” star is giddy and oozing of energy.

“It’s our second day of rehearsals, and we’re having a ball,” DeLaria said enthusiastically. “I’m excited.”

“Head Over Heels” is a musical comedy set to the tunes of the Go-Go’s, like “Our Lips are Sealed” and “Vacation,” as well as singer Belinda Carlisle’s hits “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.” The dance party musical follows a royal family in search of a purpose, lovers in search of each other, and a whole kingdom in search of a beat.

In it, DeLaria plays King Basilius to drag performer Alaska 5000’s Queen Gynecia.

“I like that they asked me to play the king,” she said. “It is a drag musical. I’m playing a male role, which is really fun.

Having Alaska in it is really what drew me to it. It’s just a great show. I’m in between projects right now. I had these two months off. It’s like the universe was saying, ‘Do this musical.’”

L

Award winner DeLaria is best known for her threetime, SAG Award-winning role as Carrie “Big Boo” Black in the Netflix hit series “Orange is the New Black.” However, DeLaria’s multifaceted career as a comedian, actress and jazz musician has, in fact, spanned decades.

DeLaria is the first openly gay comic on American television, which led to countless television and film roles. She received Obie & Theater World Awards, and a Drama Desk nomination for her portrayal of “Hildy” in the Public Theater’s

revival of “On the Town,” and played “Eddie” and “Dr. Scott” in the gender-bending Broadway musical “The Rocky Horror Show.”

She was the featured vocalist at the 50th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival and has performed in prestigious houses like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Chicago Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House.

DeLaria has five records on the Warner Jazz and Classics label, and her book “Lea’s Book of Rules for the World” is in its third printing at Bantam Doubleday and Dell. Her sixth record, “House of David delaria+bowie=jazz,” was released in the summer of 2015 to critical acclaim.

After “Head Over Heels,” DeLaria will work on recording her next album in New York. She chuckles when she’s called a multihyphenate entertainer.

“When you look like me and you say what you think like me and make no apologies, it’s a good idea to do a lot of things in show business,” she said.

“Oh, honey, believe me, I know it’s true.

I’ve never been afraid of it. Obviously, I’m looking to do more than just make a living and entertain. Obviously, trying to change the world is very important to me. I can back my mouth up with all these things, and I do all this well.”

be fully transformed for the production, creating an experience with traditional reserved theater seats and a general admission dance floor.

“It’s going to be done environmentally and in the round at the Playhouse,” DeLaria says.

“The audience is a major part of the production. It was conceived as a dance musical on Broadway. Everybody in the cast is known for being a really big singer.

There’s plenty of dancing in it. It’s wicked fun.”

DeLaria says the plot is comedic with Shakespearian themes. It blends “As You Like It,” “The Winter’s Tale,” “The Comedy of Errors” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”

“It’s such a nice break to be back on the

boards,” she said. “I love doing film and TV. Don’t get me wrong. I have a great time doing it. I love being downstage belting at B sharp.”

Clocking in at 90 minutes with no intermission, “Head Over Heels” has proven to be challenging for the 63-year-old actor. She said she must be mindful of her vocal cords and, as a physical comedian, she is careful about running and jumping around the stage.

“It’s going to be really funny when people see the juxtaposition of me and Alaska together,” DeLaria said. “She’s lovely, so dry and so funny, not to mention she’s way taller than me. The sight gag is going to be funny. My king is a big goofball. It’s really entertaining. The cast is raring to go and chomping at the bit to start.”

Stellar cast At Pa s a d e n a Pl ay h o u s e, D e L a r i a and Alaska 5000 will be joined by Urel Echezarreta (Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”), Tiffany Mann (“Be More Chill”), George Salazar (“Little Shop of Horrors”), Emily Skeggs (“Fun Home”) and Shanice Williams (NBC’s “The Wiz Live!”).

The musical kicks off Pasadena Playhouse’s 2021-22 season. The venue will

Lea DeLaria is a comedian, actress and jazz musician known for her role as Carrie “Big Boo” Black in the Netflix show “Orange is the New Black.”

Photo by Tina Turnbow

“Head Over Heels” WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, to Sunday, December 12: 8 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays WHERE: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molina Avenue, Pasadena COST: Tickets start at $30 INFO: 626-356-7529, pasadenaplayhouse.org

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

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FIDM student designer inspired by ‘Mortal Kombat’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor s a child growing up in Arizona, Fabian Renteria sketched T-shirts and dresses. It was prophetic, as recently he introduced his first fashion collection in Los Angeles as part of the annual FIDM Debut Show.

Presented by the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, the event spotlights the work of FIDM students graduating from the advanced fashion design program.

Renteria was one of nine students selected for the prestigious show in 2021.

“It was very exciting and even more nerve-racking,” Renteria said.

The heavy vinyl line was inspired by “Mortal Kombat,” with a “futuristic warrior” look to it. The red in his collection represents the bloodshed.

“I honestly felt it would have been silly if it was ‘Mortal Kombat’ and that’s it,” he said.

“I was going deeper into what it means. For the actual story, these characters’ stories

are entangled about what they’re fighting for.

One story in particular stood out: that of Kitana, the princess of her native land who never knew her true identity. As a child, her mother, Sindel, allegedly died by suicide. Kitana joined Raiden to find the truth and to make peace with all the realms. The collection represents her and her revenge wardrobe.

“I wanted to pull color from the undead warriors — black, white, gray and gold,” he said.

“I decided to use red and the print was shattered glass, with chunky zippers to add a hardware aspect to it.”

The Texas-born Renteria is somewhat following in the footsteps of his artist father.

“He would always be drawing, too,” he said. “One day, we were at a restaurant, and they had paper on the table with crayons. I asked my dad, ‘How do I draw a body?’ He definitely knew how.

“He showed me with a crayon. I drew

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a dress on her, and that’s what sparked it for me. Oddly enough, we had a really old sewing machine on a shelf in the laundry room. I asked my mom about it. One day, I pulled it down. I tried to thread it, and I got it to work.”

While he was in Glendale, Arizona, he lived close to a Walmart. Before it was a Supercenter, it boasted a large fabric section.

“My first project was a vinyl cape,” he said. “It wasn’t good at all. I kept with it, and I would sew on the weekends after coming

home from school. I fell in love with it, honestly. It was fun.”

He moved to Alhambra in 2018 to attend FIDM. Next year, Renteria is headed to Rome for a study-abroad program. He will focus on fit and pattern making. It ends with another fashion show.

“I get to do another collection,” he said.

“I definitely want to start developing my brand more. I want to start selling my work on a website. I want to delve into the DIY more and start my own business.”

Burbank to Los Angeles ProjectSection Section Burbank to Los Angeles Project

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY / Open House Project Update Meetings NOTICE OF AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING March 9 - 13, 2020

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) announces the availability of the ALL UPDATE MEETINGS WILL BE IDENTICAL WITH A Final PROJECT Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Burbank to Los Angeles Project Section of the California High-Speed Rail Project.

The Final EIR/EIS and associated documents will be available to the public on November 5, 2021.

BURBANK LOS ANGELES* The Final EIR/EISMonday, is available online9,in2020 PDF at the Authority’s website (www.hsr.ca.gov).

You can also request March Thursday, March 12, 2020 an electronic copy by calling (877) 977-1660. Printed and or electronic copies of the Final EIR/EIS have been 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. placed at the following library locations and can be viewed during hours the faciilities are open (open days / Buena Vista Branch Library Cypress Park Recreation Center hours may be reduced for compliance with coronavirus public health and safety directives):

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N F DOWNTOW THE VOICE O

Fabian Renteria designed clothes inspired by the story of Kitana from “Mortal Kombat” for his first fashion collection in Los Angeles as part of the annual FIDM Debut Show.

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Printed and/or electronic copies of the Buena Vista Branch Library Atwater Village Branch Library Final EIR/EIS and electronic copies of Meeting 300 N Buena Vista Street 3379 Glendale Boulevard *English/Spanish GLENDALE / ATWATER technical virtual Openassociated House starts at 5:30 reports p.m. are also Northwest Branch Library Chinatown BranchThe Library availablestarts for review during Wednesday, Live webcast presentation at 6:00 p.m. business 3323 W Victory BoulevardMarch 11, 2020639 N Hill Street hours at the Authority’s Headquarters 5:30 Library p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Burbank Central Cypress Park Branch Library http://ustream.tv/channel/chsra at 770 L Street, Suite 620 MS-1, GlendaleBoulevard Adult Recreation Center 110 N Glenoaks 1150 Cypress Avenue Sacramento, CA and by appointment at 201 E Colorado St Lincoln Heights Branch Library Glendale the Authority’s Southern California Street Glendale, CA 91205 2530 WorkmanFor Pacific Park & Community Center more information, please visitathsr.ca.gov Regional Office 355 S Grand Avenue, Little Tokyo Branch Library 501 S Pacific Avenue Suite 2050, Los Angeles, CA. To make an 203 SThe LosLos Angeles Street *English/Spanish Meeting: Angeles meeting will be conducted in English Glendale Central Library appointment to view the documents, Spanish. English presentation starts at 6:00 p.m.; Spanish presentation 222 E Harvardand Street please call (323) 610-2819. starts at 7:00 p.m. Simultaneous translation will be offered during both presentations.

Grandview Library 1535 Fifth Street AUTHORITY BOARD *Join Us Via Webcast: The Los Angeles meetingMEETING will also be offered as a webcast.

Theofvirtual Openwill House at 5:30meeting p.m. Theon liveJanuary webcast19presentation The Authority’s Board Directors holdstarts a two-day and January 20, 2022 at 11 am 6:00 p.m.EIR/EIS To participate in the live webcast, go to: to consider whether to starts certifyatthe Final and approve the Preferred Alternative (the HSR Build http://ustream.tv/channel/chsra.

Alternative, including the Burbank Station) pursuant to CEQA. The Authority’s Board of Directors, in the Authority’s role as NEPA lead agency, will also consider whether to AND OTHER NEEDS direct the Authority Chief LANGUAGES Executive Officer to issue a Record of Decison for the Burbank to Los Angeles Interpretación enAlternative español será todas lasincluding reuniones.

Project Section selecting the Preferred (thedisponible HSR Build en Alternative, the Burbank Station) in the Authority’s role as NEPA lead agency. Documents andMeeting materials supporting the Authority’s Board Other language requests can be accommodated upon request. facilities are accessible for persons withof Directors’ proposed willaccommodations be available prior to the meeting on the Board‘s webthree pageworking at disabilities.

All requests for actions reasonable and/or language services must be made days (72 hours) in advance of the scheduled meeting date. Please call (877) 977-1660 or the Authority’s https://hsr.ca.gov/about/board-of-directors/schedule/.

TTY/TTD number at (916) 403-6943 for assistance.

Please check the project section website (www.hsr.ca.gov) for more information, including links to the youtube.com/ facebook.com/ environmental document and other project materials. @cahsra CAHighSpeedRail CaliforniaHighSpeedRail

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ARTS & CULTURE

Community mourns jazz musician, playwright

By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer andy Ross was a man of piercing, eloquent words and memorable musical notes.

A playwright, essayist, novelist, educator, composer and jazz saxophonist, Ross died Oct. 31, leaving behind a grieving family and community.

Ross was a leader in school reform where he worked for more than 20 years. In 2005, he became the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education’s first director of educational policy. He wrote the book “Government and the Private Sector: Who Should Do What?” in 1988 and has had educational essays and articles published in the Los Angeles Times, Education Week, The School Administrator and the American School Board Journal.

Ben Guillory, who co-founded the Robey Theatre Company with Danny Glover, remembered him as a beloved artist who received critical acclaim for his play “Birdland Blue” about Miles Davis and his quintet. The Robey produced that play in 2019.

“He joined our playwright’s lab,” Guillory said. “I started to look at his work and was impressed with his writing. I read his short stories and other plays, but ‘Birdland Blue’ really spoke to me and to the Robey Theater Company. It fit our mission statement.”

Its mission statement is to develop and produce plays about the global Black experience and to reimagine Black classics.

Other plays Ross wrote included “92 Grove Street” about Malcolm X and Alex Haley, and “Essie’s Paul” about Mr. and Mrs. Paul Robeson. Shortly before his death, Ross composed a score to accompany “A Heated Discussion,” which is a new play by Levy Lee Simon that will be produced by the Robey in April.

In addition to his role as playwright at the Robey, Ross served on their fundraising committee and was the music director for many shows.

“He would find music or compose the music,” Guillory said. “He was an accomplished composer and jazz musician.

He was a pretty good Renaissance man. He was a very talented guy that I had a lot of respect and admiration for. He was very straightforward — a what-you-saw-is-what-yougot, honest man. He had a sense of humor, but in the work, he was very clear and no-nonsense. He thought before he spoke.”

“Birdland” was an original piece about Miles Davis and other musicians who did the seminal jazz album of the time.

The play focused on a night in the club where they worked.

Not a musical, it is a play with music that celebrated notable jazz musicians.

“It was interesting to our audience and also very important because of what it was about,” Guillory said. “There is the whole cultural aspect that is part of a foundation of this country. Jazz music is really one of the few, if not the only, original cultural aspects to this country.”

Guillory said Ross was the perfect person to write the story due to both his talent with words and his talent with music. He said he had a great sense of structure and a sense of panache that makes a play theatrically interesting.

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Randy Ross, playwright, essayist, novelist, educator, composer and jazz saxophonist passed away on Oct. 31.

Photo by Alberto Santillan

“Randy was very good with dialog,” Guillory said. “He was very, very adept with it, and this was his territory. He himself is a jazz musician. He played alto saxophone, was a composer and was part of a quintet. My wife and I went often. They were classical jazz guys.”

Ross spent more than 50 years playing the saxophone and was a member of the Blue Morning Quintet.

Ross and a colleague of his, Marion Newton, played the music for the world premiere of “Birdland.” Guillory talked about their dedication during the rehearsal process and how the two of them helped an actor who had never played an instrument learn how to play standup bass.

“They (Ross and Newton) were consummate musicians, and this illustrated his commitment and seriousness about the work, his professionalism and his vision for the work,” Guillory said.

“That actor was 22 years old and just out of UCLA. He ended up playing the bass on stage and more or less talk-singing. It was just magical to have an actor who is not a musician become a musician during that rehearsal process.

It gave an authenticity to the work.”

Guillory said Ross was an inspiration to all the actors and artists involved in the show.

“All artists are committed and have a vision, but the force, the genesis of that project in this case, Randy Ross, who wrote it and was in fact a musician himself — boy, we could not help but be immersed in the words,” Guillory said.

Ross is also a fiction writer, the author of a collection of short stories, “The Chocolate Man” and a novel, “When Are They Coming?”

Guillory hopes to produce more of his plays, but they aren’t yet certain when. He said Ross will be missed on personal, organizational and community levels.

“He and I were friends and colleagues,” Guillory said. “He was a creative force for the community and the Robey Theatre. The Blue Morning Quintet played all around Los Angeles. He was a musical force in the community and a literary and dramatic force for the theater community. He was an important contributor to the culture, to the Robey Theatre Company, to theater and to music.”

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Covered California will help BUSINESS

Entrepreneurial women share experiences, celebrate businesswomen

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer omen’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) marks a day of recognition, empowerment and support for women in business worldwide and champions all women for the opportunity to make an impact on their communities and the world every Nov. 19.

Wendy Diamond, a social entrepreneur and humanitarian, founded Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) in 2013 as a nongovernmental, nonracial, nongender and nonpolitical volunteer nonprofit organization.

A year later, at a United Nations conference in New York, WEDO convened for the first Women’s Entrepreneurship Day event, where 144 countries recognized the day and inspiration and empowerment for women began to transpire throughout nations.

“When women are elevated financially, communities and countries prosper. It builds a global blueprint to alleviate and eradicate pov-

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erty. Since the first WEDO, we have grown our organization to become a powerful network for women in business, and have reached over 5 billion people,” WEDO’s website reads.

Since 2014, a trickling effect of support for the cause ensued, with the United Nations celebrating the day annually and the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the day as “A Day in Honor of Women Entrepreneurs” under Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y. Not long after, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and the city council declared WED an official day in Los Angeles.

A virtual celebration, Los Angeles Virtual Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 2021, hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, will be held Nov. 19 “in recognition of the significant impact women business owners have made on the Los Angeles economy and quality of life despite significant obstacles,” according to the description of the event.

ROW DTLA, a historic, mixed-use destination for independent retail, restaurants and lifestyle

Rose Apodac, founder of A+R, her showroom brings décor and modern furniture together to create a design-centric boutique.

Submitted photo

boutiques, is home to entrepreneurs and visionaries, many of them women.

Rose Apodaca, founder and CEO of A+R, an independent modern furniture store, opened the storefront with her partner Andy Griffith in 2005, and they were the first tenants to open their doors for business in ROW DTLA. Prior to venturing into opening a design-centric furniture boutique, Apodaca was

a full-time pop culture and style journalist and editor and said, “The decision to open a design shop was not long planned and happened rather quickly. (Andy and I) haven’t looked back.”

The switch from their long-time careers to something new came at a time, for both Apodaca and Griffith, when they were looking for “something to excite” them, she said.

“On my end, publishing was facing major struggles and the writing was on the wall that the industry was changing — and not for the better. Andy got out of editing documentary films before the genre hit its renaissance — but the demanding hours and budgets have not,” Apodaca said about her and Andy’s mindsets and situations at the time.

Though Apodaca and Griffith knew the challenges of owning and operating a retail business, their “mutual obsession for travel and discovering new everything” compelled them to take a leap and venture into a new life.

“Discovering new everything” ties into the story behind A+R’s name, which Apodaca said “stands both for the first letter of our first names, as well as a nod to Artistry + Repertoire, that part of the music business that ‘discovers’ new talent” or, in this case, modern furniture and décor items.

“We started with smaller items (in the store) and have since evolved into furniture, lighting and décor and a resource with nearly 80 global brands,” Apodaca said about A+R’s journey.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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LA Marathon draws thousands of runners for 36th year

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer he Los Angeles Marathon welcomed 13,000 runners back for its 36th annual event, bringing Angelenos, runners, friends and family together for another year of tradition on Nov. 7.

This year’s marathon started in Dodger Stadium and led runners through a 26.2mile course, passing Los Angeles landmarks like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the TCL Chinese Theater with a finish line in Century City.

The historic marathon’s cash prize totaled at $20,000 this year, for both men’s and women’s categories, and prized firstplace runners with $6,000, $2,500 for second place, and $1,500 for third place.

Kenyan athlete and long-distance runner John Korir took first place along with Welsh marathon runner Natasha Cockram, both of whom crossed the finish line in under three hours.

Laurie Gestal, senior director of marketing for the McCourt Foundation (TMF), a nonprofit organization that currently holds the LA Marathon’s operating rights, said, “This has been a really tough 18 months for everybody. … It’s great to be back together, running as a community, with a little bit of normalcy coming back.”

The LA Marathon went on as usual in 2020, right before Los Angeles and the nation began to close, state by state, to quarantine and socially distance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two postponements in 2021, one in March and one in May, resulted in the marathon finally being held in November.

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Gestal, mentioning that TMF partnered with 45 local and national charities, said, “The charity aspect of the LA Marathon is one of the special parts about what we do. … (Giving back through charity has) been ingrained in the history of the marathon from the beginning. That’s forever a part of who we are.”

Among the thousands of marathon runners in attendance, all with unique stories, backgrounds and intentions for running in the historic marathon, LA Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell and a group a part of the Skid Row Running Club ran together for the marathon’s 26 miles. “(Skid Row Running Club) was founded 10 years ago when a gentleman who I sent to prison came back to my courtroom,” Mitchell said of the origins of the nonprofit running club, which he founded and leads.

“For some reason, he liked the way I treated him, even though I sent him to prison.

So, when he got paroled to the Midnight Mission, he wanted me to come down and meet the people who were involved in his recovery.”

Mitchell recalls the Midnight Mission administration asking him if there was any way he could help with their recovery program.

After giving it some thought, Mitchell decided on running.

“I knew how important running was for my own health, both physical and mental, and I thought it would be a good fit for people who were putting their lives back together,” he said.

Mitchell said that the beginnings of the running club started out “humble,” with only four to six runners showing up. Fast forward

The sun was shining on Sunset Boulevard as participants of the Los Angeles Marathon made their way through Echo Park.

Photo by Chris Mortenson

The 36th annual LA Marathon began at Dodger Stadium and led runners through a 26.2-mile course, passing notable Los Angeles landmarks and contributing to another year of LA history.

Photo by Chris Mortenson

to 10 years later and the club has expanded and has 40 to 50 runners, he said.

“Ten years ago, the first marathon we did as a club was Los Angeles,” Mitchell said.

“We’ve done every LA Marathon since then.

It’d be crazy for a Los Angeles-based running group to not do the LA Marathon.”

The running club, however, has grown, and Mitchell described seeing “the larger world” as something important that he likes to incorporate into the running program. Effectively, this means the Skid Row Running Club participates in other marathons, beside the LA Marathon, “in Ghana, in Vietnam, in Rome (and) a bunch of places in between,” according to Mitchell.

“A lot of our runners have some very difficult times in their past, whether that be addiction, estrangement from their family, a loss of job, and there’s a whole litany of things that come to people who experience addiction and homelessness. …

“But, when the (marathon’s starting) gun goes off and everybody’s got their shoes and running attire, that’s not how you’re identified. You’re identified as an athlete, as someone who has set a lofty goal for themselves, and you’re determined to accomplish it. That (mentality) is what the program is about. Not their past but what are the positives in the future that they can aspire to,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell invites anyone interested in joining the club or who would like to just run with the Skid Row Running Club to “just show up.” They meet in front of the Midnight

Mission, at Sixth and San Pedro streets, at 6 a.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Jocelyn Rivas, a 24-year-old marathon runner from El Salvador who immigrated to the United States when she was 6 years old, ran across the finish line, setting a world record for the youngest person to complete 100 marathons.

Rivas grew up, and still lives in, South Central LA. Being familiar with the LA Marathon, she remembers going to the 2013 marathon and being inspired.

“The reason why I got into wanting to run a marathon was because I came to the 2013 LA Marathon and I got motivated by all of the people out there. You see people who are 16 and 70 years old, and I’m thinking, ‘Why am I not out there?’” she said.

Rivas is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival or DACA recipient, which was created in 2012 under the Obama administration to give young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” the opportunity to live, study and work in the United States.

In 2017, under the Trump administration, it was announced that DACA would be phased out. The uncertainty of her future in the United States, Rivas said, “gave me a lot of fear.”

“I started this whole journey because I am a Dreamer,” Rivas said. “Many people just don’t know a Dreamer. They can’t put a face to a Dreamer because they just don’t know anyone. Some Dreamers like to stay quiet, and that’s completely OK, but I’m OK with speaking out and saying, ‘This is a Dreamer.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

There’s millions of people just like me.’”

Rivas said that her next plans will be to submit her record of marathons to the Guinness Book of World Records for review. She hopes to not only attain the world record for being the youngest runner to complete 100 marathons but also the youngest woman and Latina, according to Rivas. Until then, Rivas said she plans on running more marathons to “be safe” and solidify the record.

“It took a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, and many times you feel like you won’t get there and question if it’s worth it,” Rivas said in a statement to Angelenos and other Dreamers. “All I’ll say is — it’s totally worth it. Go chase your dreams, no matter what that is.”

Adonis Phillips is an LA Loyal runner with the LA Marathon from the Inland Empire area. The LA Loyal program is designed to acknowledge marathon runners who run

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consecutive years in the annual marathon.

Phillips crossed the Century City finish line with a completion medal around his neck, and with a smile on his face he said, “It’s absolutely wonderful to see everyone, especially after the (pandemic) postponements. … (Running in the marathon) is a good way to come out and do something.

I just finished my 13th consecutive LA Marathon.”

This year’s finish marks Phillips’ 53rd overall marathon, and though he was devastated to learn about the pandemic postponements, Phillips said returning for another year of tradition felt great.

“It’s a tradition, and it’s a habit,” he said. “I got into (running in the LA Marathon) as a way to train, to get healthy and it became much more of a habit. If I don’t do any more marathons, (though), I’ll still do LA’s because

I love the city.”

Sarah Presley, another LA Loyal runner from Los Angeles, said she continues to run in the marathon for more personal reasons, the first of which deals with the marathon being local and the second reason being that she is a brain aneurysm survivor.

“The biggest reason I love this race is because right by mile one, we run by my old apartment. This isn’t just any old apartment.

I’m a brain aneurysm survivor, and my brain aneurysm ruptured in that apartment,” she said.

“For me, it’s very empowering to run by where I almost died in a marathon.”

Presley said in the first few years of running in the LA Marathon, she would just look at her old apartment while passing it.

Now, she has made it a tradition, coupled with running in the marathon itself, to take

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a picture with her old apartment and give it a “salute,” which may or may not include an explicit finger gesture.

Presley said this year’s LA Marathon marks her 38th overall marathon, and for her training she just “does a bunch of running.” She said she’s working on doing a full marathon in every state, plus in Washington, D.C. Presley’s statement to Angelenos and LA Marathon participants could also apply to anyone, runner or not, and in a way provides some metaphoric, motivational value to anyone, no matter their situation, who might be struggling and trying to persevere during these trying times.

“Lace up your shoes,” she said. “Keep putting one foot in front of the other. No matter what pace you’re going at, you’re still moving forward.”

Sharon Kerson celebrates LA Marathon legacy

By Michele Robinson LA Downtown News Contributing Writer haron Kerson is a 79-year-old grandmother who hasn’t stopped running since the first Los Angeles Marathon, which she said is what inspired her to run.

“If LA didn’t have a marathon, I would have never run,” Kerson said.

Kerson is part of an elite group of runners known as Legacy Runners. A Legacy Runner is someone who has participated in every single LA Marathon since its inception in 1986. The number of Legacy Runners dwindles annually. This year, only 127 runners (15 who are women) are registered to compete in the upcoming marathon.

On Nov. 7, Kerson ran her 36th LA Marathon, which featured a new finish line on the Avenue of Stars in Century City. In order to prepare for this event and others, she trained every day for an hour.

“I finished the marathon in over nine hours,” Kerson said. “I am still a Legacy Runner. It was a tough marathon for me, but I finished. This was my 581st marathon.”

As a longtime Culver City resident since 1975, Kerson is a familiar figure in her neighborhood.

“I run every morning for about an hour up and down side streets in Culver City and on the weekends at West Los Angeles College, by myself,” Kerson said. “I listen to Ryan Seacrest and Top 40 on the weekends. I really enjoy that. It helps me run.”

For years, the native New Yorker has been seen running through the streets of Culver City. To prepare for her first marathon, Kerson ran the West LA College track.

Looking back at her first marathon, Kerson said it only took her five hours to complete.

“The most amazing thing in the world to me is that I finished,” she said.

Nowadays, Kerson has to walk to finish

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the marathon, taking around eight hours instead of the five hours in her early days.

When asked for advice on when the best time to start running is, she shared, “Start when you are young. Time doesn’t matter, just do it. The older I get, the harder it gets.

It’s not easy.”

What is most remarkable about Kerson is that the LA Marathon is only one of the marathons that she participates in.

Running has taken her all over the world.

Kerson has completed 579 full marathons and is aiming to finish 600 before “retiring.” She has run six times in every state in this country and is working on her seventh time around, just 14 states shy to complete that goal.

Additionally, Kerson has run in 15 countries, all of the Canadian Provinces and Australia. She has competed on all seven continents and is only missing Africa and Antarctica for her second time around the continents. She doesn’t even count how many half marathons she has finished.

Kerson is currently planning a trip to El Salvador in June, a country she has never been to before. With all of her world adventures, one cannot help wondering what came first — the marathon or the travel?

“Definitely the marathon and then the travel,” Kerson said. “Running and traveling are great ways to see the world. It’s fun meeting people and traveling. It’s great.”

Kerson’s favorite marathon is in St. George, Utah. She has completed that marathon 17 times. What she loves most about that marathon is the downhill course and staying in the cute little town that hosts the event.

Her second favorite place to run a marathon is in Australia. She enjoys visiting Melbourne and Sydney, and it’s the first country she will go back to once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Sharon Kerson is a Culver City resident and 79-year-old grandmother who is part of an elite group of runners known as Legacy Runners who have participated in every single LA Marathon since its inception in 1986.

Photo by Chris Mortenson

“I love Australia. I have run in all territories and states,” Kerson said. “It’s a great experience. I have met people I am still in touch with.”

Antarctica was at the bottom of Kerson’s list and is the only place she has no desire to return to. In order to get to Antarctica, she had to endure a hazardous two-hour flight from Chile in February 2015, which is their summer.

“It was crazy,” Kerson said. “The weather conditions were bad, there was a blizzard, storms, and it was 33 degrees. It was an adventure. It took 11 hours to complete.”

Running has enriched Kerson’s life by enabling her to make friends all over the world and inspire youth. From 1989 to 2002, she trained students as part of a vol-

unteer group through LAUSD called Students Run Los Angeles (SRLA). Students helped each other and were brought together by a mutual goal of completing a marathon. The program inspires students to achieve academic success through this life-changing experience; if they can finish a marathon, they can graduate from high school.

“The world is a better place through sports,” Kerson said.

Kerson’s enthusiasm and dedication to her sport are motivational for everyone.

Her advice is: “80% is showing up and the other 20% is physical. When I run, a lot of people stop me and they say I am an inspiration. They tell me, ‘I hope I can run when I am your age.’”

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The 2021 Hoops for Troops squad.

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Lakers’ annual Hoops for Troops returns to Staples Center

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Staff Writer he annual Hoops for Troops program returned to the Staples Center court ahead of this year’s Veterans Day. The Los Angeles Lakers and Pechanga Resort Casino have been running the program for over seven years, honoring the service members of the U.S. military by inviting those stationed in Southern California to participate in a basketball skills clinic led by Lakers legends James Worthy, Robert Horry and Michael Cooper, as well as tickets to watch the Lakers’ home games on Nov. 8 and Nov. 10 live from Staples Center afterward.

“We want to be able to provide a night where military families can be able to get together and have a Lakers experience both on and off the court,” said Matt Makovec, director of community relations for the Lakers.

“It allows us to amplify all the support and really make a difference for these service members. Our main goal is to be able to honor them and thank them for their sacrifices.”

The one-hour clinics run in the early afternoon and offer the chance for 30 U.S. armed forces service members to receive tips on shooting, dribbling and other skills while enjoying a series of friendly competitions throughout each session.

In one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon, one service member went head to head with Horry, famously known as “Big Shot Rob,” in a knockout competition from the free throw line. The service member matched the seven-time NBA championship win-

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ner shot for shot until an attempt from Horry rattled the rim and the young man sealed a victory in front of an electric crowd of fellow troops.

“It feels amazing. I still can’t wrap my head around it. Playing against one of the Lakers’ greats is an honor,” he said after the win. “The Lakers are doing a great job giving back to the community and highlighting what the military does for our country and the world.”

The service members will be able to relax after an energetic, action-packed afternoon training session before joining their families to watch the Lakers take on the Hornets and the Heat in what will be an exciting week for all as another successful year of Hoops for Troops comes to an end.

This year’s program has come at an especially crucial time for both the Lakers organization and the U.S. service members after two long and arduous years of life during a pandemic, when the entire world saw a loss of face-to-face social interaction.

“Getting us all back together has been something that’s really exciting for us. To be able to have fans in our arena again and to be able to support the community that has been supporting us over the past two years has been important,” Makovec explained. “Being able to give back is something that we truly value.

We’re one big family, and we’re all in this together.”

To learn more about the work the Hoops for Troops program is doing for service members across the country, visit hoopsfortroops.nba.com or follow its accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

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ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN SHARE EXPERIENCES, 9 “That ethos to discover new talent and products, to be excited (and) to share those discoveries remains the same 16 years later.”

Los Angeles and ROW DTLA both play a significant role in Apodaca’s life as well as the life of her business, and stressing the importance of Los Angeles’ role in design, she said, “This is where wild ideas and beauty come from around the world to be fostered and filtered through the free-thinking visions of the makers here.

“There is nowhere else I would live and have a business and raise a child than Los Angeles.

We took our time landing at a space, (like ROW DTLA), that would help define our role as a global resource for the new in design.”

Apodaca said she has “always had an instinct and understanding of the possibilities and the demands that come with business ownership” and that flourishing as an entrepreneur has come as second nature to her.

For those looking to pursue an entrepreneurial dream or idea, Apodaca said, “I’ve mentored many strangers and friends over the decades, and to anyone interested in starting their own business, I advise: Do the research.

“Dream with a heavy dose of honoring reality. Don’t go into it if you’re not willing to get up earlier than anyone else or go to bed later than everyone else. Being an entrepreneur — regardless of sex or gender orientation — is relentless — relentless demands, a relentless need to be nimble, and, yes, relentlessly fulfilling.”

Apodaca is currently focused on a balance between running A+R, writing and creative directing her fourth fashion book, consulting, and raising her 11-year-old daughter.

Juliana Rudell Di Simone, American director for tokyobike, an independent Japanese bicycle company, said her connection with tokyobike and the founder, Ichiro Kanai, of the Tokyo-based company happened by chance.

When Di Simone and her husband, Dean Di Simone, met Kanai in 2013, they were fans of the brand, and a mutual respect and admiration between Kanai and the couple formed.

“It was a good synergy between what (Dean and I) had going on in our lives at the time and being able to launch tokyobike in the U.S. to help them expand and build a brand over here. We were really excited about it,” she said.

Tokyobike launched in the U.S. market in 2014, and Di Simone and Dean opened their first store in the Lower East Side of New York City.

It wouldn’t be long before Di Simone had a pop-up in ROW DTLA in 2016 and moved permanently to a storefront in Downtown Los Angeles in 2017.

“I really love, support and trust what (tokyobike) founded,” she said. “The whole concept of the brand really speaks to me, which is the idea of how you connect with your surroundings and how you perceive things around you in a different way, and a bicycle being the perfect vehicle for that.”

The concept Di Simone is referring to is to-

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kyobike’s philosophy, which the brand was founded on, called “Tokyo Slow.” The concept shifts perspective when viewing a bike from a mode of transportation to a vehicle for contemplation.

“If you’re walking, you can only cover so much distance, and if you’re in a car, you’re moving too fast. A bike is the perfect vehicle where your body is connected to this object and moving the object and everything becomes a lot more prominent around you,” she said.

Di Simone said that since tokyobike did not have a presence in the United States at all, it gave her a chance to “grow and establish the company as more than just a bicycle company and into more of a lifestyle brand that’s centered around design.”

The challenge, Di Simone explained, has been centered around education and changing American perspectives on bikes. “In Japan, a bicycle is an extension of who you are,” she said.

Though tokyobike has grown in popularity in the United States, especially during its time in New York, Di Simone said, “Downtown LA speaks to the brand a little more. We’re not a beach cruiser, and we’re connected to a more creative crowd.

“Downtown has an interesting overlap of different creatives in a variety of industries, and in ROW DTLA it’s all about the community. …

For us, we are thinking about the community that we’re building but also the one we’re a

part of as a brand (ROW DTLA).”

Di Simone’s background in business, whether it be marketing or experience as an entrepreneur, gives her an idea of what she wants to create through her ventures. In any industry that she goes into, she explained, she is trying to create an inclusive space for anyone who would like to be a part of that community or brand.

“I think that the beauty of entrepreneur women, women who start things, is that they are able to bring more inclusivity into the things we do, and I think that comes from our own personal experiences,” she said.

About Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, Di Simone said, “I think that it’s important for women to be in these positions for representation and for women who come in the future to see that they’re represented and they can do it.

“It’s exciting to see all the female-founded companies that are seeing success and launching their businesses, be it a big or small business.”

Di Simone plans on working with the tokyobike team and continuing to watch the brand grow while pursuing another business venture. “(Entrepreneurship and) taking an idea to the world and trying to get customers to connect with it is hard, but don’t give up,” Di Simone said. “I think that it’s wonderful that we’re seeing more and more entrepreneurial women, because it allows other women to know that if they have an idea, it’s possible. Don’t give up.”

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