We were lucky to catch up with Richardson Chery recently and have shared our conversation below.

Richardson, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

To be successful takes a high level of discipline. My motto is “You become good at what you practice” I learned that belief some time ago from a great teacher of mine here in Los Angeles. As I look back on my life, majority of my friends that are a success story are because they chose a path and stuck with it! They got so good at their chosen path the rewards then started to kick in. No matter what lane you choose, just stick to it and eventually you will reap the benefits.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Richardson Chery is a Haitian-American actor, producer, and humanitarian, and a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, CA. He is a true example of the “Haiti to Hollywood” journey. He is the vice president of Project elev8 a Non-profit organization dedicated to elevate the standards of education here in the U.S and internationally. An independent film producer His producing project “Tifi” was awarded Best Short at the Haitian International Film Festival and was honored as an official selection at the Toronto Black Film Festival, among other accolades. His latest film “Konpa” premiered at Tribeca film festival June of 2023, with three more producing projects to follow. Richardson is a co-owner of Haitian Spotlight LLC an event company highlighting Haitian talents in Los Angeles. Richardson was born and raised in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti and resides in Los Angeles where he focuses on supporting his Los Angeles community through film, activities and social awareness. Richardson has an insatiable passion for filmmaking and acting, and in accordance with this he always brings his absolute best to every single project he works on.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business Partner Martine Harris and I met when I was hosting pumpkin soup at my apartment in Los Angles on the 1st of January a little over 5yrs ago. We started Haitian Spotlight because we both have always been very active in the local Haitian community here, and people often ask us individually when’s your next event? Due to the need and clearly this was something that was missing in our community, we decided to step up and take the lead. We then Partnered with Sean Williams and became a triumphant trio! Since uniting we have created some amazing events throughout Los Angeles not just for the Haitian community but for all communities. The amazing thing with Spotlight is that you will always have fun at our events and the people are always friendly and welcoming!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When we first started Haitian Spotlight we knew we needed to put our money where our mouths were. We collectively gathered our funds to set up the business from forming our LLC to securing locations for events and opening up our bank account. It wasn’t a matter of if we were going to provide a quality company or not, it was a matter of when! We quickly gathered all of our documentations and needed funds and went to work. I am happy to say after a few months into the 1st year of being in business, Spotlight is successfully maintaining itself. So the energy we poured into the company at the start is starting to pay off finally and we are thankful for all of our supporters.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.haitian-Spotlight.com
• Instagram: Haitianspotlight.la
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaitianSpotlight?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/haitian-spotlight
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@HaitianSpotlight?si=HSplhr5c8lA6b7aH