Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sitora. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sitora , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I started Oncata because I wanted to represent so many beautiful humans I knew personally that were never seen in the media before. I wanted to break the mold of visual representation of us (models, actors etc ). When AI made an appearance my mission became even more crystal clear. We need to preserve our humanity through art, in person interactions and collaborations while remaining authentic to our unique personalities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my career in the entertainment industry at the age of 15 as a Television host in Uzbekistan where I am originally from. I never imagined doing anything else so I continued with television and film when I moved to the US in 2004. I had to become a fluent English speaker, understand the culture and figure out how to make it work here. Over the last 20 years I produced national high budget commercials, made stories for PBS thad brought me a regional Emmy, build a successful casting and production support company and made 8 short films that I showed in the film festivals across the world. My globe trekking was mostly non tourist experiences where I stayed with people and explored countries through locals.

In 2018 with many accolades and financial success I still felt that my life is lacking a mission and I had something in my heart to follow. I loved people I met all across the world and realized how similar we all are and how amazing people can be. My mission with Oncata is to show the world just that and connect people from all walks of life in person over work, dinners, fires and more. At this time, it seems that is more crucial mission than ever. I want to see people connect in person, share knowledge, hear each others POV and continue our growth as human beings on the collective level. Our story is being written and the vision we have for our collective future will shape it.

While building Oncata in the last 5 years I also had 3 more kids. Carrying babies for 9 months, nursing them for over a year each and now chasing toddlers is not an easy task while trying to build a legacy in my career. Some days I felt like giving up, I felt that I couldn’t do it all. I broke down in tears because many times I felt that I’ll have to fail Oncata. But instead of giving up and breaking down, I build resilience. I build strength and stamina to do work I am supposed to do with my company. I am immensely grateful for motherhood x 4 for making me who I am right now.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I started my journey on building Oncata I read a lot of books on how to build a platform and lead people. I read Steve Job’s biography and the most valuable book suggestion was from him. The book called Zen Mind Beginners Mind. Having no preconceived ideas, thoughts and expectations when I am stepping in a new situation in life, business and more. It changed my life. I learned how to listen and be present. He was able to share this book and others through his bio as a guide to many.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think any healthy business should pivot, grow and evolve. The stagnation of growth is what brings down even the oldest companies. It’s about responding to the times, moving with them and people. I’ve shaped Oncata from a casting platform to an in person collaboration platform over the years and feel this will be our direction for a while now and bring a lot of benefits to our community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oncata.,com
• Instagram: @sitorat
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sitoratakanaev

Image Credits

Main photo Mukasha D @mukashaphotography
Family photo Adam Ryan Morris
@adamryanmorris