In recent years, Heidi has been given the opportunity to speak and write on the topics of leadership, arts, and entrepreneurship. She regularly contributes to podcasts, panels, mentoring programs, creative conferences and holds an advisory board seat that helps shape arts and entrepreneurship curriculum at Da Vinci Schools in Los Angeles, CA. Heidi also contributes to the curriculum of the Women in Leadership program at The University of Riverside, California.
Heidi’s philosophy: one only has so much time on this planet, and, given that we never know how much of it we have, our time should be used as precisely and as wisely as we can. I choose to expend my limited time on important things, in amazing places and with extraordinary people that make the world a better, more creative, and extra joyous place to be.
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Heidi launched an innovative collection of basics with interchangeable trims for young girls a simple collection that gave tweens and young adults the opportunity to interchange the trim on their neckline, hoodie, or even track pants. Heidi called the collection EveryWear Clothing. She attained a business license, opened a bank account, and designed her own website and marketing materials. Heidi sold EveryWear Clothing at swap meets and any place that would allow her to set up a booth. Meanwhile, she fantasized about a better way to showcase and sell her product.
She left retail to spend more time on her new clothing line, kept her showroom job, and started two additional jobs as a cocktail server and a maid to make ends meet. She also started on her degree in Merchandise Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).
Project Ethos grew to a much larger scale than anticipated, with more than 2,500 attendees, celebrity guests, and participants like Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammar, and OneRepublic. Heidi helped countless designers, artists and musicians achieve their personal career goals, brand themselves, and take the next step. She laid her line to rest while working on Project Ethos as she felt she had found her true calling; helping artists and growing a platform for them to shine.
After the economic downturn in 2008, Heidi found herself with more time on her hands after being laid-off (with hundreds of others) at her corporate radio job. She decided to finally recalibrate her dream of giving artists a space to be seen, heard, and loved. She dusted off some old plans she’d drawn up for a worldwide arts platform she thought to call RAW:natural born artists and in March 2009, the first RAW showcase was held on a swanky restaurant pool deck in downtown Los Angeles.
Within it’s first year, RAW expanded to host showcases in Orange County, Santa Monica, Long Beach, San Francisco & San Diego.
RAW had showcase event platforms in 20 locations across the United States providing opportunity for independent film, fashion, music, visual art, performing art, hair & makeup artists, accessories, and photography to show and sell their work and wares on a monthly basis.
Heidi took the RAW mission to the next level developing a subsidiary of RAW Artists called FOUND Agency. FOUND Agency connects RAW artists with corporate clients in need of creative projects. FOUND has completed murals, photoshoots, custom works, and competitions for hotels, retail stores, and even national sports teams.
RAW turned 10 years old, and in celebration of the milestone, Heidi self-published her first book, The Work of Art: A No-Nonsense Field Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs. The Work of Art became an Amazon bestseller and a #1 Hottest New Release in the Business of Art category for over a month after its release. Reader feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with more than a few reviews citing the book a “creative bible” and “required reading”. The book was chosen by a handful of creative colleges to be read as a part of the art business class curriculum. The Work of Art was also endorsed by LA Weekly’s Art Editor, Shana Nys Dambrot, and Fashion Designer, Rebecca Minkoff.
Heidi launched an innovative collection of basics with interchangeable trims for young girls a simple collection that gave tweens and young adults the opportunity to interchange the trim on their neckline, hoodie, or even track pants. Heidi called the collection EveryWear Clothing. She attained a business license, opened a bank account, and designed her own website and marketing materials. Heidi sold EveryWear Clothing at swap meets and any place that would allow her to set up a booth. Meanwhile, she fantasized about a better way to showcase and sell her product.
She left retail to spend more time on her new clothing line, kept her showroom job, and started two additional jobs as a cocktail server and a maid to make ends meet. She also started on her degree in Merchandise Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).
SPRING: At age 18, Heidi produced her first fashion show as one part of her self-selected Highschool Senior project. She designed 18 formal dresses to be auctioned off for the American Cancer Society. Her Senior Project won an award and a small grant.
FALL: That Fall, three months following high school graduation Heidi moved from her small hometown in Redding, CA to Long Beach, CA where she lived in a garage. She ate chili beans and rice cakes to sustain herself in the first few months.
Heidi gets a job at a men’s retail suit shop and is named one of the youngest managers in the company. She also started an internship at a fashion showroom in downtown Los Angeles that later led to a part-time job. Heidi helped sell independent designer collections and large national brands to retailers across the country where her boss told her to lie about her age (it was unheard of for a 19 year old to hold this position).
After feeling quite lost and defeated attempting to sell her clothing line in the wrong places to the wrong demographic, and talking to a handful of creative friends that had a similar sentiment, Heidi decided that she would create her own showcase for fashion, music, and art to be seen and heard. In the Summer of 2005, Project Ethos (which was meant to be a single show) opened its doors to 750 attendees at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The show consisted of a pop-up art gallery, fashion shows, and live music from local Angeleos. Heidi showcased EveryWear Clothing as well as directing the show from start to finish.
After three years of perfecting the platform, Heidi moved into the corporate space and started her own production company, Heidi Luerra Productions. Project Ethos ran for six additional years under the leadership of her former partner.
HLP grew and was known for unique and innovative creative experiences. Heidi shut down a street off Melrose Ave. to host a fashion show, hosted a 100% eco-friendly-run battle of the DJs, coordinated talent at the official Grammy after-party, coordinated an Art & Design walk for a high-end West Hollywood neighborhood among countless other private and public events. She did all of the above while working her corporate job at a radio station.
While doing this work for clients was a whole lot of fun she sorely missed working with artists and the independent community.
Heidi and her executive team drove over 2,000 across the United States over 3.5 weeks to complete finishing touches with new RAW showcase directors in 17 cities.
RAW Australia, spearheaded by Kristen Whelow, a childhood friend of Heidi’s opened its doors. RAW Canada and the United Kingdom followed suit in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Heidi also created RAWards, an annual awards show highlighting RAW artists from 2009-2014, and awarding them with career-building opportunities like meetings with record labels, gallery and boutique placement and cash grants. RAWards was produced at some of the most iconic venues in Los Angeles, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
RAWketeers, a project in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, that paired professional RAW artists with a younger generation of creatives in order to teach them new skills such as dance, guitar, painting or photography ran from 2010-2014 as well. The kids performed and showcased what they learned each year at the RAWards Show. As RAW continued to grow and reach the 50 city showcase milestone in 2013 the team moved into an office in downtown LA in 2013 with 10 new employees.
In 2017 RAW launched The RAW Film Festival a brainchild of RAW Videographer and artist Nick Night. The Film Festival occurred for two years in a row before taking a break in 2019. As RAW's Founder & CEO, Heidi led and grew a team of 65 employees from RAW's headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Together they worked full-time to ensure that RAW fulfilled its mission by providing tools, resources, education, and exposure to independent artists.
The RAW artist community grew daily.Because of RAW, independent filmmakers, designers, musicians, visual artists, and performing artists were seen and heard. The community grew to over 200,000 artists showcased, with events in over 70 cities around the globe.
On March 12, 2020 (RAW’s 11th birthday to be exact), the global pandemic brought a screeching halt to all showcases and operations at RAW. RAW spearheaded a mask-making effort, provided live streams on finances, mental health, and wellness, and provided giveaways to the RAW community during the lockdown.
While uncertain of their future as a company in general, the team banned together to host in June 2020 to host The National Arts Drive, a fundraiser and socially distanced community event. The National Arts Drive was an offline experience open to any artist across the United States, Canada, and Mexico that encouraged the community to drive their local neighborhoods and engage as well as donate to artists and creatives in their neighborhood. Artists popped up their art and or performances in front yards, ally ways, and balconies across the U.S.
Inspired by helping with the tremendous loss of income and opportunities for independent artists almost overnight, RAW built the interactive map, engaged press, and media, and partners across North America with their last remaining resources.
After a few months of emotional and physical rest, Heidi launched Hatch Planning & Strategy with her newfound spare time. As a boutique consultancy that helps creative entrepreneurs plan and strategize their business plans for launch and profitability, Heidi has been able to assist many creative entrepreneurs in pivoting to a new career or starting a new business.
After almost a year shuttered, on the heels of the vaccine news, on December 1, 2020, RAW announced that it would survive the pandemic and return to market in 2021, albeit in a much different capacity.
Heidi focuses her efforts on both RAW Artists and Hatch Planning & Strategy, as well as her growing family from her home office in Southern California wine country.
She has also begun investing in small businesses that interest her in the realms of wine, arts, events, entrepreneurship, and technology.
SPRING: At age 18, Heidi produced her first fashion show as one part of her self-selected Highschool Senior project. She designed 18 formal dresses to be auctioned off for the American Cancer Society. Her Senior Project won an award and a small grant.
FALL: That Fall, three months following high school graduation Heidi moved from her small hometown in Redding, CA to Long Beach, CA where she lived in a garage. She ate chili beans and rice cakes to sustain herself in the first few months.
Heidi gets a job at a men’s retail suit shop and is named one of the youngest managers in the company. She also started an internship at a fashion showroom in downtown Los Angeles that later led to a part-time job. Heidi helped sell independent designer collections and large national brands to retailers across the country where her boss told her to lie about her age (it was unheard of for a 19 year old to hold this position).
Heidi launched an innovative collection of basics with interchangeable trims for young girls a simple collection that gave tweens and young adults the opportunity to interchange the trim on their neckline, hoodie, or even track pants. Heidi called the collection EveryWear Clothing. She attained a business license, opened a bank account, and designed her own website and marketing materials. Heidi sold EveryWear Clothing at swap meets and any place that would allow her to set up a booth. Meanwhile, she fantasized about a better way to showcase and sell her product.
She left retail to spend more time on her new clothing line, kept her showroom job, and started two additional jobs as a cocktail server and a maid to make ends meet. She also started on her degree in Merchandise Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).
After feeling quite lost and defeated attempting to sell her clothing line in the wrong places to the wrong demographic, and talking to a handful of creative friends that had a similar sentiment, Heidi decided that she would create her own showcase for fashion, music, and art to be seen and heard. In the Summer of 2005, Project Ethos (which was meant to be a single show) opened its doors to 750 attendees at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The show consisted of a pop-up art gallery, fashion shows, and live music from local Angeleos. Heidi showcased EveryWear Clothing as well as directing the show from start to finish.
Project Ethos grew to a much larger scale than anticipated, with more than 2,500 attendees, celebrity guests, and participants like Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammar, and OneRepublic. Heidi helped countless designers, artists and musicians achieve their personal career goals, brand themselves, and take the next step. She laid her line to rest while working on Project Ethos as she felt she had found her true calling; helping artists and growing a platform for them to shine.
After three years of perfecting the platform, Heidi moved into the corporate space and started her own production company, Heidi Luerra Productions. Project Ethos ran for six additional years under the leadership of her former partner.
HLP grew and was known for unique and innovative creative experiences. Heidi shut down a street off Melrose Ave. to host a fashion show, hosted a 100% eco-friendly-run battle of the DJs, coordinated talent at the official Grammy after-party, coordinated an Art & Design walk for a high-end West Hollywood neighborhood among countless other private and public events. She did all of the above while working her corporate job at a radio station.
While doing this work for clients was a whole lot of fun she sorely missed working with artists and the independent community.
After the economic downturn in 2008, Heidi found herself with more time on her hands after being laid-off (with hundreds of others) at her corporate radio job. She decided to finally recalibrate her dream of giving artists a space to be seen, heard, and loved. She dusted off some old plans she’d drawn up for a worldwide arts platform she thought to call RAW:natural born artists and in March 2009, the first RAW showcase was held on a swanky restaurant pool deck in downtown Los Angeles.
Within it’s first year, RAW expanded to host showcases in Orange County, Santa Monica, Long Beach, San Francisco & San Diego.
Heidi and her executive team drove over 2,000 across the United States over 3.5 weeks to complete finishing touches with new RAW showcase directors in 17 cities.
RAW had showcase event platforms in 20 locations across the United States providing opportunity for independent film, fashion, music, visual art, performing art, hair & makeup artists, accessories, and photography to show and sell their work and wares on a monthly basis.
RAW Australia, spearheaded by Kristen Whelow, a childhood friend of Heidi’s opened its doors. RAW Canada and the United Kingdom followed suit in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Heidi also created RAWards, an annual awards show highlighting RAW artists from 2009-2014, and awarding them with career-building opportunities like meetings with record labels, gallery and boutique placement and cash grants. RAWards was produced at some of the most iconic venues in Los Angeles, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
RAWketeers, a project in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, that paired professional RAW artists with a younger generation of creatives in order to teach them new skills such as dance, guitar, painting or photography ran from 2010-2014 as well. The kids performed and showcased what they learned each year at the RAWards Show. As RAW continued to grow and reach the 50 city showcase milestone in 2013 the team moved into an office in downtown LA in 2013 with 10 new employees.
Heidi took the RAW mission to the next level developing a subsidiary of RAW Artists called FOUND Agency. FOUND Agency connects RAW artists with corporate clients in need of creative projects. FOUND has completed murals, photoshoots, custom works, and competitions for hotels, retail stores, and even national sports teams.
In 2017 RAW launched The RAW Film Festival a brainchild of RAW Videographer and artist Nick Night. The Film Festival occurred for two years in a row before taking a break in 2019. As RAW's Founder & CEO, Heidi led and grew a team of 65 employees from RAW's headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Together they worked full-time to ensure that RAW fulfilled its mission by providing tools, resources, education, and exposure to independent artists.
The RAW artist community grew daily.Because of RAW, independent filmmakers, designers, musicians, visual artists, and performing artists were seen and heard. The community grew to over 200,000 artists showcased, with events in over 70 cities around the globe.
RAW turned 10 years old, and in celebration of the milestone, Heidi self-published her first book, The Work of Art: A No-Nonsense Field Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs. The Work of Art became an Amazon bestseller and a #1 Hottest New Release in the Business of Art category for over a month after its release. Reader feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with more than a few reviews citing the book a “creative bible” and “required reading”. The book was chosen by a handful of creative colleges to be read as a part of the art business class curriculum. The Work of Art was also endorsed by LA Weekly’s Art Editor, Shana Nys Dambrot, and Fashion Designer, Rebecca Minkoff.
On March 12, 2020 (RAW’s 11th birthday to be exact), the global pandemic brought a screeching halt to all showcases and operations at RAW. RAW spearheaded a mask-making effort, provided live streams on finances, mental health, and wellness, and provided giveaways to the RAW community during the lockdown.
While uncertain of their future as a company in general, the team banned together to host in June 2020 to host The National Arts Drive, a fundraiser and socially distanced community event. The National Arts Drive was an offline experience open to any artist across the United States, Canada, and Mexico that encouraged the community to drive their local neighborhoods and engage as well as donate to artists and creatives in their neighborhood. Artists popped up their art and or performances in front yards, ally ways, and balconies across the U.S.
Inspired by helping with the tremendous loss of income and opportunities for independent artists almost overnight, RAW built the interactive map, engaged press, and media, and partners across North America with their last remaining resources.
After a few months of emotional and physical rest, Heidi launched Hatch Planning & Strategy with her newfound spare time. As a boutique consultancy that helps creative entrepreneurs plan and strategize their business plans for launch and profitability, Heidi has been able to assist many creative entrepreneurs in pivoting to a new career or starting a new business.
After almost a year shuttered, on the heels of the vaccine news, on December 1, 2020, RAW announced that it would survive the pandemic and return to market in 2021, albeit in a much different capacity.
Heidi launched an innovative collection of basics with interchangeable trims for young girls a simple collection that gave tweens and young adults the opportunity to interchange the trim on their neckline, hoodie, or even track pants. Heidi called the collection EveryWear Clothing. She attained a business license, opened a bank account, and designed her own website and marketing materials. Heidi sold EveryWear Clothing at swap meets and any place that would allow her to set up a booth. Meanwhile, she fantasized about a better way to showcase and sell her product.
She left retail to spend more time on her new clothing line, kept her showroom job, and started two additional jobs as a cocktail server and a maid to make ends meet. She also started on her degree in Merchandise Product Development at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).
Heidi focuses her efforts on both RAW Artists and Hatch Planning & Strategy, as well as her growing family from her home office in Southern California wine country.
She has also begun investing in small businesses that interest her in the realms of wine, arts, events, entrepreneurship, and technology.
