Her heart belongs to Larchmont; the Ebell energizes her
LISHA YAKUB SEVANIAN
Lisha Yakub Sevanian, an Independent film producer and married mother of two young children, fell in love with the Larchmont area in 2003 while an undergraduate at USC. She found herself escaping her dramatic arts and economics studies by hanging out on Larchmont Boulevard. She appreciated its down-to-earth vibe and observed that Larchmont feels like a hands-on neighborhood where residents get involved in the community. Sevanian thought, “Wow! I could live here!” It would take 18 years for her wish to be realized.
In the 1970s Sevanian’s parents emigrated from Guyana to Manhattan, where Sevanian was born. She was still a child when her family moved to Southern California, first to the San Fernando Valley then Santa Clarita. “I had a very L.A. story,” she said. “A casting director came into my kindergarten and plucked me out to star in a Colgate commercial.” Sevanian’s love of performance developed during the year her family spent in Jamaica when she was 12. Her mother was doing economic research in Kingston. She recalled, “There I had an opportunity to be a part of a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production, and that sparked a passion that carried into my career.”
Jamaica also influenced Sevanian’s worldview. “I saw a different way people could live and society could run,” Sevanian reflected. “There were really, really poor people and really, really rich people. But there was a common appreciation for everyone. Also there was less hustle and bustle. It wasn’t weird to take a day off to go to the beach. It gives you perspective.”
After she graduated college, Sevenian and USC boyfriend, Andrew Sevanian, both earned law degrees at Hofstra University in New York, where she was president of the International Law Society and worked with a nonprofit giving free legal advice. She and her husband returned to California and settled in Santa Clarita. Still enamored by performance and production, Sevanian decided to forgo law and founded Calgrove Media, which specializes in family entertainment. Her company has produced over eight films, including the recently released “Spark,” which was featured in a New York Times article (Elisabeth Vincentelli, “Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now,” May 9, 2025).
In Santa Clarita, Sevanian joined Raising the Curtain Foundation in their effort to restore a historic 1940s theatre. She is also a founding member of Arts for Santa Clarita and a member of Arts for Los Angeles which works with city officials to produce funding for the arts.
For the couple’s 2015 wedding, she toured the Ebell of Los Angeles as a possible wedding venue. She remembered, “I was fascinated by the idea of being around a women’s organization that lasted for so many years. I felt like a part of history.”
Although she chose a different wedding location, she began to attend Ebell events from then home in Santa Clarita. “I didn’t have kids; I was an entrepreneur and my schedule was very flexible. I wanted to do things where I’d meet interesting people.” Ebell President of 2016-18 Loyce Braun handed her an application, “And I signed up right there!”
Sevanian transitioned from attending programs to volunteering on them. Over the years she joined the publications, programming, and film committees, and also worked on the cookbook published by the Ebell. Lisha even got her mother, Fazie Yakub, involved. Yakub now serves on the Ebell board.
“Every time I walk into the Ebell I immediately feel like anything is possible,” Sevanian stated. “It gives you a boost of energy!” As a member of the Producers Guild’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Group and their Women’s Group, she is working to forge a relationship between women filmmakers and the Ebell. She is also making a documentary about the archival research being undertaken by the first scholar-in-residence of the Ebell Women’s Institute, Meredith Drake Reitan, who is identifying archival aritfacts that hightlight the Ebell’s impact on the history of Los Angeles. Additionally, she serves on the Ebell programming committee and its film program subcommittee, where she plans film series.
In 2021, her husband joined a law firm in Century City. This was the time to fulfill Lisha Yakub Sevanian’s Larchmont dream. They moved a short walk from Larchmont Boulevard, where she and her family now enjoy Village Pizzeria, Holy Grail donuts and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. 5-year-old Sophia just graduated from Page Academy Preschool and will attend Larchmont Charter in the fall. Sevanian has already joined their fundraising committee to increase their swag sales and says, “ I have experience running an on-line store because I did it for my company.” Baby Ella is 8 months old.
“I love solving problems, so if something comes up and I think I can be helpful, or if I see a solution, then I get involved,” said Sevanian. “I love finding ways to bring people together and build community.”
Category: People
