Kate Mazzuca, Bespoke Bohéme’s Founder, Creative Director and Executive Producer, has an extensive background in Experiential Marketing, Creative Direction and Event Production, spanning two decades working with some of the world’s most innovative leading brands and tastemakers.
After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Kate landed in Los Angeles as a lead Buyer and Merchandiser for the iconic fashion designer Anna Sui. After transitioning to entertainment with The Ellen DeGeneres Show and various MTV titles, Kate segued into experiential event production and environmental design with various brands including Target, Bacardi and, ultimately,Variety Magazine.
During her 10+ years with Variety, Kate launched and served as the Executive Producer of some of Hollywood’s most exclusive and sought-after events, including the philanthropic Power of Women, Young Hollywood and Comedy franchises, The Breakthrough Awards and televised specials including the Young Hollywood Awards (CW) and Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (PBS), for which she won an Emmy®. As the Executive Producer of all of the iconic brand's live and televised events, she created and managed all physical design and production elements for 70+ live Events and Summits per year, additionally including Variety’s 10 to Watch and Studio activations at all major film festivals around the world and the renowned Academy Screening Series.
Kate’s role as the head of Variety’s Marketing Department included oversight of the magazine's marketing, brand and event initiatives, including experiential strategy, creative direction, branded print and digital content creation, PR and partner integrations.
Having produced high-end experiential campaigns and events around the globe, Kate has had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with with some of the world’s most notable brands including Warner Media, NBC/Universal, Paramount, HBO/Max, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Tiffany, Levi’s, General Mills, Samsung, Mattel, Electronic Arts, Nickelodeon, Stella Artois, Red Bull, British Airways, Estée Lauder and L'Oréal, as well as leading international non-profit organizations including St. Jude, American Heart Association, Save the Children, PETA, Feeding America, Stand Up 2 Cancer and The Art of Elysium.
Kate is a founding member of woman., a consulting agency collective focused on equity, safety and inclusion within entertainment, festivals and nightlife, and served as a founding Advisory Member for the Alliance of Children’s Rights’ auxiliary group, The Alliance of Moms. She is passionate about women’s, animal and children’s issues, and lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband, Ari, their 11-year old son and four very spoiled, furry babies who look a lot like Muppets. When she’s not designing events, she’s focusing her eye and passion on interior design and she adores travel and live music. Her favorite color is emerald green.
Serving as Bespoke Bohéme’s internal Lighting Designer and Production Director, in conjunction with his own lighting design and rental company, Shine On Lighting Co., Ari Schwartzman brings with him an extensive background in Live Event, Television, Commercial and Film Production, spanning over two decades working with some of the industry’s best and brightest creators.
After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder (where he met his future-wife and collaborator, Kate), he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Capital-H “Hollywood.” A few minor acting roles followed- including a notable stint as a pirate on the Black Pearl in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise- but Ari soon found his niche behind the camera and below-the-line.
With a deep and varied background as a set Gaffer, Best Boy and Lighting Tech, Ari oversees all lighting design, site and set lighting, technical installations, crews and gear and has an innate and immediate understanding of not only what will work, but what will look incredible, for any given project.
His live event, television, film and commercial backgrounds have presented Ari with the unique opportunity of working with and creating content for some of the world’s leading brands including Warner Bros., Paramount, HBO/Max, Netflix, Mattel, Electronic Arts, Variety, Nike, NBC/Universal, McDonalds, Progressive, Chipotle, Bud Light and Target, as well as working alongside some of the entertainment industry’s best teams on projects including C.S.I (where he spent eight years), All American, Nip/Tuck, Easy A, Tenacious D, Rush Hour, Glee, Teen Wolf, Drunk History, Lucifer and The Voice, among others.
With a keen eye for detail and having previously worked as a production manager and refinisher in various interior design showrooms around Los Angeles, his passion for interior and set design has recently led to a honed focus on original fabrication and building custom, bespoke pieces for everyday use. Ari is a long-standing member of CA Local 728; He loves coaching Little League baseball, his vinyl collection and the great outdoors. His favorite color is navy blue.
Originally from Oakland, California, Ashley Ahwah moved to Los Angeles after graduating from The University of California, Berkeley, where she met Kate, got her feet wet as an event assistant for Variety, and fell in love with event production.
From there, Ashley spent the next three-plus years as an Event Coordinator for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where she worked alongside an incredible all-female team that produced over 60 live events throughout the year, including both large- and small-scale screenings, galas, receptions, conferences and awards and graduation ceremonies.
When Bespoke Bohéme expanded the internal team and offered Ashley a full-time position in 2018, she jumped at the chance to work with and continue to learn from her longtime friend and mentor, Kate. In 2022, Ashley expanded her role as an Event Producer and now oversees all day-to-day operations for Bespoke Bohéme. She relishes in the myriad opportunities for creative problem solving as new challenges arise, and is well-versed in core production logistics, physical development and installations. Ashley oversees all production crews and physical build-outs for the Bespoke Bohéme team.
Though you will rarely find Ashley without her trusty notebook- always ready to write down all the ideas, plans and details for upcoming events- in her spare time, she is an avid movie-goer (her all-time favorite being the original The Lion King), who loves to travel and enjoys various culinary experiences… especially brunch and a solid Aperol Spritz! She adores all of her furry friends, most notably her adopted Yorkie baby, Frankie. Her favorite color is azure blue.
Sam found her creative roots amongst the sprawling nature of her native Sierra Foothills in Northern California, and moved to Los Angeles as a working actress in the early aughts.
Driven by an insatiable passion for artistic expression, she later attended Otis College, where she immersed herself in the world of visual arts and fashion design. Over the years, Sam has explored various mediums, venturing into textile art, stone sculpture, photography, web design and the intricate and delicate art of stained glass. Two decades on set has additionally informed her creative expression and process, most notably on the art of visual storytelling, which has become a cornerstone of her graphic design.
Sam joined the Bespoke team during the height of the Pandemic in 2020, after meeting Kate fortuitously- and remotely- through a Eastside LA mom's group. When she’s not designing, she spends her time in awe of the balance of light and color, enjoying life with her 9 year old daughter, dancing to live music, and dreaming up how to live in a yurt as a mushroom farmer. It’s impossible for Sam to choose a favorite color, but she prefers sophisticated earth tones with an occasional pop of something unexpected.
Jasmine Mangona was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, and after graduating from Woodbury University with a Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design, worked as an Interior Design Assistant at an architecture firm that specialized in healthcare and education facilities.
Looking to expand her knowledge of environmental design and event production, she discovered Bespoke Bohéme through a post-pandemic, late-night Instagram search and provides overarching administrative and event support to Kate and the Bespoke team. She loves all things Trader Joes and Pinterest, along with her two dogs, Milo and Cooper. Her favorite color is burgundy.
We understand what makes a good project great is a strong, cohesive team working toward common goals.
As the adage goes, “it’s who you know…” and we know everyone.
Our business thrives on connection and meaningful collaborations, and priding ourselves on bringing fresh, innovative ideas to the table and finding creative solutions together with our clients, we’ve surrounded ourselves with a team of the industry’s most talented collaborators- people who not only make us look good, but make our clients look great!
From award-winning content creation, production and custom fabrication to original music, performances, hand selected culinary experiences and over-the-top design elements, our co-op of talented collaborators means our clients have the industry’s best rolodex at their fingertips.