THREE EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, A RENOWN BRANDING AGENCY, TWO START-UPS, AND A PUBLICATION. BEHIND IT, YO SANTOSA: CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ENTREPRENEUR, AND DREAMER.

BORN IN INDONESIA, RAISED IN SINGAPORE, SHE EMIGRATED TO THE U.S. AT 17. AT 21, YO GRADUATED FROM ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN AND CREATED TITLE SEQUENCES FOR ZACK SNYDER’S 300 AND ABC’S DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

IN 2006, FROM HER LOFT SHE STARTED HER BRANDING AGENCY, FERROCONCRETE. YO BELIEVES, ”PEOPLE DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH BUSINESSES, THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH PERSONALITIES”. WITH A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE IN BRANDING, HER FIRST CLIENT PINKBERRY, GREW FROM 1 STORE TO A GLOBAL BRAND WITH OVER 200 STORES WORLDWIDE.

IN MARCH 2021, SHE JOINED FIVEROCK.CO AS CO-CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER. FIVEROCK BUY AND INVEST IN BRANDS TO TAKE THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO HELP FOUNDERS GET THE BEST VALUATION FOR THEIR NEXT BIG EXIT.

AS A DOWNTOWN LA EARLY ADOPTER, SHE IS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE FASTEST GROWING METROPOLIS IN THE U.S. IN 2014, YO CREATED LA DOWNTOWNER, A PRINT PUBLICATION THAT REVEALS AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF DOWNTOWN LA’S CULTURE, FOOD, DRINKS, FASHION AND THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPE IT.

SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE CREATIVE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY OF LA AND THE MAYOR’S OFFICE: LA OPTIMIZED WHICH AIMS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.

WITH HER IPHONE AS HER BEST FRIEND AND STEVE JOBS AS HER HERO, SHE BELIEVES IT’S FATE THEY SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY. INSPIRED BY TIMELESS GERMAN DESIGN, MINIMALIST JAPANESE STYLE, DIETER RAMS, AND A GOOD CHICKEN WING, SHE CAN BE FOUND WANDERING DOWNTOWN LA (SHE KEEPS A 2 MILE RADIUS FROM HER APARTMENT). SAY HELLO.