Our People
Kyle Okura
Guest of Honor
Jon met Kyle in 2010, in high school, at the right moment. Born on the same day, the same year, their connection moved quickly beyond friendship into brotherhood. When they went to college together, that bond only deepened. Kyle gave Jon one of his first true senses of belonging, a place to land, to be included, & feel chosen. From high school into college, Kyle was a leader, confidant, & guide. He showed Jon what it meant to show up, looking out for him, including him, & sharing space celebration, & opportunity. He introduced Jon to formative experiences, guided him thru dance culture & festivals, & opened a world that would go on to shape his life. One of the most meaningful parts of their bond was the way Kyle made sure Jon was never alone, especially on their shared birthday. Year after year, he opened his celebrations, his friends, & his joy, ensuring that day was never empty. Kyle met Bri in 2014 & treated her with the same care & respect he gave Jon. From EDC onward, he made sure she felt included, protected, & safe, welcoming her into the same sense of community & belonging. As life evolved, their paths shifted, but the impact never faded. Kyle remains one of the most influential people in Jon’s story, a first brother, a first home, & a reminder of how powerful it is to be truly welcomed. Some people change the direction of your life simply by letting you belong. Kyle will always be one of the first waves that carried Jon into the life that became La Ola de Amor.
Llanely Ramires
Guest of Honor
Llanely entered Jon’s life in 2012, during his early college years, & quickly became one of the most important people of that chapter. What began as shared classes & experiences grew into something deeper, a true sounding board, confidant, & chosen sister. Through college, they were there for each other in the ways that matter most, sharing life updates, relationships, doubts, drama, & dreams. Llanely had a rare balance of honesty & care, offering the truth even when it was hard to hear, while providing grounding, support, & perspective. She taught Jon trust, self-awareness, & what it feels like to be emotionally safe with another person. When life felt overwhelming, she was the friend Jon leaned on most, helping keep him steady & grounded. Though she didn’t know Bri personally in those early years, she knew her through stories & conversations, & helped Jon navigate challenges with care & intention, shaping how he showed up within that relationship. After graduation, the friendship never disappeared. Brianna met Llanely in June 2021 in LA, alongside Freddy, during a night that felt easy & warm. Reconnecting at their wedding in 2024 became a full-circle moment, reflecting the quiet, lasting impact of a bond that had already shaped so much. Llanely remains a foundational part of Jon’s story. Some friendships don’t need constant proximity to endure, they simply return, full-circle, carrying the same warmth they always held.
Martín Sanchez
Guest of Honor
Martin entered Jon’s life in 2013, during his first EDC, through one of those chance moments that quietly shape everything that follows. A late-night conversation in Vegas turned into an instant connection, the kind you recognize right away. What began as a spontaneous hang became a shared path, & from that weekend on, their lives stayed linked. That early stretch set the tone for the years ahead. Moving through something new together felt natural & aligned. Long before “wavelength” became a phrase people casually used, it was something they felt & lived. That’s where “wave bros” came from, not as a joke, but as a truth. Brianna met Martin in early 2014, and from the start, the connection felt easy and genuine. As their worlds merged, so did the friendships around them. By Brianna’s first EDC later that year, time together stopped feeling introductory and simply became shared life. Across every season, Martin has been a constant presence, a mirror when honesty mattered, a hype man when confidence wavered, and a grounding force when things felt chaotic. In subtle but lasting ways, he showed the importance of patience, calm, curiosity, and enjoying what’s being built instead of rushing past it. He treats Brianna with warmth, respect, & real sibling energy, laughing with her, protecting her, and showing up in ways that feel effortless and sincere. For over a decade, Martin has been a steady wave in our lives, one that helped shape our rhythm and guide us into La Ola de Amor.
Aliyah Sanchez
Guest of Honor
Jon first met Aliyah in high school, and through Martín, she later entered our lives, quickly became her own presence, steady, warm, & deeply grounding. We began bonding with her in 2019, as familiarity quietly formed. By 2023, that connection deepened into something truly close. From the beginning, she carried herself with honesty, kindness, & a quiet strength that made people feel safe. It didn’t take long for her to become family. They call each other twins, not just as a term of affection, but because of the way they understand one another. Born two days apart, that closeness feels instinctive. Aliyah has an intuitive way of seeing people clearly, holding space without judgment, & offering support without ever needing to be loud about it. Through moments of growth & transition, she has been a steady source of calm, showing up with sincerity & care. Aliyah has also been a constant presence for Bri. She treats her with respect, softness, & genuine friendship, creating a sense of ease that doesn’t need explanation. The trust between them feels natural, rooted in shared values, emotional intelligence, & mutual understanding. She has a way of making both of us feel deeply seen, appreciated, & loved. Her presence has brought comfort, laughter, & a sense of belonging that continues to shape our journey. Some people arrive not as waves, but as anchors, grounding you quietly & becoming part of the shoreline. Aliyah is one of those anchors, & a cherished part of La Ola de Amor.
Arian Owji
Guest of Honor
We met Arian in 2016 through dance music & Night Bass shows, a small moment that grew into a decade of friendship. What began with shared music & familiar faces slowly turned into real connection, built intentionally over time. Simple check-ins, late-night conversations, & meeting up every few months to try new food and talk life became the rhythm that grounded the friendship. From the beginning, Arian showed consistency, generosity, and care. He has a rare gift for showing up, not loudly or performatively, but with intention. Birthdays, milestones, travel plans, or quiet lunches months apart, he always made the effort count. He treated Jon like a real friend from day one, not out of convenience, but out of genuine curiosity & connection. As our worlds merged, Arian welcomed Bri with the same ease and respect. He made her feel included, understood, and supported without pressure, always meeting her where she was. The way he looks out for one of us is the way he looks out for both of us, steady and sincere. Arian is a calm thinker, a world traveler, and the kind of person who expands your life simply by being in it. He’s shared perspective, knowledge, & encouragement freely, from opening new doors to helping us think through travel, future plans, and the path that led us to people we now consider family. With Arian, every chapter feels a little bigger, a little wiser, and a little more possible, a reminder that the right people help carry you forward like a rising tide.
Vince Xu
Guest of Honor
We met Vince in 2021 at Holy Ship! Wrecked, alongside Nick, Raf, & Robby, through a weekend that instantly became something bigger than chance. What started as shared moments & quick bonding turned into a shared orbit, full of laughter, celebration, & a generosity that made us feel seen & welcomed from day one. He was there for one of the most important moments of our lives, surrounding our proposal with genuine love & excitement, & that energy never faded. Vince is family in the truest sense. Hilarious, sharp, chaotic in the best way, yet deeply thoughtful & loyal. He’s the kind of friend who invites you fully into his world without hesitation, celebrating others loudly & without ego. Over time, he showed up for birthdays, trips, late-night hangs, special events, & small gestures that quietly added up to real love. When life was tough, he lifted us up without question. When life shifted, he stayed. He treats Bri & Jon as equals, teasing us, celebrating us, supporting our projects, & trusting us with his own. We grew our friendship with Vince together, & he has always treated Bri with the same respect, care, and warmth he’s shown Jon, which means everything to us both. Even as Vince builds his own life, writing, creating, and stepping into new chapters, he never loses his heart or forgets the people who stood with him. Some friendships arrive like fireworks, full of light and momentum, but stay like constellations, steady, bright, & woven into the sky of La Ola de Amor.
Israel Jimenez
Guest of Honor
Izzy entered our lives quietly & stayed with intention. We met him through shared community, as Martin’s roommate, & from the beginning, his presence felt easy. No performance, no pressure, no chaos. Just steadiness. We’d known him for a few years, but it wasn’t until 2022 that the friendship truly deepened. Izzy joined us for Holy Ship! Wrecked in 2022, then EDSea in 2023 & 2024. Birthdays, trips, celebrations, long nights out, he always showed up knowing how to have a good time while grounded. Everything with Izzy felt calm & natural. There was never tension or drama, only trust, mutual respect, & the comfort of knowing someone was solid. In everyday life, Izzy is one of the hardest-working people we know, always building. When Jon needed grounding, Izzy was there instinctively, quiet, watchful, & supportive without needing recognition. He meets people with reciprocity, giving back the same care & effort that’s offered to him, never asking for more or demanding attention. Izzy treats both of us with equal warmth & respect. Bri feels completely safe & at ease around him, & the friendship has grown naturally, without force or expectation. He’s the kind of friend you don’t have to explain yourself to, the kind who simply understands. Some friendships don’t crash into your life, they settle in, steady & sure. Izzy has been a calm current in our journey, & we’re deeply grateful he’s part of La Ola de Amor.
Joseph Quarles
Guest of Honor
We met Q in 2023, & the connection clicked instantly through shared energy, music, humor, and values. Though we came from different worlds, we found common ground in loyalty, presence, & the desire to live life fully. From the beginning, being around him felt easy & aligned. What began as festival hangs became something deeper. Long nights became grounding conversations, drives became reflections, & adventures became trust. One of the first things we noticed was Q’s instinct to put people first, stepping away to make sure someone else was okay. That care showed up again and again, not loudly, but consistently. Q is protective, generous, & intentional. He doesn’t let misunderstandings define anything, stands firm when situations get complicated, & chooses connection over conflict. When things around us felt tested, he stayed grounded & steady, choosing people over the noise. He welcomed us fully into his life. He opened his home to us, gave us a place in San Diego, & guided us through Tomorrowland with care, making sure every step felt safe & shared. He treats Bri with the same love & teasing he gives Jon, a true sibling dynamic built on jokes, protection, & presence. Through highs and lows, Q never folded. He chose us as much as we chose him, becoming an anchor when we needed strength, laughter, or simply a place to land. He is proof that chosen family isn’t found, it’s recognized, built through action & trust. His place in La Ola de Amor is solid, earned, & forever.
Robert Perez
Guest of Honor
We met Bobby in May 2023, a simple day at Universal Studios that opened the door to one of the most grounding friendships in our lives. What began as a cousin-of-a-friend connection grew into something deeper, built on honesty, trust, laughter, & the kind of conversations that stay with you long after the moment ends. Later that year, a shared turning point brought Bobby & Jon closer, creating space for deeper conversations & a bond that shaped the years ahead. When life shifted & circles changed, Bobby stayed. He kept checking in, showing up, & caring in ways that were steady & meaningful. In early 2024, Bobby unknowingly sparked one of the most transformative chapters of Jon’s life. His encouragement around health, small comments, gentle accountability, shared motivation, set off changes Jon carried forward & built into something life-altering. The effort was Jon’s, but the spark came from Bobby, & he never stopped celebrating every milestone with pride, humor, & brotherly support. Bobby is wise, intentional, grounded, & funny in an unfiltered, refreshing way. He invests in his friendships the same way he invests in his future, with patience, consistency, & heart. He treats Bri with the same respect & humor he gives Jon, & the two of them have built a friendship that feels easy, safe, & genuine. Bobby is one of those rare friends who arrives at the right time & stays for all the right reasons, a steady current in our story & a cherished part of La Ola de Amor.
Harrison Smith
Guest of Honor
We met Chowder in late 2024 through shared friends, a simple connection that didn’t yet reveal how important he would become. From the beginning, being around him felt familiar, less like meeting someone new and more like recognizing someone you were meant to know. The real turning point came months later at LIB 2025, when his character revealed itself through action. Without needing details or praise, he showed loyalty, intuition, protection, & heart, reading the room, noticing what was needed, and choosing care over attention & presence over performance. Since then, he’s become one of the most consistent, generous, emotionally intelligent people in our lives. He treats Bri with gentleness & humor, checks in on her just to make sure she’s okay, and welcomes her into conversations and moments as naturally as he does Jon. The way he shows up for her, with ease, respect, and genuine friendship, has built real trust and means everything to us both. Chowder offers care without performative effort, just instinct & love. He’s opened his home to us, shared meals, small trips, inside jokes, Wordle battles, and quiet moments of real friendship. Even in a short time, the connection feels long-standing, built on presence, consistency, mutual care, and a shared sense of responsibility toward one another. Some friendships rise quickly, not because they rush, but because they recognize you. Chowder is one of those rare waves, arriving fast, carrying depth, & now part of La Ola de Amor.
YOU
Guest of Honor
You hold a meaningful place in our story. Whether we’ve shared years, seasons, or a single unforgettable moment, you are part of the community that shaped who we are today, individually & together. Your presence, in big ways & quiet ones, helped guide us through different chapters of life. You’ve shared laughter with us, supported us, taught us, & helped us experience life more fully. Some moments we recognized right away, others we understood only with time, but all of them mattered. Our lives are richer, steadier, & more joyful because you’ve been part of them. This celebration exists as a thank you to you. Thank you for showing up, for loving us in your own way, & for being here in this chapter of our lives. We appreciate you, we love you, & we are honored to celebrate La Ola de Amor with you.