Mandy Ellen (Yamauchi) Creator

Born and raised on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Mandy was raised by a traditional Japanese American mother and father that were not affectionate or vocal about their feelings.  Mandy new that she would try to be more open with her own family.  Her parents, Takeo and Lynette did however put a definite foundation regarding philanthropy in her life.  As she grew up she heard stories of how her mom and dad had helped different people through difficult times in their lives.  After high school she moved to the mainland.  She graduated with a degree in Marketing and worked as a flight attendant for a few years as well as the Marketing Director for Maui and Sons Beachwear. Today this busy mom of five uses her “mom-prenuer” skills.  She along with her incredible husband created the non-profit organization TKO Helping Hands, where together children and parents help those in need. Mandy cheered for the Los Angeles Rams for 2 years then 6 years for the Los Angeles Raiders. Her business acumen came into play when she created the first-ever crossover NFL/NBA Cheerleading promotional group. Mandy was chosen as Cheerleading director for the World Football League’s Barcelona Dragons, and helped promote the WFL (World Football League)  throughout Europe.  Today Living and Learning is her dream as she hopes to reach out to others and share her journey with her family and interact with others.

Brett Ellen:  Advisor

Born in Oakland, California to his still incredibly in love parents Ron and Linda.  They set a role model for Brett to follow in parenting and being a great husband.  His mom always told Brett to treat his wife as if he were still courting her.  His dad coached his sport teams as a child and instilled a you can do it all attitude in Brett that is definitely attributable to his success.  Brett is the President & CEO of American Financial Network (AFN). Often regarded as a visionary leader in the financial services industry, Brett has been successfully providing financial planning solutions to clients for nearly 25 years. Over the years Brett has been actively involved in numerous community groups such as the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce, the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce and the Orange County Business Forum, in addition to running the Financial Solutions Alliance. He has financially supported and been involved in many charities over the years for local schools and educational causes while volunteering for leadership and coaching roles. He has also been a  contributor to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Wellness Community, The Medical Resource Foundation, The American Cancer Society, The American Diabetes Association and he recently was awarded the 2008 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association..

Keanu Ellen: Keanu established the American Young Achiever Award which recognizes children for their community involvement. He is the co-founder of TKO helping hands and has actively participated in feeding homeless since the age of 3. He has been fortunate to run the bases at Dodger Stadium, hung out on the field with the beautiful LA and Oakland Raiderettes, played on center court at the JP Morgan Chase at the Home Depot Center as an exhibition for Maria Sharipova and even shot around with Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Charles Barkley. Keanu is living each day to the fullest and at the age of 10 he has had an article published in Kidz Magazine, won a college scholarship for the Kohl’s Kids Who Care Program and has traveled throughout the country doing good deeds for people. He may seem old in experiences but he is a kid at heart who loves meeting people and doing exciting things. With his great focus and athletic ability he earned his black belt in Tang soo do at the age of 7. He has been blessed with his fathers sense of humor and loves performing at comedy improv shows on the weekends. Keanu dreams of going to USC so he keeps his grades up and tries not to get in trouble for talking too much in class.

Tristen Ellen: Tristen is the co-founder of TKO helping hands and the creator of Brother Power. Brother Power is a pact and secret handshake that he has created with his brother Keanu. “I’ve got your back, you’ve got my back…Brother Power”. The two work hard to understand each others differences and they are the first to back each other up in a time of need. Tristen also known as T-Time is our resident actor and has a few commercials under his belt. Shy by nature he is learning to conquer his fear with speech and acting classes. Tristen loves music, singing and sports. He has been lucky enough to ride dolphins, swim with sting rays and feed killer sharks from an immersed water tank. Tristen is 8 years old and is the first to open a door and pull out a chair for a lady. He kisses hands, picks flowers when he sees them, tells his mom that she is beautiful and is as sensitive as they come. Tristen consistantly thinks of different business ideas which he wants to own with his brother Keanu and their friends. He is compassionate and thoughtful and has fed homeless and been involved with philanthropy since the age of 3.

Denise Villanueva: Creative Development After 20 years of business development, marketing and PR experience with some of the top names in the retail, entertainment, sports and technology industries, such as Victoria’s Secret, The Walt Disney Company, Magic Johnson Enterprises and IBM, Denise started her own consulting firm. During her 8 years as one of “Footballs Fabulous Females,” the Los Angeles Raiderettes, Denise was called upon to be a captain for 7 years and act as a key spokesperson traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad to such countries as China, Japan and Great Britain.

Aram Danielian: L & L Website Architect

At the age of 13 Aram was fascinated by computers. He has taught himself about computers by reading, studying and through practical experience. His family background is in the arts. His father is an architect and artist and his mother is a musician who has been a soloist in many well known orchestras. Aram is a quiet and analytical 21 year old with great ambition and work ethic. A product of a strict upbringing he is a goal oriented individual who sets high standards for himself and manages to achieve his goals.  Aram is talented, creative and a valuable asset to the Living and Learning website.