Life & Work with Raisa of Bloomfield Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raisa.

Hi Raisa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My childhood was a journey across borders – i was born in Uzbekistan, i went to school in Prague, Czech Republic and was raised in Ukraine, a country that shaped my heard and soul. I traveled a lot from early age because my father served in the military. Growing up in so many cultures taught me to see the world through stories – real, human, and deeply emotional.
Film and television became my path early on. In Ukraine, I worked as an editor-in-chief and helped build an entire news channel from the ground up. I led creative teams, worked with well-known public figures, and filmed some of the most popular TV reality shows worldwide.
When I moved to the United States – long before the war – I continued doing what i love most; telling meaningful stories. For over ten years,I’ve been the director of Start Up, a national TV series about American entrepreneurs. The show has been nominated six times for the Emmys, and it continues to inspire people to follow their dreams.
As a producer, I’ve also been proud to bring to life films such as The Russian Five, about soviet hockey players who helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup, and Cream; America only Rock’n’Roll magazine, celebrating the rebellious spirit of Detroit’s music scene.
Now, with season 13 of Start Up on the air, I’m stepping into a new creative chapter – writing the script and directing a short movie based on the true story about transgender communities’ identity and courage.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has been an extraordinary one. Moving to a new country meant leaving behind everything familiar — my language, my culture, and the professional world I had built in Ukraine. I came from a place where storytelling was my native language, and suddenly I had to find a new way to express myself, to connect, and to be understood.

The biggest challenge was not starting over in work, but learning how to translate my creative instincts into a completely different culture. In film and television, communication is everything, and at first, even the smallest nuances — humor, tone, pacing — felt different. I had to observe, listen, and slowly rebuild my creative identity in a new language and environment.
But that experience also became my greatest teacher. It gave me a deeper understanding of people, emotion, and how universal storytelling truly is. It taught me that creativity has no accent, and that the most powerful stories speak directly to the human heart, no matter where you come from.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work has always centered on storytelling — whether through film, television, or now, through energy and healing. For over a decade, I’ve directed Start Up, a national TV series that celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship in America. That experience taught me how resilience, creativity, and heart can change lives.
Today, I’m in a new creative and spiritual chapter. I continue directing and producing, most recently collaborating with Will.i.am, Uproxx, and The Vessel Studio on a state-of-the-art futuristic series filmed at Will’s XR Studios in Los Angeles. At the same time, I’m writing a screenplay based on true events — a story about identity, courage, and transformation within the transgender community.
Parallel to my film work, I’ve been exploring holistic wellness and energy healing. It’s been a deeply personal journey that connects back to everything I’ve learned as a storyteller — understanding human emotion, energy, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.
What sets me apart is my ability to move across disciplines while keeping my creative eye and perspective fresh. Whether I’m behind a camera, writing a script, or holding space for someone’s healing, my approach is always guided by curiosity, empathy, and a deep desire to reveal truth and beauty in every form it takes.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people who know me through my work in film and television are surprised to learn that I’m also a holistic practitioner and energy healer. For years, I’ve told stories that explore resilience and transformation on screen. Now, I’m deeply focused on creating spaces that help people experience transformation in real life.
That journey began with my own healing — learning to understand energy, emotion, and how the body holds stories we don’t always have words for. As that work deepened, a new vision started to take shape. I’m now developing an immersive healing center in Detroit that will merge sound, light, movement, and mindfulness into a multi-sensory experience of restoration and self-discovery.
It’s a natural extension of everything I’ve ever done — storytelling, creativity, and human connection — just in a different form. My goal is to create a place where art and healing meet, and where people can reconnect with their own energy and remember who they are beneath the noise of everyday life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directorraisa
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raisa-churina-6911b5b0