LAILANIE GADIA

Raised in Guam, Lailanie Gadia is a Filipina American community builder, film producer, and financial professional based in Los Angeles. She recently founded her film company, Mango Stories, to bring impactful stories to life where she is developing fiction and non-fiction projects while serving as Operations Director at the Asian American Documentary Network, supporting 1,800+ filmmakers and film professionals. Her credits include Emmy-nominated and Silver Anthem award-winning 2022 Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond shorts, Dive Bar (Alaska Airlines) and Third Act (Sundance 2025). She was named a 2023 Documentary New Leader and is a member of Gold House Futures Network, Film Independent, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Documentary Producers Alliance, and Global Impact Producers Alliance. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University and serves on the API Alumni Association board.

MILK & HONEY CREW Q&A

What’s the biggest leap of faith you’ve ever taken? The first leap of faith and the biggest was at age 18 when I left my family and my island home of Guam. I moved to California to attend college as a first generation student and truly be on my own to navigate life.