Nice to meet you! 

We're Shawn and Shakeh. We've been married since 2007 and live in the Encino community of Los Angeles with our elementary school aged daughter and our dog, Buster.

Shawn was born and raised in Maryland and lived in England, Washington DC, and Tucson before settling down in California. Shakeh is Armenian and grew up in Iran before moving to the U.S. in her late teens with her family. We met in 2005 and instantly discovered our mutual love of travel, cultures, languages, food, and learning about people from different corners of the world.

Of all the beautiful places in the world ranging from mountains to oceans, small towns to the most luxurious European cities, the desert remains our favorite – the dry air, deep blue skies, starry nights, beautiful yet rugged vegetation, the wildlife – all of it. When we drive from Los Angeles to the desert, we always feel a calming sensation … a reconnection of sorts and a respite from the petty dramas and priorities of modern life.

In addition to raising our daughter and having careers in finance and philanthropy, we’re working on our dream project – to develop a boutique resort that will more fully express our love of the California desert.

We enjoy spending our free time at the Bottlebrush, too. Our daughter would hang out in the pool the entire day if she could. She’s becoming a great artist and one day wants to showcase her work to guests. Our dog Buster is a happy little cockapoo.

We support local businesses and charitable organizations and, over the years, will dedicate our time and resources to give back to this beautiful region, whose people have been so kind and welcoming to us.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Shawn and Shakeh