Daria Neretina grew up in Russia. It was where she discovered her passion for marketing, founded her first magazine and created who she was as a person. But she still wanted more. Her desire to level up led her to the Digital Marketing Certificate at UCLA Extension, and in 2020 she uprooted her life and moved to the United States.

“It was scary at first. I came alone, didn’t know anyone and had to build everything from scratch. But I took the chance because of the quality of education UCLA Extension had to offer.” she said. “In the U.S., it’s usually the beginning of where trends start and waves are made. I thought that moving here would be just what I needed to grow, both in skills and as a person.”

After completing her Digital Marketing Certificate at UCLA Extension, Neretina can now say the move was well worth it, and her business, which focuses on the wedding industry at large, is flourishing.

Neretina first became interested in marketing by reading about titans of the industry when she was younger.

“I read this one story about Phil Knight, and I remember how it amazed me so much that I became interested in how Nike branded itself." she said. “I decided to go into marketing because I liked the stories that followed a brand and understanding what made people interested.”

Neretina started working in planning and events as soon as she finished her bachelor's degree in economics in Moscow. She specialized in weddings, engagements and celebrations. Beyond the event logistics, she found herself becoming involved on the creative side of the business, managing social media pages and building the brands of the companies she worked for.

Eventually, she began to desire building a brand of her own. With the experience she gained from working in the wedding industry, it was natural that she focus on that. In 2015, she created an online magazine called WedVibes and launched it in Russia, focusing on the wedding scene and its creative professionals.

When planning events, people who specialize in creating decor, music, landscaping and more are all key to having a special occasion. Neretina based her magazine around showcasing the work these artists create so they can find potential clients and let people know of their services.

“There are so many people who continue to make amazing things.” she said. “I wanted to have the opportunity to give them a voice and to help them sell their services. So many great events would not have been possible to create without them.”

As time passed, Neretina decided to go back to school and get a formal education in marketing. She wanted to go somewhere where there would be more opportunities to cultivate her brand identity. She put her business on pause. After researching different schools, Neretina landed on UCLA Extension and made the decision to move to the U.S.

“Extension gave me the opportunity to better hone my skills in marketing because I didn’t have a background in it before. I did things here and there, but I didn’t have a baseline in marketing.” she said. “And when I got there, I had such amazing teachers that actually taught me the structural terms, concepts and fundamentals that could have helped me a lot.”

Using the information she learned while at UCLA Extension and the experience she had gained from her past jobs, Neretina, alongside her partner she met in class, decided to relaunch WedVibes as an English-based marketing agency.

“Our new company combined a digital media platform, something I did not have originally, with marketing services.” she said. “It helps creative professionals, including photographers, designers and luxury brands build their brands through content creation, strategy and production. Today, we work with clients around the world and have grown a social media audience of about 300,000 followers.”

WedVibes was not meant to be only a marketing agency, but to also make an impact on the world. Neretina was determined to make a change that went beyond the scope of marketing. Her company raises money for the nonprofit organization, Vow for Girls, that helps girls remain in school and avoid child marriage.

“In many places, women and children are pushed into marriages without a choice. One in five girls are forced into marriage all around the world. With this statistic, how can we not do something to make a change?” she said. “So, with Vow for Girls, we hold conferences where we invite leaders in the industry, people who host lavish celebrations, and more, who give us knowledge. And we have these tickets, and whoever wants to buy one, it goes directly into the charity fund. With what is made, it can cover up to one year of tuition for girls.”

WedVibes has raised over $45,000 in its first year and has a goal of doubling it in its next. As Neretina continues to focus on her new goal of making an impact on the world, she will not forget what led her to this moment.

“I had a dream as a young girl to get into marketing, and who would have known it would lead me here?” she said. “There is still so much to learn and be done to help as many people as I can. But I am determined not to lose hope and keep moving forward just as my younger self did.”