Amanda Lee meets for coffee at Stecca in Hermosa Beach, just across the street from the wellness center she opened a few years ago. It is a fitting place to begin: casual, familiar and rooted in the neighborhood she has become such a meaningful part of. Within minutes, it becomes clear why people are drawn to her.
She carries an open smile and a natural ease. She is striking, but it is her warmth that lingers and makes people feel immediately at home.
Kuleana Holistic Health feels like an extension of Amanda herself. The space is layered and alive, filled with lush greenery, warm light and walls wrapped in murals painted by her husband, Rian Basilio, an artist in his own right.
One wall, featuring a bird-of-paradise, draws immediate attention. It is bold yet calming, symbolic without being overstated.
Like everything Amanda creates, there is meaning behind it. The bird-of-paradise appears in her branding, referencing a yoga pose, but it also holds personal significance. Rian released an album titled Birds of Paradise when they first started dating, and a towering plant of the same name grows in their yard in El Porto—often mistaken for a palm tree.
That tree, planted decades ago, rises above their home—easy to overlook without a second glance. Its flowers sit high, nearly hidden, revealing themselves only to those who look up. It mirrors Amanda’s work. The beauty is present, but it requires a pause to be fully seen.
Amanda’s story begins far from the South Bay, on Martha’s Vineyard, where she was raised in a deeply service-oriented family. Her mother joined the military at age 18, and giving back was a constant presence in their lives. Volunteering was routine, and that early sense of responsibility to others became foundational.
She graduated from high school at 16 and followed a traditional path into medicine, attending Northeastern University with plans to become an OB-GYN. It was a clear and logical trajectory, but it would not remain her path.
After college Amanda moved to the South Bay, arriving in Hermosa Beach at a time in her life that felt both expansive and uncertain. The medical career she had envisioned proved difficult to pursue in a practical sense. Entry-level roles offered little financial stability, making it nearly impossible to manage student loans.
Like many other residents, she found herself working within the local community, becoming part of the rhythm of Hermosa long before opening her own space. Everything shifted during a trip to Sri Lanka.
While volunteering abroad, she began practicing yoga daily. What started as a physical pursuit quickly deepened into something more transformative. Within months the practice changed not only her body but her perspective. As she worked on medical school applications, a realization surfaced: Healing did not have to follow the path she had originally imagined.
Back in the South Bay, Amanda immersed herself in teaching—leading yoga, spin and group fitness classes—sometimes up to 15 sessions a week. The work was fulfilling, but it came at a cost. Physical strain eventually forced her to slow down.
Acupuncture entered her life as a solution for knee pain, but its effects extended far beyond relief. It improved sleep, softened her interactions and created a sense of internal balance. Amanda realized that acupuncture is a form of medicine that addresses the whole person.
That experience led her to enroll at Emperor’s College to study traditional Chinese medicine. The path aligned naturally with what had initially drawn her to health care: supporting others and working closely with women. Acupuncture offered that, along with the ability to shape her own career and life.
After graduating in 2018, she began building her practice, which would eventually become Kuleana Holistic Health in Hermosa Beach. “Kuleana” translates to responsibility, its meaning reflecting purpose, a personal way of showing up in the world. It is about alignment with one’s health, choices and direction.
That philosophy defines the space she has created. Kuleana is more than an acupuncture clinic. It is a thoughtfully integrated wellness environment offering infrared sauna, massage, lymphatic drainage, cosmetic acupuncture and more. Each element is designed to support the body holistically.
The vision was simple: to create a place where people could access multiple forms of care in one setting. Amanda built it independently, but its evolution became a collective effort. Friends contributed to the design, clients became collaborators and local relationships formed a strong support system. The center feels deeply rooted in community.
Then there is Piggy Smalls. Readers of Southbay magazine may recognize the potbelly pig, a local favorite. What many may not know is that Piggy Smalls belongs to Amanda and Rian. The couple’s story reflects the same sense of serendipity found throughout Amanda’s life.
On their first date, the conversation turned to their dream pets. Rian said his was a pig, and Amanda replied that she was already actively looking for one. The connection felt undeniable. It was a small moment, but it captured something essential about her: depth paired with a sense of lightness. She is deeply committed to her work but never overly serious about herself.
Amanda is building something enduring in the wellness field, grounded in experience, shaped by community and guided by intention. Her message remains clear: Take care of yourself.
