Olivia Leyva is an actor and filmmaker originally from Chicago, Illinois. She studied Visual Arts & Theater at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

As a young person growing up in the southwest side of Chicago, she was inspired to develop her interest in the arts by participating in various visual art programs that were available throughout the city. These experiences led to a passion for the performing arts and film.

Throughout her career she has collaborated with creative professionals in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, including institutions such as the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre NY, the Second City in Los Angeles, and HB Studio in New York City. In 2018, she co-founded Real Good Films, a film production company based in Brooklyn, NY.

Olivia is interested in documentary and narrative film. DESYNCHRONIZED is her first documentary film and directorial debut. The documentary premiered at The Smart Museum of Art in Chicago, Illinois on November 4, 2021. DESYNCHRONIZED also screened in collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pollinator health based in San Francisco, California.