CREATELegacy Brand Equity Accelerator
Five beloved, minority‑owned LA brands are fading fast—out‑dated logos, no e‑commerce, shrinking sales. GLG Studio’s 12‑week Accelerator pairs each founder with three paid creative apprentices to refresh branding, launch a Shopify store, and drop a limited‑edition product. By summer, legacy businesses post new revenue while 15 young Angelenos earn stipends, portfolios, and a foot in LA’s $200 B creative economy.
What is the primary issue area that your application will impact?
Access to tech and creative industry employment
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
Central LA South LA Gateway Cities City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)
In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative?
Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)
What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address?
Our Take on the Problem:
LA is losing its cultural storefronts. Since 2020, 41 % of Black‑ and Latino‑owned legacy retailers in Central & South LA have closed or downsized (UCLA CES 2024). At the same time, paid creative internships have fallen 29 %, pricing out neighborhood talent from a sector that pays 38 % above the county median wage. Two crises—shrinking community wealth and locked‑out creative jobs—are actually one: when heritage brands disappear, so do pathways for young creatives to learn, earn, and lead in their own communities.
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
What We’ll Do:
Brand Vision Labs (Weeks 1‑2). Deep‑dive workshop with each founder; capture origin stories, set revenue goals.
Recruit & Pay 15 Apprentices (Weeks 1‑3). Partner with LA City EWDD + community colleges. Apprentices earn $20/hr, 18 hrs/week.
12‑Week Sprint (Weeks 3‑14). Mixed teams redesign logos & packaging, shoot social video, build Shopify store, and co‑create one limited‑edition “heritage drop.”
Market‑Day Showcase (Week 15). Pop‑up at Mercado La Paloma; public tasting, live sales & press.
90‑Day Lift (Weeks 16‑28). Analytics coaching, influencer seeding, and micro‑loan referrals via CDFI partner to finance inventory.
Placement & Alumni Loop (Weeks 20‑52). Apprentices placed into GLG’s freelancer pool or partner agencies; founders join peer‑mentoring circle for the 2026 cohort.
Innovation: We merge studio‑grade branding with workforce development—turning cultural equity into economic mobility.
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
If We Succeed:
12 mo. ≥ 30 % revenue jump per brand; 15 apprentices secure paid creative roles within 90 days; cohort circulates $500k+ in local spend.
3 yrs. Program replicates to 20 brands/60 apprentices; county‑wide “Heritage Drop” marketplace funnels $5 M to legacy businesses; alumni network seeds new mentorship cycles—compounding impact without perpetual grant dollars.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 35
Indirect Impact: 7,500