CREATEPathways to Tech and Creativity
This initiative will create inclusive pathways to employment in Los Angeles’s tech and creative industries for underrepresented youth ages 18 to 29. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and job placement support, we’ll equip participants with the skills and networks needed to succeed in high-growth, high-impact careers. Our goal is to bridge the opportunity gap and diversify LA’s future workforce.
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?
South Bay Long Beach West LA South LA
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?
Many young people in Los Angeles—especially those from historically underrepresented communities such as Black youth, youth of color, and youth from low-income families—face systemic barriers to entering the tech and creative industries. These sectors offer high-growth, high-wage opportunities, yet access is often limited by a lack of exposure, mentorship, training, and professional networks. Our initiative seeks to close this equity gap by intentionally connecting youth to the resources, experiences, and support they need to thrive in these dynamic fields.
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
This grant will support a workforce development initiative designed to prepare underrepresented youth in Los Angeles, ages 18 to 29, for careers in the tech and creative industries. The program will offer hands-on training, industry-informed workshops, mentorship from professionals, and direct access to internships and job placement opportunities. By combining skills-building with real-world experience and guidance, we aim to equip young people with the tools, confidence, and connections needed to enter and thrive in high-demand creative and tech career paths.
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will cultivate a more diverse and inclusive tech and creative workforce, where young people from underrepresented communities have equitable access to meaningful, high-quality careers. By removing systemic barriers and creating real pathways to employment, we aim to transform individual futures while enriching the industries that drive LA’s economy with new talent and fresh perspectives.
Our vision is to build a lasting talent pipeline that not only connects youth to internships and jobs, but also supports long-term career growth, economic mobility, and representation in leadership roles. We plan to scale our impact by deepening partnerships with schools, community organizations, and employers across the region, delivering both in-person and virtual programming. Ultimately, we envision an LA where talent is nurtured in every neighborhood—and no young person is left behind due to background or circumstance.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 200
Indirect Impact: 1,800