The Indie Impact Network

Access to tech and creative industry employment

South LA City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

The social sector struggles to consistently produce engaging content — not from lack of care, but because organizations are focused on solving deep-rooted issues, not storytelling. At the same time, LA's creative economy is often gatekept, and its slower pace leaves many emerging voices untapped. During a resilience event on post-fire recovery, experts agreed that entertainment—like an HGTV-style show—could be a powerful tool to shift public behavior around rebuilding and preparedness. But we shouldn't wait on Hollywood to act. The Indie Impact Network exists to fill this gap, pairing emerging creatives with social sector partners to create relevant, high-impact content. As conversations about tax credits and local entertainment investment grow, this program ensures our communities are building capacitynow, using storytelling as a tool for equity, education, and sustainable change.

The Indie Impact Network is a cohort-based content incubator designed to pair emerging creatives with mission-driven organizations across Los Angeles. This initiative addresses two major needs: the lack of career exposure and opportunities for aspiring creatives, and the communication gap many social impact orgs face when trying to educate or engage the public. Participants will explore creative careers through hands-on projects focused on storytelling for impact, receiving mentorship from experienced filmmakers, writers, producers, and campaign strategists.
Each cohort will work with real nonprofit or civic partners to co-create short-form content rooted in a specific theme (e.g., climate resilience, food justice, or housing). This model ensures every piece of media has an applied purpose—improving nonprofit visibility, deepening public understanding, and helping partners raise funds or educate their audiences. While this first phase focuses on film and video, we anticipate expanding to music, theater, and design as additional funding and/or partnerships grow.
By the end of each cycle, participants will have a professional portfolio, social issue expertise, and clear next steps. We also host a live-streamed or in-person showcase inviting the public to pay to experience the cohort’s work, with proceeds shared among all participating creatives. The Indie Impact Network doesn’t just prepare individuals to enter the creative economy—it reimagines how content and cause can align.

Los Angeles County will be home to a new wave of creative energy—where emerging storytellers and mission-driven organizations regularly collaborate to drive culture and community change. Instead of waiting on major studios or external funders, people will see how accessible it is to start creating now. That mindset shift away from perfection and toward participation will ripple across neighborhoods and sectors.
Nonprofits will gain not just compelling media but also deeper relationships with creatives and broader visibility for their causes. This, in turn, could lead to increased funding, volunteer engagement, and long-term community investment. Creators will walk away with experience, professional content, and new pathways into the industry. The public will benefit from storytelling that educates, mobilizes, and reflects the real issues affecting our communities.
Over time, we hope this grows into a larger movement, but for now, we need to act.