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L.A. stories of inspiration and success

L.A. stories of inspiration and success


Tomoko Morishita, owner of the Japanese-American restaurant Eigikutei (栄菊亭)
Like many other restaurants in the City of Los Angeles, Tomoko Morishita, owner of the Japanese-American restaurant Eigikutei (栄菊亭), faced a substantial decrease in revenue during the pandemic. Morishita turned to EWDD’s Hollywood BusinessSource Center (BSC) for assistance in obtaining access to capital to keep her

UCLA YouthSource Center participants pose on campus quad with center name overlaid in hollow letters
A balancing act between working and attending school is already difficult and can be impossible when facing housing insecurity. This was the situation that Ebony Mckinney found herself facing as she began aging out of the foster care system.

Mckinney learned about the

Watts YouthSource Youth Council members work with staffers from Council District 15 to make their December 2023 Winter Wonderland event a success for local families
On December 8, 2023, in partnership with Council District 15, students of the YO! Watts YouthSource Center (YSC) volunteered in the Watts community to make the annual Winter Wonderland event a success. Councilmember Tim McOsker’s Office asked the

The City of Los Angeles Public Works department hosted a successful Career Fair on November 2, 2023, specifically targeting job seekers looking for pathways to City employment
On November 2, 2023, the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works hosted its 4th Public Works Career Fair at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center. Over 800 job seekers attended to learn how to apply and gain information about the City and other job employment opportunities.

Two of EWDD's WorkSource Centers,

Bijal Desai-Ramirez, founder of Masalawali, a chai shop and collective liberation space that reclaims and decolonizes South Asian traditions
This past summer, Grid110 wrapped up their 6-week ‘Idea to Launch’ Bootcamp, the nonprofit startup incubator’s latest initiative to support underrepresented startups and small business founders in Los Angeles. The bootcamp consisted of 6 weeks of intensive self-directed work and weekly live sessions, including mentorship, accountability, and

BusinessSource Center reps ready to assist local business owners negatively impacted by the I-10 freeway fire
On November 20-21, 2023, the City of Los Angeles partnered with government agencies and community-based organizations to provide resources, assistance, and services to businesses suffering from economic hardships from the 10 freeway closure. EWDD's Southeast, East, and Hollywood BusinessSource Centers (BSC) were in attendance on both days to provide in-person resources

attendees pose at the entrance to the 2023 Women’s Empowerment Summit hosted by the YO! Watts YouthSource Center
On October 7, 2023, the YO! Watts YouthSource Center (YSC) hosted the 2023 Women’s Empowerment Summit. The summit aimed to provide an enriching and inspiring experience and to expose 30 young girls from Watts to a diverse range of career opportunities. The summit featured panels and discussions with experts in various fields, including

Graduates of the 2023 fall HireLAX Construction Career Training Program pose with their City of Los Angeles completion certificates at the cohort culmination ceremony on October 20, 2023
The Southeast Los Angeles WorkSource Center (WSC), managed by EWDD’s partner Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), excitedly shared that 12 of their participants became HireLAX Construction Career Training Program graduates on October 20, 2023. The participants successfully completed the 8-week HireLAX training program that included

Mayor Bass at a "Fireside Chat" alongside entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross and BMO Vice Chair Eric Smith at the October 2023 LA Small Business Financial Empowerment Summit
On October 28, 2023, EWDD partnered with BMO Bank to host the LA Business & Financial Empowerment Summit, held at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park. With over 1,000 attendees, the summit connected over

an attendee of the October 2023 East & Central Regional Connect L.A. Job Fair gets employment information from a County of LA staffer
EWDD’s Workforce Development System has made progress in increasing employment activities to revitalize the economy post-pandemic. The Workforce Development System noticed the difficulties employers are experiencing in finding the right candidate to meet the needs of their businesses. To support them and job applicants, EWDD has been leading