L.A. stories of inspiration and success

L.A. stories of inspiration and success


Be Bright Coffee Shop's new Storefront at 7311 Melrose Avenue
With assistance from the Hollywood BusinessSource Center (BSC), Frank La grew his business Be Bright Coffee from a booth at the famed Smorgasburg LA outdoor food market to a brick and mortar café in the heart of Los Angeles.

The Hollywood BSC is operated by the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), which was able to give

EWDD General Manager Carolyn Hull speaking about the expertise and resources needed for the new Port of Los Angeles Workforce Initiative in a video segment for the annual “State of the Port” address by Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Saroka
"Perfect" Example of Expertise and Resources

At the annual “State of the Port” address, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Saroka said that EWDD is a perfect example of the expertise and resources needed for the new Port of Los Angeles Workforce Initiative.

“This year, in partnership with employers, unions, nonprofits and agencies like

Kyung Kim, owner of Gahbin USA Inc, BusinessSource testimonial: As a minority business owner, there are many limitations to not knowing the various programs that the government has to help with business. It's good to know where to contact when you need help running your business in the future.
In 2015, Kyung T. Kim established Gahbin Usa Inc, a company that sells auto parts online. The company has been operating for eight years in South LA and has five employees. In 2020, Gahbin experienced financial losses due to the pandemic, which jeopardized the company’s operations and employee salaries.

During COVID-19’s stay-at-home orders, Gahbin’s sales fell by more than

(left to right) South Valley BSC Program Manager Luis Luna and Mirsa Garza, the owner of J&M Discount Store
The South Valley Business Source Center (BSC) assisted a North Hollywood Swap Meet business in keeping their doors open with the Microenterprise Grant.

South Valley BSC Program Manager Luis Luna met with Mirsa Garza, a single mother of three and the owner of J&M Discount Store in

West Adams WorkSource Center WORKS Program participant Marisha's personal motto: Onward. Forward. Upward. MOMENTUM. Fight On!
West Adams WorkSouce Unique Employment Training Program

The West Adams WorkSource Center helped participant Marisha receive training to pursue a career in the construction industry. Now she has a permanent job as a field engineer on the HUB on Campus LA-Figueroa project.

After finding a quiet enough place on the construction site, she donned a headset, logged onto

Exterior of the Tabula Rasa North Hollywood Arts District shop
Cheers to New Beginnings

Zach Negin is the owner of Tabula Rasa, a wine bar located at 5125 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Zach reached out to the West Valley BusinessSource Center (BSC) in the summer of 2021 for assistance with an expansion loan for a second location.

After the success of Tabula Rasa’s Hollywood location, Zach had found a spot in

LA:RISE participant Zachary during his commercial kitchen internship at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Liberation Cafe
Social Enterprise Solutions to Help At-Risk Individuals Join the Workforce

Zachary moved to Los Angeles from out-of-state seeking new opportunities; however, he experienced homelessness while trying to adapt to his new surroundings, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic did not help his goals and plans.

Fortunately, he sought support services at the Los Angeles

Jessica Rosales, owner of J & M Auto Body in San Fernando Valley, a rare woman owned body shop
Jessica Rosales has been an inspiration to several women entrepreneurs for launching her own body shop, J & M Auto Body, which has been in operation in North Hollywood since January 2018.

At the peak of the pandemic, Jessica’s business was not considered essential. She was forced to

LifeLOQ was created through participation in the LA Blue Accelerator program by Braid Theory - powering blue economy entrepreneurs
LA area incubator and accelerator programs contribute to the City's innovation landscape by supporting the creation and growth of start-ups. One of these incubators includes the Blue+ Ocean Accelerator powered by Braid Theory, which supports start-up businesses in the Blue Economy, including companies focused on port efficiencies, aquaculture and fisheries, ocean observation, water and energy, and other sustainable ocean solutions. The Blue Economy refers to an economic system or sector that seeks to conserve marine and freshwater environments while using them in a sustainable way to develop economic growth.

Tired of seeing workers get injured due to outdated safety technology

The Canoga Park WorkSource Center 2022 Fall Community Job Fair attracted hundreds of job seekers for the over 40 employers offering jobs
In partnership with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the Canoga Park WorkSource Center (WSC), the EWDD Employer Services Unit recently held a hugely successful job fair attended by more than 220 job seekers and more than 40 employers.

“I couldn’t let the week go by without expressing my

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