link to EWDD Facebook   link to EWDD LinkedIn   link to EWDD Twitter   link to EWDD Instagram   link to EWDD YouTube

L.A. stories of inspiration and success

L.A. stories of inspiration and success


(right to left) Porsche Skinner, CEO of the nonprofit Boundaries Beyond, with John Johnson and at a community service event for Crenshaw Magnet High School
As founder and CEO of Boundaries Beyond, Porsche Skinner has worked with homeless and family mission-focused individuals since 2018.

The company offers wrap-around services for homeless individuals and families. Its goal is to

Jennifer Silbert and Stephanie Choi, founders of Rewilder, an L.A. environmental company that aims to stop the 11 million tons of textiles that are landfilled globally by identifying, diverting, and upcycling waste materials in the supply chain
Rewilder, a sustainable woman and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned company, was recently selected to provide their upcycled bags to the Ninth Summit of Americas in Los Angeles, which reflected the summit's theme of "Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future."

The start-up company is receiving resources from the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), one of several

Devin Rojas and Dianna Briggs, grandmother and grandson team that founded the Dandelion Entertainment production company
The West Valley BusinessSource Center (BSC) assisted grandmother and grandson team Dianna Briggs and Devin Rojas in building the social media presence of their company Dandelion Entertainment, which helped them secure their first production job. Through the City of LA's partnership with META's Career Connections Program, the company was assigned an intern who assisted them with developing their social media presence to promote their business.

The pair first visited the

Leslie Montoya speaks about her experience with the Angelenos Corps program
Leslie Montoya was scrolling through Instagram when she learned about Angeleno Corps, a 10-month program that would give her hands-on work experience in one of four areas: education and childcare, health and environmental justice, tech and digital assistance, or immigration advocacy. The program is

(left to right) Annemarie Feltman and Bacillia Acosta found employment relief through the COVID-19 National Dislocated Worker Grant program, a transitional employment program funded by the federal CARES Act
COVID-19 disproportionately impacted the lives of women and underscored the challenges women face in balancing family and workplace responsibilities, including Annemarie Feltman and Bacillia Acosta.

Annemarie was laid off from her job at the beginning of the pandemic, and Bacillia, a Watts resident, had been

Destiny Pineda at her full-time job as a Housing Support Specialist with HACLA
The Watts WorkSource Center, overseen by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), helped Destiny Pineda obtain an internship that led to a full-time job as a Housing Support Specialist.

Destiny completed 1,000 hours as an administrative intern in

August 15, 2022 - LA City Mayor Erik Garcetti, Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo, Councilmember Kevin De Leon, California's Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, City youth and workforce partners, and LA youth celebrate the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program
On Monday, August 15, 2022, Mayor Garcetti was joined by Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo, Councilmember Kevin De Leon, California's Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, City partners, and LA youth to celebrate the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program (CA4All).

Through this program, the City of Los Angeles will receive $53 million in state funding to expand

Hani "Johnny" Mammo, owner of Caruso's Italian Kitchen, with three locations across LA City
Hani "Johnny" Mammo is the owner of Caruso's Italian Kitchen. He has three locations throughout the City of Los Angeles in Sylmar, Granada Hills, and Sunland. Caruso's Italian Kitchen was established in 1971. Hani obtained ownership 20 years ago, and since then, he has kept the business running and expanded.

Hani reached out to the North Valley BusinessSource

Debt-Free College Enrollment Fair in Boyle Heights on Friday, August 5, 2022, at the Boyle Heights Technology YouthSource Center (BHYTC)
On Friday, August 5, 2022, the Boyle Heights Technology YouthSource Center and Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) teamed up with Assemblymember Miguel Santiago to host a Debt-Free College Enrollment Fair celebrating the inclusion of AB 2266 in the 2022-23 fiscal year state budget.

The AB 2266 "Free Community College For All" bill extends the

Jaquan (top row, second from left) pictured with 24 members of the 2020 Bobcat Fire restoration crew in the central San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest
Jaquan began his temporary employment experience as a Bobcat fire restoration crew member in May 2022, after struggling to find and maintain employment since the start of COVID-19. Considered one of the largest wildfires in LA County to date, the 2020 Bobcat Fire burned 115,796 acres in the central San Gabriel Mountains, in and around the Angeles National Forest.

Jaquan originally moved to California from Arkansas in search of better economic prospects.

go to the page top