Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) Secures $1 Million to Fund Construction of SoLa Impact's new Tech & Entertainment Center in the Crenshaw and Leimert Park communities

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) announced that she secured a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for SoLa Impact's affiliated nonprofit, the SoLa Foundation, in support of the completion of SoLa's second state-of-the-art youth center. Opening in the first half of 2025, the 10,000 sq ft art, tech and entertainment center will be located on the ground floor of "Crenshaw Lofts," SoLa Impact's 195-unit workforce and affordable housing development in the LAX-Crenshaw Corridor across from Sankofa Park and Destination Crenshaw.

The center will train and mentor young people to become the next generation of professionals and entrepreneurs in arts, media, entertainment, emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the live events industry. The facility will feature a collaborative workspace, professional recording studio, and indoor/outdoor event space. It will serve at least 1,000 youth and young adults annually.

The HUD funds are part of Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove's commitment to the continued revitalization of the Crenshaw and Leimert Park communities as well as her commitment to increasing access to career training and jobs in entertainment.

"Crenshaw—the heart of Black LA—has seen many revitalization efforts since the 1992 Riots, many of them short-lived," said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. "By connecting young Angelenos with workforce training in arts, entertainment, and technology careers, SoLa's new youth center will make a real, lasting impact on South LA for generations to come. I was proud to secure funding for this center, and I look forward to seeing the vital role it will play in empowering future creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators from the storied community of Crenshaw." 

SoLa Impact CEO, Martin Muoto, added, "With our second SoLa Tech Center powered by Live Nation, and Crenshaw Lofts, we are proud to be part of Crenshaw's revitalization. As we develop hundreds of affordable and workforce housing units across Los Angeles, we also want to ensure that the young people in communities like Crenshaw and South LA see a brighter future. Training them for jobs of the future is perhaps the most important way we can build California better."

The center's recording studio and performance space are being designed in collaboration with multi-Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and record producer James Fauntleroy. LA-based author and civic supporter, Patti Neuwirth, has funded an Innovation Lab to focus on workforce development and programming in emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, LA City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson has been instrumental in the development of the tech center and Crenshaw Lofts projects.

"This center will have a transformative impact on the lives of our youth. This is my community and we are on a mission to ensure every young person has a shot at a brighter future. The center is about closing the racial digital divide in South LA. It's about creating a more equitable playing field. It's about creating access and pipelines to careers in the arts and technology. Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove shares this urgent mission and we are deeply grateful to her for being a catalyst in making our tech center possible," said Sherri Francois, Chief Impact Officer of SoLa Impact and Executive Director of the SoLa Foundation.

About SoLa Impact's Foundation:

The SoLa Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliate of SoLa Impact, aims to improve the lives of South LA residents and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by providing opportunities for education and economic mobility. SoLa's Technology and Entrepreneurship Center Powered by Riot Games is a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind center at the heart of South Central Los Angeles. Sola is developing its first expansion location of the SoLa Tech Center in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, to be completed in 2025. SoLa provides the community with skills-based technology programming, as well as scholarships and career development opportunities for underinvested communities to ensure Black and brown Angelenos get increased access to jobs, mentorship, and placement in the most competitive fields of business. Learn more at www.thesolafoundation.org.

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SOURCE SoLa Impact