April 09, 2021

Partnership Helps Boost L.A. Small Businesses by Design

Art and Design Experts Collaborate with Entrepreneurs to Enhance Regional Economy

ArtCenter College of Design today announced a partnership with the City of Los Angeles that will provide small business owners with design, technology and marketing services to prepare L.A.’s small businesses for post-pandemic recovery and stimulate the local economy. Since the LA Optimized initiative launched, more than 350 local businesses have been accepted to the program. LA Optimized will implement new technology and creative practices with the goal of ultimately boosting businesses’ bottom line. The initiative aims to serve 1,000 small businesses in L.A. County by the end of the year.

“We’re thrilled to be making a meaningful impact on L.A.’s economy by linking artists and designers to local business owners in need of support as they pivot to new business practices and online operations,” said Robbie Nock, ArtCenter's director of Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice. “It’s gratifying to introduce creative experts to these dedicated entrepreneurs and witness the power of art and design in direct support of the local businesses that connect LA’s many communities.”

“COVID-19 has changed the way our small businesses operate, market their goods, and sell their products — and reminded us that maximizing your presence online is absolutely essential to competing and succeeding in today’s economy,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We launched LA Optimized to help local entrepreneurs and employers go digital, and with the partnership of ArtCenter, we will give our shops, restaurants, retailers, and more the chance to take full advantage of the smartest designs and the latest technologies.”

According to research conducted by the City of L.A., most of the resources available to small business owners provide financing, accounting, operations and legal support. “There is a definite equity gap in knowledge when it comes to content strategy, marketing, branding and e-commerce,” said Leila Lee, an ArtCenter Illustration alumna, class of 2001. The L.A. Optimized and ArtCenter team is working to help business leaders understand how creatives are game changers when it comes to generating new business and delivering results.

Will Jackson is an excellent example of a small business owner who needed help reaching consumers. The founder of Medighee, a wellness food company, Jackson had a quality product, but lacked the skills to effectively convey his story and reach a targeted base of consumers. Lee and a team of ArtCenter alumni provided digital marketing strategies to help Jackson bring his story to life and enhance the quality of his website. Since the collaboration and implementing the concepts developed by the creative team, Medighee has reached revenue levels in 3 months that surpassed total gross revenue earned through a period of 3 years prior to receiving the assistance.

Additional research has proven that business owners tend to seek out contractors who look like them and speak like them. “This is an ideal opportunity to make unlikely introductions,” said Nock. “Our goal is to provide a diverse pool of creative collaborators to be connected with business owners who might not otherwise be aware of the talent that exists across L.A. county.”

“We’re working with entrepreneurs who may have done business the same way for 40 years to adapt to a new creative mindset,” said Lee. “We emphasize what artists and designers bring to the business model, not just making a package or website look beautiful but to generate real results based on communicating value and ultimately securing long lasting relationships with customers.”

“This has been an incredible two-way educational street of assisting business owners as they learn to collaborate and acquire creative tools, and, at the same time, help those in creative fields such as photographers, graphic designers and illustrators better understand business-to-business relationships,” explained Nock. “Creatives dive deep to learn what drives a business and then work together with the entrepreneur to produce outcomes knowing that the focus of their work is designed to enhance community wellbeing and economic development.”

The LA Optimized initiative has a cross institutional team dedicated to the effort including the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Office of Workforce Development, Entrepreneur-in-Residence Robert Martinez, alongside verynice and ArtCenter’s Professional Education department, Center for Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Designmatters, the social innovation NGO for the college.

The Mayor’s Creative Advisory Board, chaired by Matthew Manos, founder of verynice and an alum of ArtCenter’s Graduate Media Design Practices, is made up of a stellar group of 22 business and community leaders with ArtCenter, the official nonprofit tied to the project. The group includes Agustin Garza, Bailey Cool, Michelle O’Grady, Sheharazad Flemming, Rob McClinton, Yo Santosa, Louise Sandhaus, Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza and Grant Delgatty.

Mentorship has been shown to be one of the most important elements of economic development for a small business. Advisory board members will review applications to participate on the platform, serving as guides and mentors for the creatives who join.

To become involved, contact coronavirus.lacity.org/LAOptimizedCreatives.

Social Media:

Instagram: @artcenteredu @robbienock

Twitter: @artcenteredu @robbienock @LACity

LinkedIn: @artcenteredu @robbie-nock @city-of-los-angeles

Facebook: @artcenteredu @robbienock @CityofLosAngeles

About ArtCenter College of Design Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. ArtCenter offers 11 undergraduate and seven graduate degrees in a wide variety of industrial design disciplines. In addition to its top-ranked academic programs, the College also serves the general public through a highly regarded series of year-round extension programs for all ages and levels of experience. Renowned for both its ties to industry and its social impact initiatives, ArtCenter is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. Throughout the College’s long and storied history, ArtCenter alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live and important issues in our society.

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Contact:
Teri Bond
Director of Media Relations
ArtCenter College of Design
teri.bond@artcenter.edu
626 396-2385