Tuesday night, June 30th, marked an unforgettable milestone for our multigenerational digital marketing cohort, Marketing Impact Lab, which was designed for small businesses seeking control over their digital footprint and youth who are emerging professionals in content creation. After an intense 8-week journey, our powerhouse cohort crossed the finish line with 90% retention among small businesses and 82% in youth, which tells us we are doing something right. The stunning Verizon Innovation Lab in Playa Vista played host to the graduation ceremony.
This cohort tapped directly into South LA’s incredible youth talent by pairing local entrepreneurs with next-gen tech innovators from our South LA Best Buy Teen Tech Center. Over the last two months, these brilliant teams were trained in parallel to bridge the generational and digital gap, and address the digital branding needs of the small businesses. Each pair completed four projects over the course. Youth innovators engaged their new skills in content creation, and tech skills to help local businesses scale their online footprints, while our seasoned entrepreneurs applied their new skills in digital analytics and made data-driven decisions about their marketing throughout the program.
One of the most valuable outcomes from the program was the organic mentorship that came from the small business owners. They shared invaluable, real-world business wisdom with the participating emerging professionals.
Watching these two generations collaborate, break barriers, build trust, and build strategic plans and implement them together has been nothing short of inspiring.
Our resilient small business owners and our talented youth graduated with new tools, stronger networks, and a shared vision for South LA’s economic future. We could not be prouder of their dedication, creativity, and grit. Congratulations to the graduating class!
Testimonials from the graduation ceremony
“When my mom texted me to ask if I wanted to do this program, I was like, “Why not?” I was paired with Miss Lynea (Lynea Bell, Got Connections Foundation). I think what I got from this program was learning what it felt like to have someone rely on me, and understand the my work was really important to them. I’m an illustrator, but in this program I had to be a graphic artist, and a video editor. The program stretched me.” – Oriah Bernardez, Emerging Creative Content Professional Youth
“My small business was paying a company to manage our website and social and I didn’t know a lot about marketing our business before I took this course. When our instructor Kevin asked us to log into our websites, I could see that they weren’t doing anything for us. Things I learned to do from this class on my own, like understanding low to target our audience, led us to part ways with that company and save money. I am leaving this program with a lot of knowledge.” – Terran Hayes, PAD Elevators, Inc.
Marketing Impact Lab was presented by VSEDC’s SBA South LA Women’s Business Center and made possible by a generous grant from PNC Bank.
All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
