Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise

Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise
Name	Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise
Abbreviation	LARISE
Formation	2012
Type	Nonprofit consortium
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Region served	Los Angeles County
Leader title	Executive Director

Los Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise is a Los Angeles-based consortium of nonprofit organizations, economic development agencies, philanthropic foundations, municipal departments, and community development corporations focused on supporting social enterprise in Southern California. The initiative convenes stakeholders from civic institutions such as City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and Los Angeles Community College District with funders including Ford Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, and California Community Foundation to pilot workforce and enterprise models in neighborhoods like South Los Angeles, Harbor Gateway, and Hollywood. It interfaces with policy bodies including the Los Angeles City Council, California State Legislature, and regional planning entities such as the Southern California Association of Governments to align programmatic goals with local economic development priorities.

Overview

The initiative functions as a regional intermediary linking actors such as LA Mayor's Office, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and Nonprofit Finance Fund to accelerate social enterprise formation across precincts including Downtown Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, and Gateway Cities. Through partnerships with academic institutions like University of Southern California, UCLA, California State University, Los Angeles, and Occidental College, LARISE supports capacity building, legal assistance from firms connected to Public Counsel, and impact measurement collaborations with research centers such as the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

History and Formation

The formation drew on antecedents including programs by LA County Development Authority, pilot projects led by Skid Row Housing Trust, and convenings hosted by LA Chamber of Commerce. Founding meetings involved representatives from Mayor Eric Garcetti's administration, the Los Angeles Business Council, and philanthropic leaders including Eli Broad-affiliated entities and Weingart Foundation. Early seed funding came from collaborations among Wells Fargo Foundation, Goldman Sachs Foundation, and public grants administered through California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Initial pilot cohorts were modeled on precedents from New York City Economic Development Corporation, Chicago Community Trust, and Ashoka fellowship networks.

Objectives and Programs

Core objectives include creating scalable social enterprises in sectors like urban agriculture in Watts, green jobs in Port of Los Angeles logistics, and creative industries in Echo Park. Programs span incubators co-located with LA Promise Zone sites, technical assistance provided with Small Business Administration-aligned counselors, and workforce pipelines run in partnership with Goodwill Southern California and Los Angeles Unified School District. Financial instruments include social impact bonds modeled after initiatives in New York City, revolving loan funds in collaboration with CalNonprofits Development Services, and pay-for-success contracts coordinated with California Department of Social Services.

Governance and Funding

A steering committee composed of representatives from LA County Board of Supervisors, City Controller of Los Angeles, Board of Directors of LA Chamber of Commerce, and nonprofit leaders from PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles, and Coalition for Responsible Community Development oversees strategy. Funding streams combine philanthropic grants from Knight Foundation, program-related investments from MacArthur Foundation, municipal contracts with Los Angeles Department of Aging, and federal grants from Economic Development Administration. Compliance and auditing draw on partnerships with KPMG, Deloitte, and regional auditors connected to California State Auditor.

Impact and Outcomes

Reported outcomes include job placements tracked through California Employment Development Department standards, business survivorship comparisons with Small Business Administration benchmarks, and neighborhood-level indicators monitored alongside Los Angeles County Department of Public Health metrics. Evaluations conducted with research partners such as RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and Brookings Institution have examined effects on income mobility in target communities including Compton, Inglewood, and Boyle Heights. Social return analyses reference methodologies from Stanford Social Innovation Review and measurement frameworks developed by Impact Reporting and Investment Standards advocates.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborative networks span municipal agencies like Los Angeles Housing Department, philanthropic consortia such as GivingTuesday partners, educational partners including California Community Foundation-funded programs, and corporate partners such as Target Corporation workforce initiatives and Amazon community grants. LARISE coordinates with national groups including National League of Cities, Economic Mobility Corporation, Democracy Collaborative, and Prosperity Now to share models used in regions like Seattle, Detroit, and Boston.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critics within advocacy organizations like LA Alliance for Human Rights and research commentators at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have questioned scalability, sustainability, and potential displacement effects tied to development in gentrifying neighborhoods like Silver Lake and Venice, Los Angeles. Legal scholars from USC Gould School of Law and UCLA School of Law have raised concerns about contract transparency when partnering with private firms such as CBRE Group and AECOM. Other challenges include coordination frictions with labor unions like United Food and Commercial Workers and Service Employees International Union, measurement attribution debates with The Brookings Institution, and funding volatility linked to shifts in priorities at entities including Carnegie Corporation of New York and Rockefeller Foundation.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Los Angeles County