YOUTH-LED ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT CONVENING

Friday, February 13, 2026 | Los Angeles, CA

Crenshaw Family YMCA

OVERVIEW

Los Angeles is entering a once-in-a-generation moment. Over the next several years, the region will host an unprecedented series of global sporting events bringing new investment, workforce demand, and global attention to LA.

Activate LAEEA is a youth-led, multi-year initiative designed to ensure these moments translate into lasting economic mobility for young people—especially those who have been historically excluded from opportunity.

This convening brings together BIPOC young adults, employers, public systems leaders, philanthropy, education partners, and community organizations to align around a shared strategy for the region’s mega-events economy—and to take the first concrete steps toward implementation.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Activate LAEEA is a youth-led economic empowerment strategy that uses Los Angeles’ mega-events as a coordinated runway—starting in 2026 and scaling through 2028 and beyond.

The initiative centers young adults as:

Researchers, generating insights grounded in lived experience
Designers, shaping pathways tied to real opportunity
Influencers, guiding employer, system, and investment decisions

The February convening marks the public launch of this strategy and the beginning of sustained cross-sector collaboration.

WHAT TO EXPECT
AT THE CONVENING

Participants will engage in a dynamic, youth-centered experience that includes:

The unveiling of the Activate LAEEA Youth Economic Empowerment Roadmap, designed by BIPOC young adults from across LA County
Cross-sector dialogue focused on early commitments tied to hiring, paid work-based learning, training, entrepreneurship, contracting, and community investment
Alignment across employers, public systems, philanthropy, and education partners around shared timelines and accountability across upcoming mega-events
A featured, interactive activation delivered in partnership with The Hidden Genius Project

This convening is not a one-time event—it is the starting line for sustained collaboration across LA’s mega-events economy.

Featured Activation

Tech Slam with The Hidden Genius Project

Throughout the day, participants will experience elements of The Hidden Genius Project’s Tech Slam—an immersive activation that leverages the energy of All-Star Weekend to expose young people to career pathways at the intersection of sports, technology, and innovation.

The Tech Slam is designed to:

Spark curiosity and awareness among young people
Create authentic interaction between youth and partners
Serve as a gateway to longer-term programs and pathways, including deeper engagement with The Hidden Genius Project and aligned partners

Programming will be delivered through structured rotations to ensure clarity, flow, and meaningful engagement for all participants.

Youth Leaders & Advocates

Young people are not just beneficiaries—they are leaders and co-designers. This convening elevates youth insight, lived experience, and solutions as central to shaping LA’s future economy.

Employers & Industry Leaders

Align early on hiring needs, paid work-based learning, training pipelines, and contracting opportunities—creating shared workforce strategies that scale across multiple events rather than fragmented, short-term activations.

Community-Based &
Youth-Serving Organizations

Center access, equity, and youth voice while strengthening connections to employers, systems leaders, and long-term pathways for young people.

Educators &
Training Partners

Help ensure credentials, paid learning, and career pathways are aligned to real workforce demand across the mega-events economy.

Public Sector & Workforce System Leaders

Align timelines, investments, and accountability with employers, education partners, and philanthropy—strengthening existing public strategies while centering young people in the region’s economic legacy.

Philanthropy & Funders

Engage in a high-leverage opportunity to invest in systems alignment, coordination, and youth leadership—turning short-term activations into durable economic mobility outcomes that extend well beyond 2028.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND AND WHY

Activate LAEEA is designed for leaders and partners committed to co-designing a coordinated, youth-centered economic strategy across Los Angeles’ mega-events.

Who This Event Is Best For

Leaders and partners who are ready to:

Commit to longer-term collaboration, not one-off participation
Align across sectors and systems
Help shape pathways that begin in 2026 and beyond

Who This Event Is Not For

This convening is not a hiring fair, pitch competition, or standalone conference. It is a working session designed to launch a sustained, cross-sector strategy with youth leadership at the center.