Updates Week of July 18, 2022

SUPPORTING LA'S INNOVATORS

EWDD administers and supports several incubators in the City of Los Angeles through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, including Sustainable Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), which supports food entrepreneurs. SEE-LA's Seasoned Accelerator program empowers local food and beverage businesses by providing industry specific mentorship and business development courses. Since its creation, the program has worked with 32 small and micro-food businesses, including Sno con Amor, who participated in the second year of the program.

Learn more about EWDD's Incubators

WITH MENTORING, SNOW CONE BUSINESS POPS

Sno con Amor founder Lauda Flores grew up in the kitchen of her mom and dad’s ice cream parlor, Los Alpes Paleteria, in Huntington Park. From the age of 8, she was making Mexican paletas (popsicles), sno cones, & homemade ice cream with unique flavor innovations. At the time of joining the SEE-LA Sea soned Accelerator program, Lauda (pictured above) didn’t have a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve for Sno con Amor, but after being paired with her Consumer Packed Goods (CPG) coach Charlie Berkinshaw, founder and operator of Element Shrub, a seven-time award-winning line of non-alcoholic cocktail mixers and with her marketing coach Jocelyn Ramirez, founder of Todo Verde, Lauda’s goals became clear. She wanted to expand the sno pops to the CPG space and grow her online presence.

Since completing the program, Sno con Amor has flourished. Not only was Lauda selected by the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission (LASEC) to cater the Super Bowl LVI after party, but her story and products have been featured in local and international media. Lauda’s sno pops can be found in hotels throughout LA and Ojai, as well as in boutique grocery stores in multiple locations, including Echo Park, Highland Park and Venice.

Every Sunday, her sno pops are available at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, where you can meet this wonderful human in person.

The SEE-LA Seasoned Accelerator program helped Lauda overcome the challenging aspects of her business’ pandemic pivot: providing sustainable strategies for social media, e-commerce, and online customer growth, she said.

“As a catering/event-based business, the program supported my ambitions to not only keep my business afloat, but grow with new products and a revamped business model. My favorite thing about the program was the one-on-one relationships that I built with my mentors. These relationships were invaluable when it came to scaling my business, receiving holistic advice tailored to the specific needs of my business based on genuine conversation and care. Many business accelerator programs fall short by providing blanket solutions to specific problems and the Seasoned Accelerator program mentors really exceeded my expectations.”

Sno Con Amor is based in LA City Council District 1.

BSC HELPS BAKE COOKIE SHOP

Hyung Chul Kim is the owner and the main pâtissier of Brown Bag Cookies, a newly established dessert shop in the heart of Los Angeles. Graduating from a culinary school of arts and moving to LA about ten years ago, Hyung Chul (pictured above right) always dreamt of having his own restaurant, but he did not feel quite ready to turn his dream into a reality. During COVID-19, he finally decided to take a bold leap when he lost his job as a restaurant manager. He actively looked for financial help to start his business, but he had difficulty getting a traditional business loan without proper paperwork. He decided to consult SBA directly, where he was introduced to the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) Finance Corporation, an SBA lender, and the Pico-Union/Westlake BusinessSource Center (BSC), also overseen by PACE.

When Mr. Kim contacted the Pico-Union/Westlake BSC, he had a specific goal to open his new business. Pico-Union/Westlake BSC counselors provided Hyung Chul step-by-step assistance in creating a comprehensive business plan and building his financial records to increase his financial capability. The counselors also helped him obtain the necessary business permits and licenses required to operate in the City of Los Angeles. After spending about three months in the preparation stage, Mr. Kim successfully applied for an SBA microloan with PACE Finance Corporation and was approved.

Finally, after spending about three months working together with the Pico Union/Westlake BSC Loan Coach in preparation for the loan documents, Hyung Chul successfully received his SBA microloan for $50,000. This funding allowed him to secure a lease for his business location, complete his tenant improvements and purchase baking equipment with his own capital. Most importantly, Hyung Chul was finally able to accomplish his lifelong dream of having his own shop. Running his own business allowed him to stop working nights and spend more quality time with his family on weekends, who continue to support him through this journey.

EWDD’s BusinessSource Centers offer a variety of Business Services, including several Financial and Development Incentive Programs and a Small Business Loan Program. Learn how EWDD can help your business grow and succeed.

Brown Bag Cookies is located in LA City Council District 10 at 3450 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 106, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

For more information, visit www.brownbagcookies.net or call (213) 221-4177.

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If you have any questions, comments, or wish to have a contribution considered for inclusion in an upcoming "Updates," please feel free to contact Jamie Francisco at (213) 744-9048 or Jamie.Francisco@lacity.org