Hispanic Heritage Month Staff Spotlights

Reyes oversees that four of the 10 City’s BusinessSource Centers run smoothly by ensuring that contracts, budgets, and cash requests are completed and approved. Reyes is a first-generation Mexican-Guatemalan American. To Reyes, Hispanic Heritage Month “serves as a reminder of the contributions and diversity within the Hispanic community, allowing me to take pride in being the first Mexican-Guatemalan American in my family and to share these meaningful aspects of my culture with others.”

Yabrudy coordinates services for the JEDI Zones program in the South LA and North Hollywood corridors. In 2021, he moved to the U.S. from Venezuela, bringing with him his cultural traditions. He continues to enjoy the cultural tradition of playing the Venezuelan cuatro, a guitar-like instrument, with his family in what they refer to as "music mornings" - where they sing and dance to Venezuelan music. When asked what Hispanic Heritage Month means to him, he mentions, “it means a connection to my family and the culture that impacted me greatly [and it] reminds me of the responsibility of representing my people well everywhere I go.”

Hernandez leads the team that implements the City’s economic development strategies to help small businesses thrive. She was born in El Salvador and came to the U.S. when she was 10 years old during the Salvadoran diaspora resulting from the 1980s Civil War. More recently, she’s made it a family tradition to attend Salvadoran Heritage Night at Dodger Stadium, where she celebrates with thousands of other proud Salvadoreños while enjoying the baseball game. When asked what Hispanic Heritage means to her, Hernandez said, “[it] gives us an opportunity to share who we are and showcase our achievements (big and small) and the impact we’ve had and continue to have in this country. We’ve come a long way!”

Granado is responsible for the preparation and approval of EWDD’s budget, administrative policies, and contract administration. He is a mix of multiple generations and a proud Mexican American. To Granado, Hispanic Heritage Month “is a period of time to reflect and celebrate the Latino culture and identity that helps make the U.S. a wonderful country, rich with diversity. I am filled with tremendous gratitude for my family and acknowledge those who worked hard to help others achieve. There are countless stories of Latinos working hard to achieve success and this month helps serve as a reminder of how we can achieve success in our own way.”

Legacy Business Program Information Session for CD2 Business Owners

EWDD continues to collaborate with council district offices in an effort to enroll LA’s legacy businesses into the LA Legacy Business program’s registry. Businesses that have been operational for 20 years or more will have the opportunity to receive tangible benefits including technical assistance, promotional support, and access to capital, including grants. 

Last month, EWDD and Councilmember Paul Krekorian’s office held an information session to inform the district’s local businesses about the program’s application process and benefits. Krekorian emphasized the importance of qualifying businesses becoming part of the registry to gain access to resources that will be beneficial to their longevity and in preparation for upcoming major sporting events such as the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. “There will be opportunities that come up with the City or County where they need to find businesses that do certain services. If you are registered with the program, this gives you a leg up and hopefully this makes it easier to do business with the City,” said Councilman Krekorian.

Operator Highlight- Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD)

CRCD is a community development corporation in South LA that is dedicated to improving the lives of residents by addressing the needs of low-income and working-class individuals, at-risk youth, and small businesses. In partnership with EWDD, CRCD has provided comprehensive workforce and business development services in the South LA region through their WorkSource (WSC), YouthSource (YSC), and BusinessSource Centers (BSC).

In Program Year 23-24, CRCD’s Vernon-Central/LATTC WSC enrolled 1,029 adults and dislocated workers into WIOA via the CalJOBS system as well as placed 1,055 job seekers into part-time and full-time employment, ensuring that dislocated workers, veterans, and the formerly incarcerated can secure jobs with sustainable wages.

Additionally, from 2023-2024, CRCD’s YSC has enrolled over 847 youth into programs such as HIRE LA's Youth and LA:RISE. These programs offer 16-24 year olds paid work experience and access to educational opportunities, which puts them on an early path to develop work skills and succeed in their academic careers. 

CRCD not only helps individuals, but also ensures the small business community thrives. In just the past year, CRCD’s Southeast LA BSC has assisted 152 businesses with services such as consulting, entrepreneur training, and access to capital. These services have resulted in economic and sustainable employment opportunities for the South LA community.

EWDD Social Event  

In August, EWDD showed their competitive spirit for a game of Jeopardy, and mingled with snacks at a Tailgate party before heading over to the Crypto arena for the LA Sparks vs NY Liberty women’s basketball game. 

EWDD appreciates the commitment, hard work, and support staff members bring to the department on a daily basis and their contribution to LA’s workforce and business communities. EWDD looks forward to continuing festivities to encourage team building and collaboration.