LAEDC Panel: Economic Impact on Los Angeles’ Economy of Arts, Music & Culture

Wendy Raquel Robinson  

I'm Wendy Raquel Robinson and I am so proud to say, born and raised right here in South LA. I'm the Co-founder and Artistic Director for Amazing Grace Conservatory, where we use the arts as a career pathway for performance as well as everything else under the rainbow. We teach young people ages 5 to 18, and it's our 28th year, with over 10,000 alumni that have come out of Amazing Grace. 

Rafael Gonzalez 
Good morning, everyone. It's so wonderful to be here, and it gives me great joy when you have this type of organization, putting the arts on the platform because of the natural intersection that the arts have with the economy – we'll get into that a little bit later on, but I do want to highlight that because it's not every day, we're having these conversations outside of our respective spheres.  

My name is Rafael Gonzales. I'm the president and CEO of Grand Performances, we're right up the street from here. We've been around for 38 years and in a couple of years, we'll get to 40. We're talking about four generations of Angelenos that have enjoyed our music, art, theater, and poetry, for free. We have some of the most incredible artists in Los Angeles, and internationally, who come and share their stories through the arts. Our goal is to inspire community, and it's about celebrating our diversity in Los Angeles. How we do that is through the arts, and we do it through culture. I tell everybody that you don't have to go outside LA to see the world because the world is here.  

I remember when this whole area of Downtown was blossoming and because of the vision of former Mayor Tom Bradley, Grand Performances was created - we are the community benefit. The Mayor said if you want to redevelop seriously about the arts, then you're going to have to provide and that's how Grand Performances came to be.  

Snehal Desai   
My name is Snehal Desai, and I’m the Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group located just a few blocks away at the Music Center. We are the largest theatre company outside of New York City, one of the third largest in the country, having been around for 57 years.   

Much of what’s been said resonates because we do our jobs as storytellers, right?  

That’s what we do, and that's what our strength is. We haven't been telling a good story about our impact outside of the work we do, particularly regarding the economic and cultural impact that we bring to the city and also telling the story of the city. A lot of us are thinking about what we want to do over the next few years, and I've been here for more than a decade. Right now, there's a lot of talk about the ‘84 Olympics and I think we hear a lot about the past, but what are we going to do moving forward together? How are we going to make sure that the ‘28 Olympics have the same legacy 50 years from now? I’m excited for that.  

We have three theatre venues – Mark Taper, Ahmanson, and Kirk Douglas in Culver City. Altogether pre-pandemic, we were bringing almost a million people annually to Downtown, and those numbers have significantly changed. That impacts all indices in the area, having a large-scale economic impact, not just for the restaurants and bars, but even dry cleaners or other kinds of businesses in the area. We are working together to bring more folks down to downtown. 

Moderator   

In terms of what you said, sometimes when we think of the arts, music, and culture sector, we think about the artists themselves. Could you share your experiences in terms of who or what your organization touches because it's more than just the artist? It is so much more robust. 

Wendy Raquel Robinson  

I can begin and my journey is twofold. I’m a two-time Emmy award-winning producer and actress. I work in South LA with young people who look like me, and who also come from underserved communities. I want to talk about it on two votes because we don't consider all of the jobs in this industry.   

Beyond COVID, beyond the actor's strike, it was impactful because everywhere is art-related. I have alumni who are now at the White House, writing speeches for Biden. I have civic leaders who are doing incredible things in politics, intersecting with so many different things. Issa Rae is one of the greatest testaments I want to talk about as a success story. She created Insecure, the TV show, but she also created a career pathway and pipeline by hiring so many young people from Amazing Grace to do wardrobe, hair, makeup, lights, and scenic design. We don't look at all of the jobs available in the entertainment industry when you're just looking at Hollywood, but there are so many things that are just as impactful.  

Rafael Gonzalez 

I look at my performances as a growing industry because it's not just the artists that you see on stage, but it's everybody that's behind the scenes, talking about stagehands, production, and systems. We're talking about designers, electricians, and engineers – these are all jobs that we helped create at Grand Performances. We also pride ourselves as we look at the surrounding community around Downtown LA. You have Pico-Union, Echo Park, a historic Filipino town, you have Koreatown, South LA, Little Tokyo, and Lincoln Heights – these are all communities that have young people interested in the arts. For us to go out there and provide opportunities for these young people, we need to make sure that we can create those pipelines and pathways to the creative economy.  

I admire what Center Theater Group has been doing with your apprenticeship and internship programs by giving young people that opportunity to be in the thick of it. Of course, as a nonprofit organization, we have to commit to the training and to going out there because it's not coming to us. For us to celebrate and show the face that is Los Angeles, we have to go out there and do our homework. That means recruiting young people from not just the surrounding communities, but also the county.  

We're a region. We're not just a city and sometimes we forget that we're beyond Los Angeles. We have the Antelope Valley, we have the South Side, San Gabriel Valley, and Pomona – there are so many different geographies in Los Angeles, so it's important to reach out there. Our economic impact is incredible. Unfortunately during the pandemic, there was a major impact on our artists, but music saved us. You couldn't find a guitar because everybody was buying one; they were buying up ukuleles to learn how to make music. That's the transformative power that comes with the arts. 

Snehal Desai  

A couple of different things are tied to live performances as a local art form that keeps feeding and replenishing within the community so for all of our organizations, we try to hire predominantly local artists. The other thing about CTG labor is that these are good union jobs. As we know, there is a lot of alignment with unions and our elected officials, and I don't know if those stories have always been connected. As we know, there's no overnight success. Anyone who comes out of nowhere – they've been doing that for decades, and that's part of the ecosystem of how a career is built. We have a key relationship with Hollywood, and casting directors have taken many of our artists’ career development in a whole different direction. 

Right now, there’s a big divide between the responsibility of the tech sector and all of our community organizations, because they don't feel as though the sector is grounded in our community. Oftentimes coming and pulling up what they want, particularly in cultural and diverse pipelines to Hollywood or local arts organizations are key pathways. Towards that, institutions of color are key. The other thing is that we have a significant homeless problem in this city, particularly for homeless youth, they don't know what pathways are out there – they just don't know. At my previous institution, we partnered with the LGBT Center to do an internship program for homeless youth. Welcoming them in, one of them said I'm interested in fashion and design. What are the options? They only saw being a fashion designer as an option but didn't know that you could also be a dresser, or work in a wardrobe shop. Those careers also don't require a college degree, because there are fantastic jobs that can be done on a different career pathway. That's a lot of the ways we make a measurable impact right away on our community, particularly for these larger issues. 

Moderator 

You jumped right into one of the following questions, so let's dive a bit deeper. At LAEDC, we focus on the career pathways, and not just jobs. Good-paying career pathways will create generational wealth and for that to happen, you have to have a system in place.  

Could you share about how apprenticeship and internship programs can bring about that transformation? 

Snehal Desai 

We do several things. One of the things we do is job fairs. With the push for diversity in front of the camera, less apparent is the diversity behind the scenes. Those are thousands of well-paying career jobs because once you are trained to work at one of our places, you can then also work at any of the entertainment venues around us and suddenly you’re at the Olympics doing big-scale events.  

It’s also about connections with our educational institutions and with higher education. Right now, LAUSD schools have an infusion of money for arts, but they don't know what to do with it. They also don't know how to translate that into building a career pathway, so our institutions can help set up those structures for them and give them a little bit more flexibility. I think the other place that we've all discovered as a key to the city is our libraries. Our county and city libraries have opened their doors up for pathways to meeting new students or new introductions to the arts. We want to continue to uplift this because those libraries have become a hub in many different ways.  

Moderator  

One of the challenges we see is nowadays, especially with the younger generation, is that they don't know what a career pathway looks like. They're not exposed to job opportunities, right? There are so many different jobs and career paths available, but how do we inspire the next generation of young folks to understand their different passions? 

Wendy Raquel Robinson 

One of the things I take pride in is that we encourage them to tell their stories – to be the next shining light, and to take it to the next level where not only they’re telling their stories, but creating a world that will hire. Being that next mogul or that content creator. Another way we encourage our young people is, that I am giving back to the alumni, so now they're coming in and they're directing, writing, and they are our dance teachers. I want to say 90% of our staff are all comprised of alumni.  

One of the greatest things that we don't talk about is homelessness within the artists' community. I have working artists that cannot afford to live in Los Angeles. That's another dire issue right now, thinking about how we can support artists that are so talented, gifted, and out of the box thinking. It’s moved us to partner with different corporations and companies so our artists have opportunities to supplement. We provide an opportunity and platform for them to be seen, to be heard in a nonjudgmental environment. 

Rafael Gonzalez  

There are a lot of artists in this room, but you don't call yourself an artist. How many artists work in designing equipment, or transportation modes? It's amazing and again, we talked about how art is within you. It's something that you are deep inside, and we have to look at every industry, as an industry of artists. Art should not be siloed as something entertaining, or as an escape. It is not an escape – it is a way of life.   

When we think about the intersection of the arts and the economy, we have to look at expanding or incorporating the artists into the ecosystem. At Grand Performances, when you walk into our space, you're not walking into a performance, you're going to get an experience. When you walk in, there is a vendor's village with local artists and craftspeople who are selling their wares and their artwork. We have local caterers providing food and beverages. All these pieces are important for us because these are opportunities that we're providing to other individuals in the community. Again, looking at art as a way of intentionally integrating the economy – with the arts, culture, and people. 

Moderator 

Our partners and friends over at LA Tourism released a report last year, as we are recovering from COVID-19. One of the major reasons folks are visiting Los Angeles is because we have more museums than anywhere in the nation. We have such a rich cultural experience for folks to engage in. About 49.1 million people came to visit Los Angeles last year, spending over $40.4 billion in business sales. That's the impact portion of this ecosystem.  

Focusing more on the ecosystem itself, in terms of what people are coming for, what do you learn from folks around the nations around the world when they come to Los Angeles? What are they looking for and how does your organizational work fit into that? 

Snehal Desai 

I want to add one thing to your previous question, which is that we're all employers here as many of you are in the room. Right now, I worry most for the next generation – I feel like a whole generation has missed out on public speaking and how to deal with conflict. This is a place where we can have a partnership for that because kids need it. Institutions like ours can partner with businesses to help kids get that confidence. It is a major issue that will have an economic impact on the coming generations if we don't talk about it and find ways to address it. Not every job can be virtual, right? There are a lot of things that need to be done in person. 

The irony of what we've learned during the pandemic is that human nature wants to be together in space, we can't live isolated and alone. A couple of people can, but most of us cannot. We realized that we needed that, and we wanted it.  

What's happened is that we're very selective now about when we do it, because now, there are other demands on our time. I think we just lost the habit of it, and a lot of us are thinking, how can we do that? How can we create a habit of community building to come from the work that we're doing or the LA story?  

The larger thing is the tourism sector. We’re unique in that we have this other industry of Hollywood that we need to work with. We need to use it as an opportunity to connect more on the tourism front, and to uplift our communities because people don't know the stories of all the areas in LA. They think of Hollywood or certain areas, but we're a much more rich and diverse city in those ways. For our training, we used to bring in 500,000+ people throughout the season. This year, we had one of our strongest seasons and we brought 250,000+ people. Having to pause one of our venues in terms of programming, the state estimated that they're losing about a billion dollars in income from the performing arts sector not being back.  

It's a question of potential and bringing that back, but we haven't made an effort. We're still trying to do that, but financially, we're unable to fully operate or grow. 

Wendy Raquel Robinson  

I would love to piggyback on that, coming out of COVID-19, I saw the greatest impact. So many of my teams were talking about suicide; they had really gone inside themselves. It was difficult to get them to be freely and fully expressed. However, through writing and telling their stories, letting out their pain, and giving them something else to do besides being on their phones, I saw a positive change. 

During the pandemic, we pivoted quickly to Zoom. We had open mic nights and a program called the Blue Room. The Blue Room is a safe space where, for the first 30 minutes, we start the day by checking in and sharing what's going on. We partnered with Providence, who gave us a grant for mindfulness. This grant was crucial because mindfulness is often overlooked. Our young people, and everyone, are going through a lot. This platform provided them a safe space to be heard and to express their mental states, and we also involved parents. One of the greatest things that came out of this experience was the mindfulness practice, especially here in California, which is known for being mindful with yoga and other practices. I see the impact and the positive change it’s making for so many people.  

Rafael Gonzalez  

Yeah, we also had to make that pivot and be a lot more creative because, you know, we were shut down. We have a network of artists that are important to us, so keeping that economy going, keeping those jobs going, and challenging artists to be even more creative was a piece of work, but we managed to do it. There was so much we learned along the way, but I'll tell you, there is no alternative to being in a community, hearing live music, and coexisting with others. In 2021, about 7,000 people visited our open-air venue performances, which felt a bit more comfortable with arm's distance precautions. Last year, we had over 25,000 attendees at our grant performances because people were looking for opportunities to engage in creativity and get that vibe. This was very important for us to do, and we will continue to do that. 

However, the reality we are also facing is that production costs are increasing. It takes us forever to get our mixing board due to high demand and reliance on supplies from outside the US. Artist fees are also increasing, rightfully so. Since we are a free venue, we have to go out and raise money creatively. We have been thinking about sponsorships and reaching out to foundations. We have our own Grinberg revenue program, renting the stage for ground performances to generate income. For instance, we hosted an NBA commercial shoot and the City of LA Friability Song Festival, which helped us survive. 

One of the things I learned during the pandemic was the strong correlation between arts, health, and wellness. LA County has been actively working on this campaign, collaborating closely with the Music Center and other organizations. Recently, I established a partnership with a local community clinic, Momentum, which just bought a brand new building on Wilshire and Washington Park View. They are going to create a stage there and utilize resources from the Department of Mental Health. They will bring in arts, music, and culture as a way of healing the community. We are really excited about this initiative, and there’s a lot of great information coming out about the intersection of the arts with everyday life. 

Snehal Desai  

Another thing we can provide is visibility because we have a wide reach in the city, which boosts brand awareness. Corporate and cultural partnerships have become harder as everyone has to navigate complex structures, but there are creative ways for us to partner. You mentioned international cultural diplomacy in your pillars, which is highly valued by almost every other country. They support arts institutions to come here and raise awareness. We don’t do that as much, but it’s a key way to change stereotypes and perceptions about us and break down barriers.  

By taking local artists and companies international, we can showcase LA's story. There was some momentum for this, but it diminished during the pandemic. We think about international impact and outreach, and we need to focus on these partnerships to help our artists gain visibility and foster cultural exchange. 

Moderator   

What's your recommendation from this group? How do we deepen those engagements internationally? Last week, we had our Select LA Investment Summit where our friends at the Port of Long Beach hosted us, and we were able to bring representatives from over 30 countries to Long Beach. We really started focusing on that interaction, talking about trade.  

So, what can we do within our lane at the LEDC to support this cultural exchange? 

Wendy Raquel Robinson  29:11   

IJust last week, I was able to host Pulsations LA. I don't know if you've heard about that, but it was part of the Cultural Olympiad that went from Leimert Park to Paris. One thing it did was bring global attention to Leimert Park, a wonderful cultural hub in LA. It brought together many international musicians, like the Japanese-American, Jazz Ensemble, and globally renowned spoken word artists. More events like this, showcasing LA not just as an entertainment capital but also as a diverse melting pot, are crucial. They give artists an opportunity to showcase not only their talents and gifts but also to earn a paycheck, which was very important for us as well. 

Rafael Gonzalez    

Yeah, I think the convenience that you talked about with the delegations is important. We should definitely have an artistic angle where we can showcase the amazing artists that we have here in Los Angeles. As we work on an international stage, we should also have an exchange program in place. 

At Grand Performances, there’s a balance of two schools of thought. One is that we want to offer a space for all our local artists who represent the world. The other school of thought is that we also want to have a stage for international artists who come to us for similar reasons. It's not an either-or situation; there's a way of actually balancing both. We want our communities to experience the incredible international artists who have influenced many of our genres here, while also recognizing that LA has a very powerful influence over international music and art. Being able to share some of that would be very validating.  

Plus, you mentioned an "unusual suspect" being the messenger for arts and culture in Los Angeles. I understand and respect that perspective because it's not every day we're having conversations with folks outside the art sphere. Strengthening those relationships and intersections is important. Hearing from you about how we, as an arts community, can have more of an impact is crucial. This is one of the ecosystems of relationships that we need to foster. 

Snehal Desai 

Yeah, I mean, I think for all of these things, what you want to do is create an experience that's unique and sticks in their mind, or that they remember. And I think that's how you engage. Like, I think we're going to remember this space and this building, right? Look around this. I wasn't expecting to get off on an unfinished floor, but now I have a new view of the city and a new engagement and thought of what happens here. I'm going to go out and talk about it. It's a thing where if you take an artist with you, and then at the end, they create a graphic based on the reflections you've shared, that's something for a client or someone to keep with them, or to remember to come to a wall. And that visual says a lot or will bring a lot of memories back to their head. 

So I just think, where are there opportunities for that? Where's the opportunity for us to be in these dialogues, in these rooms, and conversations? Where are the opportunities for us to host a radio to our sites? I think everyone knows we have a beautiful city with beautiful weather, and there's never a bad night at the Hollywood Bowl, as we often say. Everyone remembers that, and they'll deal with whatever the traffic is because, you know, it's a great night. I think that's where we have a lot of gems and hidden secrets that, as we bring folks in, they're going to fall in love with the city. The key is for us to put the artists on that stage. 

Another thing is, artists right now, everything's for free. So I think the other thing is where we can partner to make sure artists are getting paid. Because we're just used to consuming everything online, so we're used to, "Oh, we like that picture, I'll just print it, I'm not going to buy it." That's what's making it hard for artists to have a sustainable career. 

Moderator   

One of the things that we also want to do is, as we're looking at activation for the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, international communities are now looking at Paris. They're not just going to Paris for the Olympic Games; many countries start establishing their headquarters and operating bases a year in advance. This allows them to facilitate communications and act as the conduit between all the athletes who arrive early for training. As they do this, we start hearing about things called country houses, where countries like Australia open houses or committee houses. During these events, there's a whole year of activation planned, which includes hiring artists for murals and performances for cocktail receptions. 

For us in LA, it would be great to have synergy between the Board of Governors and the arts, music, and culture industry. This synergy would involve having a base of performers, talents, artists, and companies ready to deliver. So, when requests come in, we're prepared immediately. We were also talking about the county's economic mobility initiative and technical training programs that could prepare these artists and small companies for these contracts. For instance, they might ask, "Can you design 15 murals, and do you have the ability to scale quickly?" These are areas where we'd love to collaborate with ESRI. 

Rafael Gonzalez 

I love that. Part of that is figuring out how we can institutionalize something like this and make it permanent, rather than just reacting to events such as the Olympics. It's about creating a connected database that continually works on identifying the next opportunities for us. 

Moderator 

Absolutely, the things we were discussing, including the focus on a particular approach, aim to develop industry-specific blueprints for the next three to five years. This involves step-by-step instructions on who will do what, making it very clear. This approach eliminates guesswork in terms of how these artists will secure contracts. Without this clarity, it's just performances without meaningful impact on wealth generation. This is where partnerships become crucial, and we hope to engage with the Board of Governors on this initiative. Also, another reminder: save the date for your LEDC Summer Mixer at the Music Center on July 25. 

Wendy Raquel Robinson 

Additionally, one thing I took away from Pulsations LA was the representation of 30 countries in a 10-minute pulse of music. Music, as an international language, speaks volumes. It was inspiring to witness so many live musicians, which is something I believe we should emphasize more here. Music has a profound impact; it speaks to our souls and communities. It provides young people in South LA with a valuable outlet, as we saw with the impactful halftime show at the Super Bowl featuring Dr. Dre. 

Moderator  

I don't want to stray too far from discussing the lasting impact of COVID on our organization and industry. Earlier, we mentioned that our Institute for Applied Economics conducted a research study in 2021. We found that in the first two months of COVID, LA County lost 780,000 jobs. Among the five hardest-hit industries, two were arts, entertainment, recreation, and motion picture and sound recording combined. Together, these sectors lost 160,000 jobs, equivalent to the size of major cities in the US. That's the scale of job loss we experienced. 

As we now focus on recovery, last year's strikes also affected Hollywood's ability to bounce back. What lasting impacts are you experiencing due to COVID? How has it transformed your organization and industry? 

Wendy Raquel Robinson  

Well, we're a small nonprofit, but we've gone paperless, which cut out a lot of things. Unfortunately, we lost many teachers during COVID because we couldn't sustain them. This added to our administrative burden. However, I do want to say that COVID did bring positive changes for us; it forced us to think outside the box. It pushed us to approach recruitment differently, as we lost many students and families moved away from Los Angeles, significantly impacting our enrollment. But now, on the upside, the arts provide much-needed human connection. We're slowly rebuilding that connection with our young people, who need contact and human connection. Community, when I look at it, is that common unity, that one common denominator that reminds us we all need each other to thrive. 

COVID dealt a huge blow to the industry. On the Hollywood side, I saw many jobs merging into one. Art departments, where you used to have separate roles like set decorators, prop departments, and designers, now often operate under one umbrella. It's more work for many people but fewer jobs and opportunities for others. That's a significant challenge as well. 

Rafael Gonzalez  

I completely agree with that. One observation I've had is the economic challenges that artists face daily. It's not just the Hollywood celebrities who make up the 1%—we're talking about the 99% of artists who are struggling to make ends meet, trying to pursue their passion.  

On the advocacy front, Los Angeles has a crucial organization called Arts for LA, an advocacy group. I also serve on the board of California for the Arts, a statewide advocacy organization. We're actively advocating for artists to have access to health benefits and affordable living spaces. Looking at all these advocacy efforts, they are critical for us, especially as we aim to broaden our support base. Arts organizations and their allies must collaborate to drive policy change. This is where the partnership with LEDC becomes crucial. If there's one thing I want to emphasize, it's that our artists need support. They deserve fair pay, access to housing, and health benefits. They are the backbone of our society, and we must show up for them. 

Snehal Desai 

The other interesting thing is that right now, there's this period where we're kind of looking back on the pre-COVID times with rose-colored glasses, but we know that those weren't always the best times, right? Particularly for our sector, I would say the problems we're facing now were brewing before the pandemic; it just accelerated and made us more distinctly aware of them. I think the opportunity now is that nothing is sacred—everything is open to change and dialogue. 

Before the pandemic, there were no people of color leading any of the top theatre companies in this state. That has allowed for generational change. The audiences we're trying to attract and cultivate is now a major focus that wasn't given as much attention before the pandemic. We're also looking at accessibility in new ways. Additionally, we're looking to build more inclusive communities and to be more outdoors, which ties into larger environmental concerns in Southern California right now. 

For me, I'm always looking for solutions within the problems. I keep thinking about graffiti in the city—everyone talks about it and promotes it, but those are artists, right? Those kids, I don't know how they get to those places, but they are artists. Why aren't we reaching out to them and showing them that there's a constructive pathway for their talents that benefits everyone involved? I believe we need to continue to creatively partner in these ways as we look forward. 

Moderator 

As we're wrapping this up, we talked about the challenges, and we talked about things that we can do. How can the Board of Governors of LAEDC support the work that you do? 

Wendy Raquel Robinson 

Wow, so many ways. Number one, open forums like this, because where there's information, there's power. We need a theater right now, and just bringing us all together. We cannot even afford to do the shows that we have been doing before because costs are going up. So I look at our young people, and coming from South LA, there were drugs, there was teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, and all of that, but because I was invested in dance, drama, in seeing something greater than my four walls and my surroundings, it opened up for me.  

Investing in the arts is important for our young people, for the city, for the livelihood of teachers, for all that is going out. By investing in our nonprofits and supporting the arts – not just by giving a dollar, but by really coming out, bringing your family, going to the great performances. It broke my heart to see some of the theaters closing because we just can't afford to buy the space to perform. So – thank you. 

Rafael Gonzalez 

Yeah, I would say the same thing. Invest in the art sphere because we all know the transformative power, the impact. Getting to know organizations like ours is great, getting to partner in creating relationships where we can utilize the arts as a change agent, as an economic driver, we need to do more. 

I really applaud LAEDC for bringing us together to start, and hopefully we can continue this conversation. And you talked about accessibility. Accessibility is what it's all about. We all talk about access, and I can't expect all of our Angelenos to come to member offices because there are still obstacles that stand in the way, even though we're free, right?  

There are issues around transportation, economics, and other challenges that face working-class and working poor people, and we want to make the arts and the music community accessible.  

Right now, we're raising money to get grant performances out into neighborhoods by utilizing a workforce model that will train young people to create their own productions in the community. But the only way that we're able to do that is not by parachuting into the community, but by establishing relationships, establishing trust, and selling themselves out there and partnering with others because we're not going to do it by ourselves. It always needs to be a collective effort, and getting to work with these respective organizations for us will be definitely a privilege, but your support, your investment in the arts and creating more accessibility is key. Then, of course, there's always an arts angle in the work that you do, the messages that you carry. 

Snehal Desai 

Get a wonderful intern, do some really great research, share that. But you know, I think the other thing is, in the last three to six years, really great ideas provide company-wide training through the LEDC Business Assistance Program for management and leadership teams. Oftentimes, folks opening up arts institutions as businesses, particularly small businesses, where it is artists and founders who have created it, and they may have artistic training but not business or economic training. They are looking for that partnership and that insight. Facilitate relationships for arts organizations to access local, state, and federal grant programs. Policy advocacy, which we talked about, advocate for policies that support their sector. Assist in marketing research and data analysis like with your Institute for Applied Economics. I think we're all looking for data and information, and any data we have is going to be useful across the board. So how can we partner in showcasing the work that we're all doing through our communication channels whenever possible? Of course, like today, just showing up. 

Moderator 

Before I save the hardest-hit questions for the very end, it's going to make people uncomfortable, but we learned during COVID how to cope. When you are coping, what performance do you go to relax yourself? I'll start. Whenever I'm in distress, I like to watch Miss Congeniality because I love Miss California. 

Wendy Raquel Robinson  

I love to laugh. Laughter is healing, it's the chicken soup to my soul. I don't have any biological children, but like I said, I have raised over 10,000 children throughout my tenure at Amazing Grace Conservatory, and I love to use music. It's like the soundtrack to my life. 

Rafael Gonzalez  

Music, music. I have three children, and they all play instruments. They play the guitar, they play the bass. They literally picked up the bass because they knew the bass player, and was like, "Well, I want to be in the band, and I want to be the bass player because there are not a lot of bass players." So that brings great joy to me, and I remember during that period, performing a Willie Nelson song, you know, the Texas Tornadoes. That just brought so much joy during that period, and I know that I have a place to go to keep myself safe. 

Snehal Desai 

I just started during the pandemic, but just going to the beach. You know, I tried to get myself into a regular pattern, even though it always feels so far away, and then once you're there, you're like, "Oh yes, we live in Southern California."  

Anytime out there in the fresh air, it just clears my head very quickly. Whenever I need a short infusion of emotional connection, I don't watch America's Got Talent, but I always watch the Golden Buzzer moments on YouTube, and I'm always just in awe of the talent and the creativity of those kids in it.  

Moderator 

Thank you so much for your insights and everything that you shared. Looking forward to working with you. Please help me in thanking our panelists.