Live Nation Invests In Training Marginalized South L.A. Students In The Business And Technology Of Live Entertainment

In partnership with SoLa Impact’s SoLa Foundation, the leading entertainment company is investing in SoLa’s upcoming campus, SoLa Tech and Entertainment Center Powered by Live Nation, according to Billboard. Hosted at the new campus will be programs for multiple career paths, including the Live Nation Next Gen Program, which will provide “historically excluded youth” — between ages 16 and 21 — with training in the business and technology of the live entertainment industry. Music categories will include audio engineering and recording, coding, 3D modeling, entrepreneurship, and more, the outlet details.

What’s more, the training will be fully subsidized, the center will offer paid apprenticeships, and students will have the opportunity to learn from Live Nation staff and entertainment executives.

“We are incredibly inspired and encouraged by Live Nation’s continued partnership and their commitment to diversity and inclusion in the live music industry and beyond,” said Sherri Francois, SoLa Impact’s chief impact officer and executive director of the SoLa Foundation. “This is another amazing example of the power of mission-aligned corporate and nonprofit partners working together with focus and determination to solve seemingly intractable challenges.”

The mission for the center is to aid in closing the socio-economic access gap for careers in STEAM and entertainment fields.

“Live music isn’t a standard part of most schools and colleges, even though it continues to be a growing industry,” Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, added. “By partnering together with SoLa, kids learn the business of music and we help them get first-hand experience, which unlocks a whole new world of careers, which has been incredible to be part of.”

SoLa Tech and Entertainment Center Powered by Live Nation will be located in SoLa Impact’s Crenshaw Lofts development near Crenshaw and Leimert Boulevards in South L.A., according to the outlet. The center will open in 2025.