Food & Hospitality
Initiative
Creative Economy Hubs
Building Opportunity Where People Live.
The challenge
What this is for.
Opportunity is usually somewhere else - downtown, across the county, on the other side of a two-hour transit trip. A hub puts the education, the industry contact, and the workspace in the neighborhood instead.
Strategy
What Music to the Ears actually does.
Establish creative hubs in the communities they serve
Join education, workforce development, arts, culture, and industry in one place
Run programming continuously rather than as visiting activations
Work with cities, employers, and community organizations on long-term operation
Partner types
- Cities and counties
- Workforce development agencies
- Employers
- Community organizations
- Libraries
- Philanthropy
Communities
- Neighborhood hubs
- Cities and counties
- Community spaces
What we aim to produce
- Creative education and industry contact within walking distance
- Local employment and enterprise attached to local programming
- A hub model that a city can fund and sustain
These are the initiative’s stated aims. Published outcomes appear in the related stories below as they are documented.
Programs inside it
What runs on the ground.
Related stories
Where you can see it.
Impact Story
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro LA
Connecting teens to music, technology, entrepreneurship, and creative career pathways.
Read the story
More initiatives
Other big ideas.
Tech for Teens
E-Waste Recycling & Technology Access.
Repurposing e-waste into functional tools for learning and creativity, and closing the digital divide for the students who need access most.
One Nation Under a Groove
Global Music & Arts Cultural Exchange.
A global cultural exchange connecting students through music, arts, and creative expression across cities, states, and countries.
Student Merch & Brand Lab
School-Based Creative Entrepreneurship.
Students design, develop, and launch official school merchandise and brand identities, turning campuses into real-world creative labs.
Partner on this initiative
Join Creative Economy Hubs.
Initiatives grow by adding partners with something specific to contribute: a workplace, a technology, a community, or funding.