James Fauntleroy, Mayor Karen Bass and Ri-Karlo Handy tour Creators @ Laboratory.
Photo Credit: Arnold Turner/Eclipse Content, courtesy of FrontPage Firm PR
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass joined Grammy Award winner James Fauntleroy, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and community leaders to mark the construction kickoff of Creators @ Laboratory, a transformative workforce development and entertainment production hub located in South Los Angeles’ Crenshaw Empowerment District.
“New jobs and new opportunities in the creative industry are coming to South Los Angeles, allowing community members to gain experience in the industry so that they can succeed,” said Mayor Bass. “The entertainment industry is core to our local economy and to our city’s identity, and Creators @ Laboratory is ensuring that South LA will continue to be home to accomplished creators, entrepreneurs and business owners.”
“Being from South LA myself, I’m extremely passionate about bringing an entrepreneurship program and easily accessible entertainment production to this area for each and every individual,” said singer, songwriter and producer James Fauntleroy, Founder of Creators @ Laboratory. “I want to thank Mayor Bass, Council President Harris-Dawson and everyone at the City of LA for supporting my vision and continuing to invest in South LA. With the laboratory, we’re showing people regardless of how they look or where they come from, that anyone is welcome to and can put their creativity to work.”
“The Laboratory is here to make sure South LA’s creative voice is not just heard but amplified in Hollywood,” said Ri-Karlo Handy, CEO of The Handy Foundation and member of Mayor Bass’ Entertainment Industry Council. “For me, this isn’t just about building a space — it’s about opening doors for underrepresented talent and making sure industry jobs stay right here in Los Angeles. I’m proud to stand with our partners and leaders who believe, like I do, that the future of entertainment must reflect the full breadth and brilliance of our city .”
The renovated facility will feature a state-of-the-art production studio, podcast recording spaces, classrooms, and a fully equipped soundstage to support training in podcasts, animated content, unscripted shows, and Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television channel content creation – all formats essential to today’s creator economy. Funded by a Catalyst Grant from the California Jobs First Los Angeles Collaborative and supported by the California Community Foundation, this project brings together Fauntleroy’s Laboratory, the BRIC Foundation, The Handy Foundation, and CVL Economics to train and prepare the next generation of content creators, post-production professionals, and media entrepreneurs. Investments like this further establish Los Angeles as the creative capital of the world – an effort that Mayor Bass has contributed to since she was Speaker of the California State Assembly.
Since taking office, Mayor Bass has worked to keep production local and protect jobs within LA’s entertainment industry including:
Issued Executive Directive 11 in May 2025 which makes it easier for studios and independent producers alike to shoot movies, television shows, and commercials here in Los Angeles by lowering costs and streamlining processes for on-location filming, and increasing access to some of the city’s most iconic locations.
Established an Entertainment Industry Council to draw on the expertise of industry leaders to keep production local.
Promoted a customer service-oriented culture towards the industry through ensuring each relevant City department appointed a film liaison, and strategized on policies that keep production and jobs in Los Angeles through Executive Directive 8.
Created new studio and sound stage concierge services, which cut red tape and provide direct assistance with city departments. The program has helped 7 new studios and sound stages. In addition, 8.1 million square feet of soundstage, media production, and associated creative office space are in the pipeline within the City.