Offering access to about 2,000 service providers in the area, Our Community L.A.'s WIN app has quietly become a key tool for L.A.'s homeless looking for housing, meals, jobs and more — over 95% of whom have a mobile phone.
Here's what else we're reading in the news:
- L.A.'s Transportation Department gets a $6 million grant to install solar and storage grid to support its fleet of EV buses.
- Apple aims to break ground on its new L.A. campus in 2023.
- L.A.-based Livestreaming company LiveOne launches a new membership program.
- The Port of L.A. takes another step toward transitioning its trucks to EVs.
- Mindfulness startup Open raises $9 million.
- West Hollywood votes to hike minimum wage to $17.64 per hour.
This App Helps Homeless Angelenos Access Services
Our Community's WIN app doesn't track the behavior of individual users, but its creators do keep track of overall user patterns. That's helped homeless service providers see where needs aren't being met, "for example, bad weather leads to an increase in shelter services. Good weather leads to people looking more for educational and job resources."
Pediatric App Huckleberry Raises $12.5 Million
The app allows parents to track everything from feeding to pumping sessions, how often a diaper needs to be changed. Parents plug in various information about their child the app predicts the optimal time to put a child down for a nap so they sleep better through the night.
Bird’s First Day on the NYSE
Bird, the Santa Monica-based firm that makes and rents electric scooters, ended its first full day as a publicly traded company with its stock price up by a fraction of a percent at $8.40 per share. Now trading under the ticker "BRDS," Bird's CEO said that the funds will fuel its growth and further its mission of providing "environmentally friendly transportation for everyone."
From Printer to the Catwalk
The Kornit Fashion Week's Los Angeles event wasn't a typical fashion show: Every article of clothing on display was created using digital printing technology. "Sustainability is the key factor that we are driving. As you all know, this industry is the second most polluting industry," said Kornit CEO Ronen Samuel.
Why Social Leverage’s Gary Benitt Invests Early
Before he started working at Social Leverage, Gary Benitt spent 18 years building companies in the customer service and support software space. On this episode of the LA Venture podcast, Benitt discusses his role at Social Leverage, the fund's investments in Robinhood and Rally Road, and his investing style of investing early and leaning in.