Inside SoLa and Riot Games’ State-of-the-Art Center in South LA's 'Tech Desert'

Samson Amore

Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.

Inside SoLa and Riot Games’ State-of-the-Art Center in South LA's 'Tech Desert'
Image courtesy of SoLa Impact

It’s a blisteringly hot afternoon as high school students stream out of the Diego Rivera Learning Complex in South Central Los Angeles. What these teens don’t yet know is that a brief walk down the alley behind their bus stops at Central and 60th, there’s an oasis of air conditioning and state of the art gaming equipment waiting for them – SoLa Impact’s Tech and Entrepreneurship Center, sponsored by Riot Games.


The minute the gates on E. 61st street open, it’s easy to forget the clutter and chaos of South Central’s industrial alleys as the clatter of nearby recycling shops fades. But it’s not always this quiet at the Beehive, according to SoLa’s chief impact officer Sherri Francois and director of partnerships Daniel Rosove.

The facility had its grand opening Aug. 11, welcoming in 200 people to explore the campus and learn about SoLa Impact’s various programs, which are run through its nonprofit I CAN Foundation. The next round of programs begins Sept. 11, 2022. There’s a one-time annual $25 membership fee, which includes unlimited access to the Tech Center and its gaming lab. The I CAN Foundation also offers scholarships, and recently helped send 25 students to college this fall.

SoLa’s mission is to bridge the digital divide between the greater L.A. tech economy and its minority population. Its mantra, Francois said, is “if you can see it, you can be it.” Those words are in several places in the Tech Center to remind the students (ages 8-18) who come through the doors of their potential, including a mural and desktop wallpapers in the center’s sparkling new computer lab.

“South L.A. is a tech desert,” Francois told dot.LA. “Less than half our service population have computers in their homes, [and] the majority of our local schools lack any type of technology programming, or tech enrichment… the access to technology training is dismal.”

Riot Games recently stepped up and donated $2 million to help launch the center. Its co-founder and president Marc Merrill also donated funds. Other local sponsors include Snap Inc., which also ran a Snap Summit to teach students about mixed-reality, the L.A. Kings, the L.A. Rams, LiveNation and its CEO Michael Rapino. Additional donors include Oprah Winfrey, NWA’s Arabian Prince, and mayor Eric Garcetti’s Angeleno Connectivity Trust.

“What drew us to SoLa was this was a neighborhood for the kid to kind of come in and see what is possible,” Riot Games’ director of social impact Jeffrey Burrell told dot.LA.

A minimum of 1,000 students are expected to come through the Tech Center’s doors in its first year.

"SoLa has been one of the most impactful programs I have ever been a part of," J.J. Flores, a 2021 SoLa scholarship recipient and current environmental studies major at USC, told dot.LA via email. "SoLa provides me with yearly care packages, they made a mini-doc to feature my story, and they provide me with an incredible network of people that truly believe in my potential and want to see me succeed."

Flores added, "seeing the entire program evolve into a bigger and better thing by the day... with its new tech and entrepreneurship center, a space for community events... is such an inspirational thing because it shows me that they're doing all this because they truly see the potential that South LA students like me have."

Here’s a look inside the Tech Center—though Francois and Rosove both encouraged people to drop by and see for themselves. “Outside of Riot and Snap, we haven’t been able to tap into the L.A. tech industry,” Francois said. “One of our goals is to establish better partnerships,” she said, adding that most CEO’s haven’t yet come to visit, but she’d welcome a drop-in.

SoLa Tech Center students participate in a workshop building PCs. Credit: SoLa Impact

First Impressions

Don’t mistake the icon for the London Underground logo–Francois and Rosove told me SoLa’s symbology was inspired by a Google Map pin. SoLa’s I CAN nonprofit is part of a larger umbrella of community initiatives including SoLa Impact, which manages 1,500 apartments for low-income residents, and it was the first to utilize the pin logo, Francois said.

Francois’s brick-lined office is nestled into the right corner when you enter, and on the left there’s some administrative offices. Behind the reception desk is a glitzy wall with glass plaques acknowledging the center’s donors. What really catches anyone’s eye is the neon sign above the check-in desk, proudly proclaiming “powered by Riot Games.”

“Absolutely none of this would be possible without Riot,” Francois said.

Computer Lab and 3D Printers

The computer lab is impressive, with brand-new Macs that would be at home at a visual arts college. Of course, there’s brand-new fiber optic internet, which Rosove said had to be installed from scratch, since the building – and most of South Central L.A. – isn’t wired for high-speed internet. “Most of the internet access is through phones for these folks,” he noted.

An anonymous donor recently contributed 10 3D printers, which will be used in a CAD design program to teach students how to create their own models. On a lab shelf – interspersed with Riot Games memorabilia from its hit “League of Legends” title – Rosove pointed out a couple of freshly printed Easter Island heads ( Moai) made recently by students, giving a big thumbs-up.

Emblazoned in bold colors on the wall dividing the computer lab from the kitchen area is Francois’s mantra, “if you can see it, you can be it.” Heading towards the gaming lab and jam room, there are two walls filled with plaques celebrating SoLa’s 124 scholarship recipients and a tantalizing row of four classic arcade games.

Across from the lab there’s a room for students complete with a green screen and closet retrofitted to be a podcast studio, basically the video production hub. As Francois got her start as a producer for CNN, NBC News and HGTV, it was important for her to have a media room for other people to learn the trade and create a portfolio. “That’s quite a core part of Sherri’s vision of folks have to be really building a personal portfolio as part of their time here,” Rosove said.

Image by Samson Amore

LiveNation Jam Room

A paradise for music lovers, LiveNation’s donation to SoLa helped fund its music room, which is complete with a sound board and everything needed to hold an open mic night or create a full band, including a drum kit where Rosove admitted he occasionally blows off steam during the workday.

There are tributes to the greats of West Coast hip-hop scattered around the room, including a framed copy of “The Chronic.” Across the hall there is a brand-new mixing studio funded in part by 1500 Sound Academy and N.W.A.’s Arabian Prince, who wanted SoLa to pass on production and DJ skills to a new generation.

LiveNation collaborated with SoLa on a program where students taking a 10-week course worked with its pros to put on its first local youth-led music festival, which was held on Aug. 12 with 15 live acts.

“It's set this great benchmark for what this program could be and what's really great is five of the students are moving on to internships at Live Nation,” Rosove said.

Image courtesy of SoLa Impact

Virtual Reality and Gaming Lounge

If most students using SoLa’s facilities are accustomed to using their phones to access the internet and game, they’ll be blown away by the tech here. Towards the back of the center there are four gaming chairs and a brand new PS5 and Xbox Series S waiting to be used by eager teens.

Across the way, there are a dozen Oculus headsets in an open space for kids to flail around and experiment in VR. “We piloted an educational software put together through Meta around virtual world building in the spring but didn't quite hit,” Rosove said, noting they’re still working out the kinks.

The Grand Finale

The darkened, LED-lit cavern in the very back of SoLa’s facility is the real draw. It’s the Riot Games esports center, a scaled-down version of the company’s flagship West L.A. gaming arena.

Soon, it’ll be the home base for SoLa’s student esports team, which will compete in Riot Games titles like “Valorant.”

Part arena, part gaming café, this place is all awesome. In the back there’s a DJ booth and professional-grade voiceover booth nicknamed the SoLa Streaming Studio for students to practice “shoutcasting,” or calling an esports match, and tons of TVs to broadcast the action live. Right before the entrance to the green room is a wall of gaming history collected by Francois, including some consoles younger students might never have seen before (feel old yet, Sega Genesis?).

“I guarantee you, coming out of this Tech Center, at some point, you will see the first World Championships right out of South Central,” Francois said about the esports teams. She joked the gaming content is “the chocolate on the broccoli,” the glitzy fun part that gets kids in the door and then inspires them to learn other skills in the gaming world.

Riot’s branding is all over the esports arena, which could also double as an event space – Francois said SoLa’s eager to work with companies for private events to help keep the lights on.

“I will not forget this, we opened the doors [in January] and the first two kids were middle school students – they turned to each other and one, he said, ‘oh my god, is this for us?’ And the answer is hell yeah, it’s for you,” Rosove said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional comment from a SoLa scholarship recipient.

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The $260M Robot Revolution Happening in Torrance

🔦 Spotlight

Hello Los Angeles,

Forget rockets. This week, the loudest move in the defense tech scene came from a factory floor in Torrance, where Hadrian secured $260 million to fuel its robot-run revolution.

The company, which builds AI-powered, robot-run factories for America’s aerospace and defense industries, announced the massive Series C raise, led by existing investors like Lux Capital and Founders Fund, along with a factory expansion loan facility arranged by Morgan Stanley. The funding will power Hadrian’s third factory (in Arizona), unlock full product manufacturing, and accelerate its mission to bring American manufacturing roaring back faster, smarter, and more automated than ever.

And here’s what makes them fascinating: Hadrian isn’t just churning out parts. They’re reinventing what a factory is. Their facilities look more like giant humming circuit boards than the smokestacks of old, packed with robots, AI, and ambition to move at the speed of software.

It’s the kind of vision you’d expect from a founder who speaks about reshoring U.S. manufacturing as if it were a moral obligation and then backs it up with billion-dollar contracts and steel-and-silicon proof.

We’ll be watching closely to see what Hadrian assembles next. One thing’s certain: the robots are already working overtime, and if you’re smart (or a robot whisperer), you might want to join them.

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Boulevard, a SaaS startup that helps salons and self-care businesses manage scheduling and operations, has raised an $80M Series D led by JMI Equity at a valuation near $800M. The funding will fuel enhancements to its AI-powered scheduling tools and support continued product innovation and market expansion. - learn more
  • Rwazi has raised $12M in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered decision-making platform, which helps businesses replace gut-based decisions with real-time insights and simulations based on consumer behavior. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures and will support the growth of Rwazi’s simulation engine and data infrastructure to help companies make more precise, data-driven decisions across marketing, product, and operations. - learn more
  • Lexington Bakes, an artisan bakery known for its gluten-free, organic oat bars and luxury brownies, has raised $1M in a seed round. The investment was led by Rainfall Ventures. The funding will help the company transition to co-manufacturing, expand its retail reach from about 100 to a projected 1,000 doors in the next year, and scale up its team and operations. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

  • TCG (The Chernin Group) participated in Substack’s latest $100M funding round, joining Andreessen Horowitz, and other investors. Their investment underscores confidence in Substack’s vision to grow its subscription publishing platform and expand its tools for independent writers and creators. - learn more
  • Acre Venture Partners participated in Zucca’s $5M funding round to help the Seattle startup scale its platform, which uses AI to design and develop plant-based food products faster and more efficiently. Their investment will support Zucca’s mission to create sustainable, health-focused foods and expand its operations. - learn more
  • Sound Ventures joined XMTP’s $80M Series B to back its vision of redefining how people communicate in the web3 world. With this funding, XMTP plans to scale its decentralized, privacy-focused messaging protocol, enabling secure, wallet-to-wallet conversations across the blockchain ecosystem. - learn more
  • Morpheus Ventures and Sage Venture Partners participated in Datavations’ $17M Series A funding round, with Morpheus joining as a new investor and Sage returning as an existing backer. Datavations, an AI-driven analytics platform for the building materials and home improvement industries, uses machine learning to deliver actionable insights on pricing, inventory, assortment, and supply chains. The funds will be used to grow the team, accelerate development of its Commerce Alert Hub, and expand its presence across North America. - learn more
  • Mucker Capital led the $3.3M seed round for Bidbus, an AI-powered consumer-to-dealer used car marketplace in the U.S. The platform enables car owners to auction their vehicles online and receive competing offers from dealers, while dealers gain access to high-quality inventory more efficiently. The funding will help Bidbus enhance its AI capabilities and expand into new markets. - learn more
  • Creative Artists Agency (CAA) participated as a strategic investor in Moonvalley’s $84M funding round, signaling strong industry confidence in the company’s development of a fully licensed, AI-powered video generation platform tailored for professional filmmakers and studios. CAA’s investment reinforces Moonvalley’s commitment to ethical AI practices and provides it with a direct pipeline to top-tier creative talent and entertainment partners. - learn more
  • MANTIS Venture Capital joined Zip Security’s $13.5M Series A funding round, backing the company's mission to deliver automated, AI-driven cybersecurity and compliance solutions. Their participation supports Zip’s efforts to expand its engineering team, build deeper platform integrations, and scale into regulated industry verticals like defense, finance, and healthcare. - learn more
  • Rebel Fund participated in Apolink’s oversubscribed $4.3M seed round, joining other notable backers such as Y Combinator and 468 Capital. By investing in this 19‑year‑old–led space tech startup, Rebel Fund is supporting Apolink’s mission to deliver continuous LEO satellite connectivity and facilitate its planned demo missions and constellation build‑out. - learn more

    LA Exits
    • Retina AI is to be acquired by Onar in a deal that will enhance Onar’s AI-powered customer analytics and personalization offerings. By integrating Retina’s predictive customer lifetime value technology, Onar aims to provide businesses with deeper insights into customer behavior and more precise targeting. The acquisition highlights Onar’s commitment to delivering data-driven solutions for optimizing customer relationships. - learn more
    • Nearsure, a U.S.-based tech services company with over 600 professionals across 18 Latin American countries, has been acquired by Nortal to bolster its AI and enterprise solutions in the Americas. Known for its AI-driven transformation, custom software, and partnerships with major platforms, Nearsure will merge into Nortal’s U.S. operations and rebrand later this year. The acquisition allows Nearsure to expand into U.S. and European markets while enhancing its AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise offerings. - learn more
    • InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, the event production company behind high‑profile sports events like The Pickleball Slam, Pro Padel League, and Major League Pickleball, has been acquired by GSE Worldwide, marking GSE’s first foray into live event production. Founded by tennis legend Jim Courier and Jon Venison, who will now serve as EVP and head of the new GSE Productions division, InsideOut’s team will integrate into GSE to help scale its live-event operations into new markets. - learn more

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      From Sunset Boulevard to Outer Space: LA’s Latest

      🔦 Spotlight

      Good Morning Beliebers and Los Angeles!

      While Justin Bieber’s new album dropped last night, here’s what else is making headlines in Los Angeles this week.

      Luma has opened its Dream Lab on Sunset Boulevard, boldly positioning itself at the forefront of AI-powered creativity. Known for transforming ordinary photos into cinematic 3D scenes, Luma is combining cutting-edge research with practical tools to build a playground for artists, engineers, and anyone ready to push the boundaries of visual storytelling. In their words: “From Hollywood blockbusters to the next generation of immersive media, this is where the magic happens.”

      Meanwhile, well beyond our skyline, SpaceX reportedly hit an eye-popping $400 billion valuation in a recent share sale, making it one of the most valuable private companies ever. The milestone reflects both investors’ fervor for the commercial space race and LA’s unrivaled role as the launchpad of aerospace innovation.

      LA continues to prove it can deliver on the ground, in the cloud, and far beyond the stars. See you next week.

      🤝 Venture Deals

      LA Companies

         
      • Varda Space Industries, the El Segundo–based company manufacturing pharmaceuticals in microgravity, has raised $187M in a Series C round led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, bringing its total funding to approximately $329M. The funds will support an increased launch cadence of robotic drug-production capsules, expansion of its El Segundo lab for biologic drug crystallization, and broader efforts to scale commercial microgravity-driven drug formulation and hypersonic reentry testing. - learn more

      LA Venture Funds

      • Rebel Fund participated in Vellum’s $20M Series A round, which was led by Leaders Fund. The company helps businesses build and optimize LLM-powered applications. Vellum plans to grow its team and speed up product development with the new funding. - learn more
      • Bold Capital participated in a $31M Series B funding round for Aqtual, a Hayward, California based precision medicine startup developing a cutting edge cell free DNA (cfDNA) multiomics platform. The capital will help commercialize Aqtual’s flagship rheumatoid arthritis diagnostic, currently being tested in a 1,300 patient trial, and support expansion into other chronic and autoimmune diseases. - learn more
      • Strong Ventures invested in VERAMORE, a skincare brand focused on addressing early signs of aging in women. Since launching in March 2022, VERAMORE has grown over 300% annually, expanded to more than 16 products, and entered markets including Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, Europe, and Korea. The funding will support its D2C growth, product-driven marketing, and planned global expansion starting with Japan in 2025 and the U.S. and Europe in 2026. - learn more
      • Mucker Capital joined a $3.7M seed funding round for Velvet Capital aimed at launching its DeFAI operating system and $VELVET governance token. Velvet’s vertically integrated DeFi toolkit combines AI-powered trading, portfolio management, APIs, and a native token to streamline on-chain investment for funds, DAOs, and individual traders. The funding will accelerate platform development, the rollout of its tokenomics, and broader adoption of its intent-based DeFi suite. - learn more
      • Btech Consortium Fund participated in a $8.5M Series A funding round for Castellum.AI, a New York based financial crime compliance platform that uses in‑house risk data, AI, and screening tools to help financial institutions manage AML/KYC compliance. The funds will be used to expand their team, enhance integrations with financial institutions, and accelerate adoption of their AI‑powered compliance solutions. - learn more
      • Bold Capital Partners joined the oversubscribed $45M Series A round for Centivax, a South San Francisco biotech company dedicated to developing a universal flu vaccine using a proprietary mRNA-based immune-engineering platform. Led by Future Ventures, the funding will help Centivax advance its lead candidate into Phase I clinical trials and expand its broader universal immunity pipeline targeting pathogens like RSV, HIV, and malaria. - learn more
      • Alpha Edison participated in Honor Education’s $38M Series A funding round for the San Francisco–based learning platform. Honor uses AI‑enhanced, mobile-first courses and credentialed programs to improve engagement and leadership development. The funding will be used to scale AI capabilities, personalize learning experiences, and expand the company’s operations and customer‑success teams to meet rising demand. - learn more
      • Wasserman Ventures participated in a $7M seed round for Fantasy Life, the fantasy sports platform founded by Matthew Berry. The funding will support the launch of Fantasy Life’s revamped platform, featuring new “Guillotine Leagues,” a modernized app experience, and enhanced content and tools to scale its audience and technology offerings. - learn more

      LA Exits
      • El Segundo based Kaye Capital Management, a fee only RIA with approximately $700M in assets under management and $300M in assets under advisement, was acquired by Modern Wealth Management, marking its 17th acquisition and pushing its total AUM over $8.5B. The deal strengthens Modern Wealth’s presence in California and adds Kaye’s institutional retirement plan expertise to its suite of financial and retirement solutions for clients. - learn more
      • NIRx Medical Technologies was acquired by Gilde Healthcare’s private equity fund and combined with Artinis Medical Systems to form a world-leading neuroimaging group. Both companies will retain their brands and locations while collaborating on R&D, product development, and global expansion of their functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) tools to advance research in mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, and stroke rehabilitation. - learn more
      • Emotive, a conversational SMS marketing platform, has been acquired by Privy to create a unified solution for e-commerce brands that combines email, SMS, pop-ups, and real-time customer conversations. The integrated platform will help over 10,000 merchants simplify their marketing, personalize customer interactions, and strengthen relationships with dedicated strategists and transparent pricing. - learn more

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      Tinder, Starlink, and Apple’s New Studio: This Week in LA

      🔦 Spotlight

      Happy Independence Day, Los Angeles! 🇺🇸

      While you're celebrating freedom, here are some electrifying updates lighting up LA’s tech, satellite, and music scenes:

      🔥 Tinder mandates Face Recognition in California

        Image Source: Tinder

      Tinder is now requiring all new users in California to complete a biometric face check, a brief video selfie processed via FaceTec, to verify profiles are genuine. The video is deleted post-verification, though an encrypted face map remains while the account is active. This West Hollywood based move could redefine trust, safety, and privacy in mainstream consumer apps.

      🌐 Starlink clears hurdle to launch in India

      Elon Musk’s SpaceX backed Starlink has cleared most regulatory and licensing hurdles with India’s Department of Telecommunications, marking a key step toward launching satellite broadband in one of the world’s fastest growing markets. Final approvals from the national space regulator are pending, and services, expected to deliver high speed connectivity to underserved regions, could launch in the coming months. This is a major milestone for Starlink’s global expansion.

      🎧 Apple Music opens Culver City creative hub

        Image Source: Apple

      Apple Music is celebrating its anniversary by launching a brand new 15,000 square foot, three story studio in Culver City. The facility, featuring a 4,000 square foot soundstage, spatial audio suites, podcast booths, and more, is designed by Eric Owen Moss and slated to open mid August. It solidifies LA’s reputation as a creative powerhouse and reaffirms Apple’s commitment to investing in and nurturing our city's cultural ecosystem.

      From dating apps to deep space to sound stages, LA isn’t just watching the future unfold, we’re building it.

      Here’s to independence, imagination, and everything this city dares to launch next. Happy Fourth, Los Angeles.

      🤝 Venture Deals

      LA Companies

      • Castelion has raised a $350M Series B round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners alongside Altimeter Capital to scale its hypersonic missile production capabilities. The El Segundo-based defense startup plans to use the funds to expand manufacturing, accelerate testing through its SpaceX-inspired rapid development model, and position itself as a cost-effective supplier of hypersonic weapons to the U.S. military and its allies. - learn more
      • Earth Sama, a Calabasas, California–based climate-tech platform that helps rural farming and Indigenous communities generate and manage carbon credits, secured investment from Omtse Ventures. The funding will support the rollout of Earth Sama’s blockchain-powered field app, climate-creator platform, and smart-contract tools to scale community-led carbon credit projects globally under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.4 framework. - learn more

                LA Venture Funds

                • Plassa Capital participated in Metafide’s $3.275M funding round. Miami based Metafide, the creator of SURGE, a gamified trading platform that combines AI neural networks and human insight, will use the funds to scale and launch SURGE into the market. - learn more
                • BOLD Capital Partners participated as a founding investor in Syntis Bio’s $33M Series A round, with an additional $5M in NIH grants. The Boston-based biotech is developing oral therapies for obesity and rare diseases, and the funding will help advance its SYNT platform, moving its lead obesity treatment, SYNT-101, into Phase 1 trials and supporting development of SYNT-202 for homocystinuria. - learn more
                • BAM Ventures participated in Cred’s $15M seed round for its predictive intelligence startup. San Francisco based Cred uses AI to unify company data with real time market signals and deliver actionable insights for sales and operations. The funding, led by defy.vc, will be used to scale Cred’s platform, expand its customer base, and grow team and product capabilities. - learn more
                • BOLD Capital Partners participated in Gallant’s $18M Series B round to advance its ready-to-use stem cell therapies for pets. The funding, led by Digitalis Ventures with additional support from NovaQuest Capital, will help Gallant bring its off-the-shelf regenerative treatments to market. - learn more
                • Rebel Fund joined the seed round for Rocketable, contributing to the $6.5M raised to build a portfolio of fully automated SaaS companies. San Francisco-based Rocketable, backed by True Ventures and others, uses AI agents to operate acquired software products, and Rebel’s support will help scale both the platform and acquisitions. - learn more 
                        LA Exits
                        • Leasepath, a cloud-first provider of equipment lease and loan management software, has been acquired by Solifi to enhance its mid-market offerings. The deal allows Solifi to expand Leasepath’s Microsoft Dynamics-based platform into new global markets while keeping Leasepath’s team and leadership in place. - learn more

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