Los Angeles Business Council

History The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) has been impacting the Los Angeles business landscape for over 70 years. Originally founded as a West Los Angeles-based organization that facilitated the growth of the University of California Los Angeles’ burgeoning campus, the LABC quickly expanded its role in both education and advocacy. In the process, the Council became an influential link between business and city government and has had a major impact on sustainability, workforce housing, transportation, job creation, education and business development policy.

Today, the LABC is considered one of the most effective and influential advocacy and educational organizations in California. The LABC unites the power of business with the power of government for education and advocacy to promote environmental and economic sustainability. By carefully targeting policy areas and creating a holistic, broad-based approach to problem resolution, the LABC is able to serve businesses while informing and impacting positive change at multiple layers of city government.

Approach Remaining true to its academic roots, the LABC informs its advocacy initiatives by scholastic research. Key representatives from area universities and research organizations are LABC members or partners, and help to analyze and articulate the complex issues that impact our region. Coupled with intensive dialogue between key business and government leaders, the LABC is able to advocate for comprehensive solutions that best serve our broad member base and the communities in which they live and work.

Collaboration LABC builds strong, broad-based coalitions in support of our initiatives including business, nonprofit, academic, environmental, and union organizations. Further, LABC continues to develop its collaborative capacity in the social media realm and is developing powerful online advocacy tools to engage the broader public in supporting our initiatives.

LABC Institute

The LABC Institute is the 501 (c) 3 designated research and educational arm of the LA Business Council. The LABC Institute produces cutting-edge research to strengthen the sustainable economy of the Los Angeles region. Founded in 2010, the LABC Institute provides a bridge between LA’s business, government, and environmental communities to develop and promote effective, forward-thinking public policy.

In its brief history, the LABC Institute has produced ground-breaking studies on the economic, energy and workforce potential of an in-basin rooftop solar program in Los Angeles. This has led to the CLEAN LA Solar policy, a groundbreaking new program at the LA Department of Water and Power, which is introducing the first 10 MW demo now with plans for a 150 MW program by 2016. This research and policy proposal attracted over $ 1/4 million of national foundation support in 2011. We are currently expanding our focus to include sustainable redevelopment, energy efficiency and cleantech business development, among other areas.

The LABC Institute capitalizes on the renowned scholars and academic expertise present in the Los Angeles area. Partners have included many of the region’s leading research institutions, including the University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; Loyola Marymount University, and California Institute of Technology. Continued collaborators include the California Governor’s Office, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Public Utilities Commission.

The LABC Institute’s goal is to facilitate new ideas that lead to policies and programs that advance the environmental and economic sustainability for the City of LA.