Community Collective in partnership with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) convened over 100 leaders representing business, government, and community sectors gathered at the Viceroy Santa Monica last night for a regional economic revitalization summit showing the power of public private partnerships — marking the first official partnership between Community Collective, supported by Verizon, to advance regional small-business resilience and innovation tied to wildfire recovery.
Edgar, who founded Community Collective more than two years ago, has been curating and producing monthly convenings aimed at bridging civic, corporate, and creative sectors through public-private partnerships. Edgar works at Venbrook Insurance under Greg Econn to support wildfire survivors through innovative insurance programs for homeowners. Edgar is also a Santa Monica Arts Commissioner and was recently appointed to the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, further anchoring her commitment to community, service, and statewide economic stewardship. “We are strongest when we lead together. Community resilience doesn’t happen by accident - it’s built through partnership," said Edgar.
From the moment the evening began, LAEDC’s Jermaine Hampton underscored the regional stakes, reminding attendees, “Recovery doesn’t happen in a moment — it happens through years of collective effort. No single city can do this alone. Our resilience depends on each other.” His words framed the night’s dialogue around collaboration, resource-sharing, and long-term planning.
Leaders from the LA Chamber, LISC LA, Cedars-Sinai, Verizon, Bank of America, and the SBA Office of Disaster Recovery joined small-business owners, founders, and civic advocates. Also in attendance were Greg and Donna Econn, LAEDC's Board Chair Ron Frierson, Fred Cordova, Brian Goldsmith (candidate for Senate District 24), Elaine Culotti, and Commissioner Susan Jain—underscoring the powerful mix of perspectives shaping the conversation.
Moderated by LAEDC's Veronica Pugin, VP Industry, International and Business, the evening reinforced the essential role of public-private partnerships and described recovery as a multi-year process requiring intentional collaboration across all 88 cities in the county. LAEDC Board Chair and Amazon's Director of Economic Development of the US West Region, Ron Frierson added that regional resilience is fundamentally shared work: “What happens in one community impacts all of us.”
Verizon’s presence added major value for small businesses navigating recovery. Representatives introduced attendees to Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready program, which provides free online courses, one-on-one coaching, digital tools, peer networking, and access to grants designed to help small businesses grow and modernize.
Ben Reiss, Community Collective's CEO also announced Community Collective’s new industry association, created to unite creative agencies, tech startups, and small businesses with regional economic development organizations. “We’re bridging the gaps between innovators and institutions,” Reiss said. “This association ensures creative and tech sectors finally have a seat at the table.” Samar Ashley spotlighted the upcoming “LA Is Open” campaign to reignite regional tourism, while LAEDC’s Seta Zarabian shared resources available through the SBA and AJCC.
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete spoke candidly about lessons learned during the Palisades fires, emphasizing that transparent communication is a cornerstone of emergency response. Edgar added that misinformation spreads rapidly particularly through neighborhood group chats and that rebuilding trust is as critical as rebuilding infrastructure. Jennifer Taylor offered a compelling example of crisis-driven innovation: the rapid conversion of an unused office park into a temporary school for displaced students, demonstrating the power of creative problem-solving under pressure.
Negrete outlined Santa Monica’s ambitious $60 million “realignment plan,” built around public safety, cleanliness, and a shift toward experiential activation including live music, open-container zones, and streamlined permitting supported by AI tools. “If the city feels safe, clean, and alive people return,” she said. Taylor encouraged attendees to become ambassadors for Santa Monica: “Buy local, share the good, and tell the real story of our city.”
Pacific Palisades and Malibu face the long-term task of physical reconstruction. Palisades Malibu Chamber of Commerce CEO Maryam Zar, and Founder & President of Palisades Recovery Coalition, shared the complexities of rebuilding across overlapping jurisdictions of LA City, LA County, and Malibu. AECOM has been contracted to accelerate the redevelopment of commercial nodes, with innovative solutions under discussion such as a construction-traffic overlay with LA DOT, a Venice–Malibu ferry to bypass PCH, and the creation of a Pacific Palisades Recovery District. Zarr described her daily “visioning charrettes” with RAND, highlighting the importance of designing long-term resilience rather than temporary fixes.
In a highlight moment, Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang’s office presented Community Collective with an official certificate of recognition honoring their resilience, leadership, and compassion in supporting residents affected by the Los Angeles wildfires as they rebuild their homes. The recognition affirmed Community Collective’s growing role as a bridge between residents, policymakers, and regional partners working to restore stability and accelerate recovery.
The night revealed a rare coalition: corporate executives, small-business advocates, disaster-recovery experts, city officials, creative economy leaders, philanthropists, and policy strategists each contributing to a shared blueprint for Los Angeles’ future and collective purpose: “Resilience is regional. Recovery is shared. When we show up together, we unlock what’s possible for Los Angeles,” said Hampton.
Community Collective’s next convening, scheduled for January 15 at Gensler DTLA headquarters, will focus on downtown revitalization and Los Angeles’ evolving innovation economy.