This week at the Viceroy Santa Monica, Community Collective and Spin PR convened more than 100 civic and business leaders to drive collaboration ahead of LA28 and beyond. This was Community Collective’s second annual Women in Leadership event, centered on one defining theme on the power of partnership across cities.
Hosted by Community Collective and sponsored by Venbrook Insurance, the evening honored Santa Monica Councilmember Lana Negrete, Los Angeles Councilmember Traci Park, and Veronica Pugin, Los Angeles County Economic Development's Vice President for their leadership in advancing cross jurisdictional collaboration at a pivotal moment for the region.
At its core, the conversation made one thing clear: The challenges shaping Santa Monica, Venice, and the broader Westside do not stop at city boundaries, and neither can the solutions. “We don’t just share a coastline, we share a culture, an economy, and a common set of challenges,” Park said. “The lines between our cities are imaginary in many ways, and our leadership has to reflect that.”
That mindset has defined the working relationship between Negrete and Park, a partnership forged in 2022 and strengthened through some of the region’s most urgent moments, including wildfire recovery, public safety challenges, and economic disruption. “We’ve been inseparable in the work,” Negrete said. “If she’s invited, I’m coming. If I’m invited, she’s coming. We open doors for each other, and sometimes we have to kick them down.”
From coordinating post fire recovery efforts to addressing traffic gridlock along PCH and advocating jointly with state leadership, their collaboration has become a model for what regional leadership can look like when it is rooted in trust and shared purpose.
That trust, Pugin noted, is what makes the word “partnership" more than a talking point. “Partnerships are not a nice to have. It is core to delivering results, and it only works when there is both a shared understanding that we succeed together and a trust that is built over time.”
The evening also tackled one of the most pressing issues facing the region, public safety and homelessness, framed not as isolated policy challenges, but as foundational to economic recovery. “We will not see economic recovery if we do not address public safety and homelessness,” Negrete said. “People need to feel safe walking outside. Businesses need to feel supported. Otherwise, nothing else works.”
Park reinforced that connection, pointing to tangible outcomes in Venice as an example of what coordinated leadership can achieve. “Economic development starts with safe, clean, accessible communities,” she said. “When we cleaned up the beach, we saw production return, new businesses open, and real investment follow.”
As Los Angeles prepares for global events including the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, leaders emphasized that collaboration across cities will determine whether the region can fully realize the opportunity ahead. “We are going to be the face of Los Angeles for the Olympics,” Park said. “But this is not about one neighborhood. This is about the entire region showing up together.”
Negrete echoed that sentiment, highlighting Santa Monica’s role in hosting international country houses, business activations, and cultural programming tied to the Games, while stressing the importance of ensuring small businesses benefit in practical ways.
Beyond policy and economics, the evening carried a deeply human throughline. Negrete shared her personal journey through cancer, family loss, and public service, framing leadership as both resilience and responsibility. “What keeps me going is knowing I am showing up for someone else who cannot be in the room,” she said. “This is about community, and being willing to speak up, even when it is uncomfortable.”
Park added that her motivation is grounded in accountability to her constituents and the weight of seeing major initiatives through. “With whatever time I am entrusted with this role, I am here to do as much good for as many people as I can,” she said.
Throughout the evening, a consistent theme emerged among attendees and speakers alike, the unique power of women coming together to lead, collaborate, and build. “When women come together with intention, we don’t just exchange ideas, we accelerate impact,” one attendee reflected. “There is a different level of trust, accountability, and momentum that happens in rooms like this.”
Venbrook Insurance, the event’s presenting sponsor, reinforced that message through its continued investment in community driven initiatives. “Partnerships are not just a strategy, they are a responsibility,” said Brooke Lais, Chief Marketing Officer of Venbrook Insurance. “When leaders come together across cities, industries, and communities, we unlock solutions that are bigger than any one organization. That is how we build resilience, and that is how we move Los Angeles forward.”
The evening also marked a moment of recognition for Community Collective’s growing impact and the broader ecosystem of leadership it supports. Scott Davis received a City of Santa Monica proclamation on behalf of Palisades Charter High School Principal Pam Magee, honoring her leadership and commitment to community during a critical time of recovery. In addition, Edgar was recognized for her work through Community Collective in convening cross sector partnerships and advancing a model of collaboration that continues to gain momentum propeling partnership and business in the city.
Looking ahead, Community Collective is continuing to build on this momentum with a series of upcoming convenings designed to deepen cross sector collaboration. Next Thursday, the organization will host a mobility focused event celebrating over 100 years of Route 66, bringing together civic leaders, business executives, and cultural stakeholders to explore the historic corridor’s role in Los Angeles’ economic and cultural future. This will be followed by the launch of Community Collective South Bay on April 13 at the California Surf Club, expanding the network’s reach and convening a new, high caliber cohort of leaders across industries to drive regional impact.
As the region navigates rebuilding, economic transformation, and the road to global events, the message from the Viceroy was clear the future of Los Angeles will not be built in silos but built through cross-sector partnerships.