Los Angeles is home to some of the most talented, creative, and entrepreneurial people on earth. It should be the most dynamic economy in the country. Instead, major employers are leaving, Hollywood is filming in other states, small businesses are drowning in permitting backlogs, and too many Angelenos are locked out of the growth that does exist. This happened because career politicians running City Hall for the past two decades chose political self-preservation over economic leadership.
I have spent 25 years building companies and creating jobs in this city. I founded Cornerstone OnDemand in Los Angeles and grew it into a global public company while keeping its headquarters here. I know what it takes to recruit talent, attract capital, and compete with other cities and states for investment. I know what employers look for; and I know exactly where City Hall is falling short. As Mayor, I will serve as the city's chief economic development officer: not a ceremonial title, but a real commitment to showing up, making deals, and delivering results for every Angeleno, in every neighborhood, not just the ones already winning.
Comprising the heads of Port of LA, LAX, LADWP, Metro, and LA's 20 largest private employers, this council will align the three agencies that collectively control budgets equal to the rest of city government behind a unified job creation strategy with published quarterly targets, measurable local hiring commitments on every major capital project, and publicly tracked outcomes.
Creating industry-aligned training programs designed with employers, measured on real job placement rates (not WIOA headcounts), with private-sector hiring commitments required before any city funding is awarded.
$500M in tourism infrastructure, 30,000 hospitality workers trained through city-backed pipelines, and signed agreements to repurpose Olympic venues as permanent community assets after the Games.
Work with the state to expand and uncap tax incentives, speed permitting for film shoots, dramatically reduce location fees on city property, centralize film offices, and set annual LA production targets — reversing the runaway production trend that has cost the city 40,000+ industry jobs since 2020.
Community college certificates, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored certifications that give every Angeleno a pathway into the AI economy rather than a pink slip from it.
Targeted 5-year business tax holidays and fast-track permitting for manufacturers relocating supply chain operations to LA's industrial zones, starting with sectors where federal tariff policy is already driving reshoring demand.
Turning city permitting speed, underutilized land, and utility assets into investment catalysts instead of barriers.
