Doing well by doing good

Driven by our motto “Doing Well by Doing Good,” SoLa Impact’s double-bottomline strategy uses a data-driven approach to social impact and uplifting the communities in which we invest. SoLa Impact and its affiliated non-profit, The SoLa Foundation, pursue this work through Four Pillars of Impact, centered around one word: Access

Social Impact

Access to High-Quality
Affordable Housing

Access to Education
& Opportunity

Access to Jobs &
Career Development

Access to
Capital & Ownership

A Housing-First Approach to Ending Homelessness

More than 90% of SoLa’s non-legacy residents have experienced homelessness in their lives. Each resident meets one-on-one with our resident relations team to help each resident secure the needed supportive services to ensure they stay housed for the long term.

SoLa leverages a partner network of more than 50 mission-aligned organizations that provide wrap-around supportive services for formerly homeless residents.
Currently own >2,000 high quality affordable and workforce housing units in the underinvested and under-resourced communities of Los Angeles.
1,500 high-quality affordable units will be built or rehabbed over the next 2-3 years
$30 million spent on improvements to properties.
2/3rds of SoLa residents rely on a public benefit; out-of-pocket rents average less than $500.
Resident relations team hosts quarterly resident engagement events featuring supportive services and technical training to help improve each resident’s financial security.

Access to Education

We believe “If you can see it, you can be it!” SoLa works to open pathways to career and higher education to enable our community’s youth to see possibility in their lives by providing new learning experiences and opportunities.

SoLa has provided STEAM education to >5,000 students (ages 7-24) through the SoLa Tech & Entrepreneurship Center Powered by Riot Games. SoLa is opening its first expansion location in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment in January 2026 in Leimert Park, serving >1,000 annually.
The SoLa College Scholarship Fund has awarded over $2M to 186 students from Greater South Los Angeles. 90% of “SoLa Scholars” are first-generation college students.
The SoLa Foundation worked with Ms. Oprah Winfrey to create the COVID-19 Retraining and Recovery Fund. Through a $1M sponsorship from Oprah, SoLa sent 200 adults who lost work due to COVID back to school to retrain for more lucrative careers. 186 of 200 adults successfully graduated, a 93% success rate.

Access to Jobs & Career Development

The Beehive, SoLa Impact’s seven-acre campus and 100,000 sq ft of space in six warehouses and outdoor courtyards has created a cultural and economic oasis in South Los Anglees. Named one of the emerging centers of culture in Los Angeles by the LA Times, The Beehive attracts events with thousands of people and provides needed community gathering space for everything from community resource events, cultural events, corporate activations and conferences, civic events and more.

The Beehive is a corporate campus for women and minority owned businesses, non profits and social ventures. It also houses the SoLa Foundation’s Tech & Entrepreneurship Center and SoLa Impact’s headquarters.
The SoLa Foundation has a robust catalog of workforce development programs including 60th Street Cafe Culinary Program, The SoLa Cyber Security Academy, The Model/Z Vocational School, SoLa Live in Partnership with Live Nation and The Product Innovation in Material Science program in partnership with Howmet Aerospace.
SoLa’s new ground-up construction favors mixed use designs. At SoLa’s largest development Crenshaw Lofts (opening Q4 2025), SoLa is opening a cafe and tech center to provide jobs and job training to the community.
300+ construction and maintenance jobs created by SoLa.
11 businesses operate in SoLa owned commercial spaces.
30% of SoLa’s employees are from the South LA community; 70% of contractors.

Access to Capital & Ownership

The wealth gap in the United States can be attributed in large part to the capital access and ownership gap, particularly in home ownership. Financial literacy and entrepreneurship training are also essential to close the wealth gap.

SoLa’s Pathways to Homeownership Program helps life-long renters afford a downpayment on a home in three to five years. SoLa’s first class of 10 are hard at work and meet monthly for technical training and workshops. New cohorts of 10 families launch annually.
SoLa’s Entrepreneurship Program trains young people to be future CEOs and job creators. Through financial literacy, business planning and pitch competitions, SoLa helps future entrepreneurs gain the knowledge needed to succeed.

SoLa’s LA fire recovery campaign, Together We Rebuild, has reaised $2M and helped 2,200 fire victim families. The campaign now grants for free high-quality ADUs as interim housing for displaced homeowners while they rebuild.

SoLa’s entrepreneurship program at the SoLa Tech Center equips students with the skills they need to start their own businesses.

SoLa’s Pathways to Homeownership program enables SoLa residents to become homeowners by escrowing a portion of their monthly rent, providing a savings match, and offering monthly financial literacy workshops and other renter incentives.

SoLa’s Resident Relations team takes a hands-on approach to ensure residents have access to the resources and support they need from essential services to community programming.