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Alliance for Southern California Innovation

Website:

alliancesocal.org
Location:

Los Angeles, CA
Tax ID:

82-1726203
Budget (2020):

Revenue: $763,084
Expenses: $700,209
Assets: $177,644
Type:

Venture Capital Corporation
Founded:

2017
Status:

501(c)(6)
Latest Tax Filing:

2021 990 Form

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Alliance for Southern California Innovation aims to support businesses and research groups in Southern California. The group has partnered with venture capital firms and universities in Southern California in various programs designed to encourage economic growth. 1 It has received funding from the left-of-center group Community Partners. 2

Background

The Alliance for Southern California Innovation was founded in 2017 as a not-for-profit group to generate investment in Southern California’s technology sector. 3

The alliance has explained that the region’s “commitment to diversity and inclusion” make it an ideal center for business in the technology sector. 4 It asserts that it is committed to encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the “organizations involved in our growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.” 5

The alliance has partnered with various companies and associations. 6 The grantmaking group Annenberg Foundation, a foundation known to have funded various left-of-center groups, 7 is among their “ecosystem partners.” 8 The law firm Wilson Sonsini, a prominent alliance partner, describes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles as a “benchmark that all companies use to gauge sustainability.” 9

The left-of-center environmental advocacy group Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and the center-left Milken Institute are among the alliance’s ecosystem partners. 10 The alliance joined Community Partners in January 2019, a grantmaking organization known for funding left-of-center causes. 11

Activities

The Alliance for SoCal Innovation recently launched the This Is SoCal brand campaign that aims to serve as a “rallying cry that unites our richly diverse community” and draw attention to the region as a center for technological innovation. 12 The alliance runs programs involving researchers from Southern California universities and startup companies in the region. 13

The group runs the Venture Pipeline program and claims that companies involved in the program have raised more than $650 million since 2015. 14 The alliance seeks to use Venture Pipeline to connect startup companies with venture capital investors. The program is underwritten by Pacific Western Bank and Wilson Sonsini. 15

The alliance has been holding the First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase for six years, in which science and technology startup companies are highlighted. 16 Some of Southern California’s largest universities present the results of their research to corporate partners through the alliance’s Research Innovation Spotlight Series. 17

Leadership

Alliance for SoCal Innovation executive director Andy Wilson served on the Pasadena City Council for seven years and has founded and invested in multiple startup companies. 18 He has emphasized that in Southern California, “diversity is our regional superpower.” 19

Chairman Jody Foldesy is a partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). 20 Foldesy was a contributor on a BCG article that claimed Southern California must market its diversity and inclusion to draw people away from Silicon Valley. 21

Special advisor Donald Grant is the executive director of DEI consulting firm Mindful Training Solutions. 22 He is also the author of Black Men, Intergenerational Colonialism, and Behavioral Health. 23 Chairman emeritus Gene Sykes sits on the board of directors of the Pacific Council on International Policy. 24 The Pacific Council is an ecosystem partner of the alliance. 25

References

  1. “Alliance Programs.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/programs/programs-overview/
  2. “SoCal Alliance Regional Development.” Community Partners. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/org/socal-alliance-regional-development/
  3. “About the Alliance.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023.  https://alliancesocal.org/about/about-alliance/
  4. “Stars Aligning: How Southern California Could Be the Next Great Tech Ecosystem.” Boston Consulting Group. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/stars-aligning-southern-california-next-great-tech-ecoysystem
  5. “About the Alliance.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023.   https://alliancesocal.org/about/about-alliance/
  6. “Partners.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/partners/
  7. “Interactive Grants Map.” Annenberg Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20190421174638/https://annenberg.org/what-we-do/grantmaking/interactive-grants-map/
  8. “Partners.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/partners/
  9. “Environmental, Social, and Governance.” Wilson Sonsini. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://www.wsgr.com/en/services/practice-areas/corporate/corporate-governance/environmental-social-and-governance.html#overview
  10. “Partners.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/partners/
  11. “SoCal Alliance Regional Development.” Community Partners. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://communitypartners.org/org/socal-alliance-regional-development/
  12. [1] “This Is SoCal.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/community/tis/
  13. “Alliance Programs.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/programs/programs-overview/
  14. “SoCal Venture Pipeline Powered by Pacific Western Bank.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/programs/venture-pipeline/
  15. “SoCal Venture Pipeline Powered by Pacific Western Bank.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/programs/venture-pipeline/
  16. “First Look SoCal 2023.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/event/first-look-socal-2023/
  17. “Research Innovation Spotlight Series (RISS).” BioscienceLA. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://www.biosciencela.org/research-innovation-spotlight-series
  18. “The Alliance Team.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/team/
  19. “Visualizing SoCal’s Diversity Advantage.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.medium.com/visualizing-socals-diversity-advantage-875aebcdfd8
  20. “The Alliance Team.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/team/
  21. “Stars Aligning: How Southern California Could Be the Next Great Tech Ecosystem.” Boston Consulting Group. Accessed July 22, 2023.  https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/stars-aligning-southern-california-next-great-tech-ecoysystem
  22. Homepage. Mindful Training Solutions. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://mindfultrainingsolutions.com/
  23. “Black Men, Intergenerational Colonialism, and Behavioral Health.” Springer Link. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-21114-1
  24. [1] “Board of Directors.” Pacific Council on International Policy. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://www.pacificcouncil.org/about/network/profile/gene-t-sykes
  25. “Partners.” Alliance for SoCal Innovation. Accessed July 22, 2023. https://alliancesocal.org/about/partners/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 2018

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $763,084 $700,209 $177,644 $28,950 N $502,300 $0 $6 $180,592
    2019 Dec Form 990 $407,508 $471,787 $85,819 $0 N $335,439 $0 $0 $170,573 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $216,527 $300,895 $156,906 $6,808 N $192,500 $0 $0 $106,766 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $260,000 $25,534 $234,466 $0 N $260,000 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Alliance for Southern California Innovation

    251 S Lake Avenue 800
    Los Angeles, CA 91101-3052