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Community Innovation Takes Center Stage at LB Co-Lab Demo Day
By Staff Writer
Published on Wed, Nov 12, 2025
The City of Long Beach is inviting residents to experience innovation in action at the LB Co-Lab Community Demo Day, happening Saturday, Nov. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pointe Conference Center at California State University, Long Beach.
This interactive event will showcase creative, community-driven solutions to three citywide challenges: enhancing business safety, connecting residents to City services and transforming vacant lots into vibrant community spaces.
Nine local teams, finalists in the Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) program, will present their projects to the public. Attendees will then have the chance to provide feedback and help shape which ideas move forward.
Each winning project will receive $75,000 in funding for a 12-month pilot program.
The program’s three challenge areas include:
- Secure Commercial Corridors: Designing safety-focused solutions to support small businesses and increase foot traffic in commercial areas.
- City Services Accessibility: Helping residents, especially those from vulnerable populations, more easily discover and access City programs and resources.
- Activating New Public Spaces: Encouraging creative approaches for revitalizing vacant lots and reducing neighborhood blight.
This year’s LB Co-Lab drew 57 proposals—a 200% increase from the previous cohort—and featured ideas ranging from artificial intelligence tools to neighborhood engagement platforms.
Demo Day gives residents a firsthand look at how local innovators are working to make Long Beach safer, more connected and more inclusive. Community members are encouraged to register in advance at lbcity.info/colab-demo. Interpretation services will be available in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog.
LB Co-Lab is part of the Long Beach Smart City Initiative, established in 2021 to promote equity, inclusion, resilience and community collaboration. The program is funded by the City’s Innovation Fund and a grant from the Long Beach Community Foundation’s Knight Foundation donor-advised fund.
Together, through creativity and collaboration, we’re building a smarter, stronger and more connected Long Beach.
