Case Study
Community Impact Hub
Best Buy
Objective
Empowering underserved youth to be the creators of the future
Project Type
Collective Action Campaign
Impact Area
Education
Client Type
Brand
Client Need
In keeping with the quote “talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” Best Buy has been successfully working for years to build the blueprint for Teen Tech Centers, developed out of the MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten group. These Centers provide safe, supportive learning environments for underserved youth. The centers are equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by youth development professionals who provide resources and inspiration, empowering students to go from consumers of tech to creators of tech. In order to scale and deliver impact to more teens through the Teen Tech Centers, Best Buy engaged PD to investigate and propose new models for growing the initiative.
Our Approach
Through an in depth strategic research and analysis process, including stakeholder calls, field expert interviews and landscape review, PD recommended that Best Buy pilot a new approach called the Community Impact Hub – a variation on collective impact. In this model, Best Buy would pick one city and commit funds and resources to place and network multiple Teen Tech Centers, working hand in hand with the community to identify a key workforce pipeline challenge on which this effort can move the needle. PD identified Los Angeles County for the pilot, as the creative industry, which accounts for 1 in 5 jobs in the area, pays nearly double the average national wage, yet underrepresentation and lack of diversity has been virtually stagnant since 2007 – creating opportunity for deep impact.
Greg Propper and his team got (and retained) our business because of what they call ‘know-how and know-who.’ They are as plugged in as anyone in the social impact space and turn deep field experience and a vast network of potential partners into a track record of success for their clients. When we set out to expand our Teen Tech Center initiative, a project to improve tech access for underserved teens, Propper Daley evaluated our approach, analyzed expert opinions, and helped us deepen our impact with a new community model. In the near future and thanks in part to their help, our initiative will include 100 locations across the country and a Community Impact Hub in Los Angeles.
Impact
Supported by PD’s strategic planning, implementation support and partnership development, Best Buy has committed $10 million over 5 years to pilot the innovative Community Impact Hub model in L.A., bringing 10-12 Teen Tech Centers to Los Angeles County. The Best Buy commitment supports physical infrastructure and catalyzes entertainment and creative opportunities for teens in disinvested communities. PD secured core partner The Greater LA Education Foundation and supported in building the Annenberg Foundation anchor partnership, as well as helping to develop a coalition of public & private sector partners resourcing an additional $10 million to bring the program to life. The L.A. Community Impact Launch event, developed with PD, was attended by over 150 community partners and garnered press in Business Wire and the Hollywood Reporter.