In a conference room at the Roxbury Community Center on Aug. 4, 30 young professionals discussed their most recent event, Beverly Blends. Led by Mayor Sharona Nazarian, the group reviewed what went well and what could be improved next time.
“This is really important,” Nazarian said. “When you plan events and when you’re together in a business setting, you need to do the recap part and see how we can learn and do even better for next time.”
Members of the group tossed out ideas, including a longer event time, changing the setup of the event and creating a sign-up sheet for tasks such as setup and cleanup, as the mayor encouraged them along.
“All of the things that you said are pretty much the things I had on my list,” Nazarian said. “I’m very happy that you’re all so in tune and in touch.”
The group, Sharona’s Innovation Circle, was created for residents of Beverly Hills between the ages of 18 and 28. One of Nazarian’s mayoral initiatives, she said the idea for the program came from one of her sons, a young professional himself.
“He said, ‘You need to find ways to include [young people],” Nazarian told the Courier. “It’s so important to listen to the next generation. They are the future of our city, and we want to ensure that they are included in decisions that we make, and [we address] issues that are of concern to them.”
Sharona’s Innovation Circle held its first meeting on May 5. To date, 63 people have joined the group.
Members join the group for a variety of reasons, but many cite professional development, socializing and community building as part of their inspiration for getting involved.
Manuel Alejandro Polanco, 28, joined after hearing about it from a friend. Now, through the Innovation Circle, he’s launching a running club that he hopes will motivate others in his age group to exercise together.
“Young people right now are always on their phones,” he said. “People don’t go outside. It’s a great way to get the community together … running is a great experience. It’s hard, but when you start doing it, your life changes.”
Isabella Nassir, 22, researched community engagement as an undergraduate at UCLA and wanted to put those skills into practice. As a native of Beverly Hills, Nassir also wanted to support the events she loved growing up.
“I’ve always gone to the events in Beverly Hills and really enjoyed them, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of the leadership in the city,” she said. “Helping out really meant a lot to me. It’s such an amazing city, and I’m hoping to inspire individuals to step up and become leaders and get the community engaged.”
Some members of the group are already seeing the benefits of its networking opportunities. Mandy Larian, 18, plans to go into entertainment law and found a summer job at CMG Entertainment through a new Innovation Circle connection. She also emphasized her desire to learn about other cultures and share hers with new friends.
“As a Persian Jew, I have been around many other people like me growing up,” Larian said. “I wanted to be able to meet others who are not from the same cultural background, share my values and learn from theirs, and create a new identity for what I see Beverly Hills as.”
Nazarian said that Beverly Blends, the Innovation Circle’s first event, was subsidized by local businesses and came at no cost to the city.
She added that people of all ages attended the event and found ways to participate.
“We had seniors in the background sitting and watching,” she said. “We had young people, young kids, and also our young professionals. And I had so many people come up to me and say they really enjoyed it … For me, it’s important for everyone in our community to be heard. Regardless of your age, your gender, your nationality, we are a united community.”
Sharona’s Innovation Circle will continue to plan events throughout the year and is welcoming new members.
