Smart City Initiative

LB Co-Lab Innovators In Residence Cohort 2025

Innovators-in-Residence (IIRs) serve as the bridge between Long Beach communities and city innovation. These passionate residents bring fresh perspectives, creative problem-solving skills, and specialized knowledge to tackle our city's most pressing challenges. As community advocates and innovation catalysts, they ensure solutions are both groundbreaking and grounded in real neighborhood needs.

Our Mission:

IIRs collaborate with city staff and community members to co-design technology-driven solutions that enhance quality of life across Long Beach neighborhoods while building trust between residents and government.

Meet Our Current Innovators: 

• Our 2025 cohort represents diverse expertise and passion for community-driven innovation. Working across three pilot projects, these 12 residents are shaping Long Beach's technological future while building stronger connections between government and community.

Specialized Roles  

Each IIR brings unique expertise to their pilot team. While roles are flexible and can evolve throughout the program, these four specializations ensure comprehensive coverage of project needs.

	Project Manager:  Coordinate between IIRs, City departments, and external stakeholders Monitor progress and ensure key deadlines are met Ensure voices of other IIRs are heard and represented Lead communications between pilot project teams and stakeholders Escalate challenges to the Program Management Office when needed
	Community Engagement Specialist:   Develop strategies to engage diverse community members in decision-making Lead research activities and community touchpoints for each project Serve as primary contact between the community and the project team Enhance community stewardship and ownership of LB Co-Lab solutions Ensure authentic community voices shape project outcomes
	Data Analyst:  Validate proposed challenges through quantitative data analysis Establish solution KPIs and measure performance against objectives Analyze user research data to evaluate solution effectiveness Provide evidence-based insights to inform decision-making Track pilot progress and community impact metrics
	Civic Designer:  Ensure solutions are rooted in user needs and community insights Lead user research of deployed solutions and create survey instruments Develop user personas and documentation for stakeholder groups Lead civic journalism and storytelling efforts for each project Shape user-centered solutions that address community needs effectively

2025 Challenges:

• Secure Commercial Corridors: Vandalism, break-ins, and homelessness have increased along the City’s commercial corridors leading residents, visitors, and businesses to feel less safe going to work or shop in these areas. How might we design a community driven security solution to solve this business and community problem?
• City Services Accessibility: Vulnerable populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, lack equitable and dependable access to City services, specifically emergency services, putting them at greater risk and reducing public safety overall. We're seeking to improve and create ways for residents or visitors to access city services, especially vulnerable populations (homeless, seniors, veterans, at risk of becoming homelessness.)
• Activating New Public Spaces: Some vacant lot property owners are neglecting their property, ignoring City maintenance standards, and constantly must clean because of encampments. Together, these properties have become constant areas of blight which have affected the surrounding community. We seek to encourage and/or assist the property owners to become better stewards of their private land or involve residents to affect positive change.

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