The Grand Opening of the SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center Powered by Riot Games

In the heart of South Los Angeles sits the SoLa Beehive campus, 92,000 square feet of Black-owned businesses, art galleries, and, now, a technology and entrepreneurship center. 

On August 11, the SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center Powered by Riot Games, held its grand opening. The center provides free technology education to the South Los Angeles community. Funded in part by a $2.25 million donation from Riot to the SoLa I CAN Foundation, the 13,000 square foot center features an esports and gaming arena equipped with 40 high-end gaming PCs, a streaming studio, and 5v5 competitive stage. 

“Our mantra is that ‘if you can see it, you can be it,’” said Sherri Francois, the Chief Impact Officer at SoLa Impact. “For the community that we serve, it’s about providing exposure and access. Most of our kids are unaware of what is available to them. The first thing is to open their eyes and expose them to people, places, and experiences that they will not have access to in their everyday lives. We also want to build a community through technology and gaming so that kids have ownership, are empowered to keep learning, and we eventually build a pipeline of talent in the tech industry.” 

SoLa’s I CAN Foundation is the non-profit affiliate of SoLa Impact aiming to improve the lives of South LA residents by breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty through opportunities for education and economic mobility. The SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center aims to inspire and develop the next generation of Black and Brown game developers, esports players, tech professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs. 

“The grand opening of the SoLa Technology and Entrepreneurship Center Powered by Riot Games makes a big statement,” said Curren Price, Councilmember for District 9 in South Central Los Angeles, where The Beehive is located. “These are going to be game changing opportunities. This is going to be the opportunity for our young people to focus on tech, to focus on their minds. When you see the smiles of our participants, it makes it all worth it.”

The grand opening saw kids using VR headsets, taking full advantage of the state of the art music studio, building robots in the robotics lab, and gaming–of course. In the newly renovated PC Bang, SoLa Impact students played VALORANT on PCs they helped build. After the center opened, two VALORANT squads representing the SoLa Surge, the center’s esports team, faced off on the stage in a heated match.