Vice Presidential Pool Reports of April 17, 2023

VP LACI Tour Pool Notes #1

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at 4:10 p.m. to to tour the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, located in downtown L.A.'s Arts District.

LACI is focused on creating an equitable clean energy economy for communities in the Los Angeles area and beyond. Today's visit focused on clean energy and transportation innovations, including businesses seeking to increase access to clean transportation and energy, especially for low-income and high-pollution communities in LA.

The tour also highlighted LACI's workforce training program that places graduates in clean tech small businesses.

On the first stop in the tour VP met with John Jones III, President & Co-Founder East Side Riders Bike Club.

LACI recently partnered with John and ESRBC to bring a no-cost e-Bike Lending Library pilot to the residents of Watts, Willowbrook and Compton and empower community members with access to zero emissions, micromobility solutions

Harris asked Jones how bikes are delivered to community members and how long people get to keep them for.

I'm the second stop on the tour, Harris met with entrepreneurs who have received start-up funding and training through LACI.

The entrepreneurs included Kameale Terry, Co-Founder of ChargerHelp!, which Provides EV charging equipment operations and maintenance services; Sabrina Williams, Founder of SEED, which helps more farmers use precision agriculture with handheld soil carbon sensors; and Max Aram, Founder of Electrum, which connects homeowners with technicians for home electrification solutions.

On the third and final stop, the Vice President heard from workforce training program grads.

This included Xiomara Rios, Customer Service Associate at HIVE; Kayla Mullins, intern with HIVE; Marvin Valencia, Watts Car Share Associate at Green Commuters; and Patrik Finan, Bike Technician at Pedal Movement.

Both Rios and Mullins were young mothers trying to find a good career path when they entered LACI's training program.

"It's been a huge blessing, to be able to provide better and I've learned a lot," said Rios.

VP will soon deliver remarks on the Biden-Harris's efforts to foster a green economy. Check out the livestream on Whitehouse.gov/live.

Quotes from VP Harris during the tour to follow in a second email.

VP LACI Tour Pool Notes #2

The following are some quotes/color from the tour:

"We are obsessed with electric vehicle charging stations," said Kameale Terry, co-founder of ChargerHelp!, which provides maintenance and repair services for EV chargers.

"So is the President of the United States," said Harris.

Harris asked Terry what the biggest problem is with charger malfunctions as well as the limits to accessing stations in certain communities.

"Even when they are in communities they are not working. In my community we have charging stations, but most of them don't work and most of the time it's not an electrical issue, but a software communication issue," said Terry. "So that's what we are solving at ChargerHelp!"

Harris also met with Sabrina Williams, the founder of SEED, a company that helps farmers measure the level of carbon in their soil, so they can increase
yields, reduce greenhouse gases, and conserve natural resources.

"I head the National Space Council and the satellite technology and what we're doing is really aimed at agriculture," said Harris to Williams. "I will follow up with you to make sure that that data we are creating and making available is actually helpful."

"One of the things that we started about six years ago was the workforce training for how to prepare people for the careers that are coming and are here today, whether it's how to fix micromobility devices or how to do things like electric vehicle charger maintenance," said Matt Peterson, president and CEO of LA Cleantech Incubator.

"Prior to this I was having a hard time finding a job that pays a living wage. I have two small children, so it was very stressful for me," said Kayla Mullins, a workforce training program graduate who now works at HIVE, an artificial intelligence company. "I'm happy to say now I work at HIVE."