City of Long Beach Announces Finalists for Long Beach Collaboratory Community Demo Day

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Community members and City staff work together to identify local challenges and co-design innovative solutions at a previous LB Co-Lab workshop. Finalist solution providers will present their projects for community consideration at Community Demo Day on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Technology and Innovation Department (TID) has announced nine finalist solution providers as part of its second cohort of the Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) program. These finalists will present their proposed solutions to three pressing local challenges at the recently announced Community Demo Day, where community members are encouraged to attend and provide input on the City's innovative neighborhood technology solutions. Community Demo Day will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pointe Conference Center at California State University, Long Beach (1250 N. Bellflower Blvd.).

"We are committed to ensuring our residents have a central voice in addressing the local challenges that impact them," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "We encourage our community to join us this Nov. 15 to learn more about these incredible finalists and their proposed neighborhood solutions, provide direct feedback and contribute to a City that exemplifies community-driven innovation."

Event attendees will have opportunities to participate in interactive presentations, demonstrations and Q&A sessions to learn about the proposed solutions and provide direct feedback, which will be used to inform the selection of one awarded project for each challenge. The three awarded projects will each receive $75,000 in funding for a 12-month pilot program. Complimentary food and beverages will also be available for attendees.

After a competitive Requests for Proposals process, TID received 57 unique and innovative solution ideas, representing an over 200% increase in proposals from the first LB Co-Lab cohort. Proposals were scored based on qualifications, feasibility of implementation, community impact, originality and understanding of the civic challenge. The project teams, comprised of City staff and LB Co-Lab community participants, selected three finalist solutions for each challenge: secure commercial corridors, City services accessibility, and activating new public spaces. The nine finalists, including three Long Beach-based businesses, as well as their respective challenges and solutions are described below.

Secure Commercial Corridors
This challenge focuses on enhancing business and resident safety through activation and deterrence strategies and promoting visibility, vibrancy and increased foot traffic. Proposed solutions include:

• CITYROVER: Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered privacy-by-design cameras that automatically detect and report public right-of-way issues such as graffiti, dumping and hazards and enable faster responses and cleaner streets.
• Orion Labs: A multi-spectrum sensing system to enhance corridor safety by detecting incidents, monitoring activity and triggering smart lighting and alerts accessible to City staff and businesses.
• Placemaking U.S. Studio: Community-led public art, lighting and inclusive public spaces to enhance safety, deter vandalism and foster pride and engagement among residents and businesses.

City Services Accessibility
This challenge focuses on enabling residents and visitors, particularly those from vulnerable populations, to discover and access City services more effectively. Proposed solutions include:

• Embers and Oak Storyworks (Long Beach-based): Solar-powered support kits, digital storytelling kiosks and bilingual discovery portals to improve access, awareness and trust in City services.
• FUZE Technology, Inc: Self-service mobile charging stations that offer low-cost, on-demand power while doubling as digital displays to promote City programs and generate revenue.
• T-Mobile USA: Smartphones and tablets with year-long service, multilingual access tools and secure public kiosks to expand connectivity, service discovery and digital equity.

Activating New Public Spaces
This challenge focuses on encouraging property owners to manage their vacant or neglected land more effectively and involve residents in effecting positive change. Proposed solutions include:

• BeeSpace: Organic permaculture and community-maintained beehives to transform vacant lots into pollinator habitats, reduce decay, support biodiversity and foster voluntary engagement without enforcement.
• Devotion Fitness, Inc. (Long Beach-based): Mobile wellness hubs offering fitness, therapy, gardening and arts programming to support youth mental health, reduce damage and foster community healing and pride.
• Studio One Eleven (Long Beach-based): Flexible, scaffold-based spaces for art, commerce and community, inspiring future development by showcasing what's possible through temporary, low-cost activations.

Community members are encouraged to pre-register for Community Demo Day at lbcity.info/colab-demo or contact LB Co-Lab Program Manager Ryan Welch at [email protected] or 562.470.7002. Interpretation services will be available in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog.

"The LB Co-Lab demonstrates how powerful it can be when residents, entrepreneurs, and City staff come together to co-create solutions," said Lea Eriksen, Director of the Technology and Innovation Department. "By combining community insight with technology and innovation, we're building a more connected, inclusive and resilient Long Beach."

LB Co-Lab strengthens Long Beach's position as a leader in civic innovation, setting a national example for how cities can harness resident expertise to drive meaningful change through community collaboration and transparent decision-making. The program is part of the Long Beach Smart City Initiative, established in 2021 with guiding principles of equity, inclusion, resilience and community collaboration. The program is funded by the City's Innovation Fund and a grant from the Long Beach Community Foundation's Knight Foundation donor-advised fund.

To learn more about LB Co-Lab, visit the program webpage. The Smart City Initiative webpage provides additional information about the initiative, including guiding principles, pilot programs and ongoing projects. To stay informed about smart city efforts and community engagement opportunities, sign up for the City's Smart City Initiative newsletter.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. To learn more about Technology and Innovation, visit longbeach.gov/ti.

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