Together We Rise. Together We Renew.
LA Rise & Renew Wildfire Recovery Grant Program
LISC LA and BMO have launched the LA Rise & Renew Wildfire Recovery Grant Program. In response to the devastating January 2025 wildfires that severely impacted neighborhoods across Los Angeles County
Over two years, the program will provide unrestricted $5,000 micro-grants to businesses with annual revenues under $2 million that were directly impacted by the fires. Participants will also receive targeted technical assistance through webinars and one-on-one advising to strengthen recovery and long-term resilience.
Together, we are investing in the small businesses that anchor and sustain our communities.
Program Details
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March 11th, 2026
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TBD
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TBD
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TBD
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
Rise. Renew. Rebuild. A six-part webinar series designed to help small businesses impacted by the January 2025 wildfires recover, stabilize, and grow. Each session is paired with one-on-one support to apply strategies directly to your business.
Reignite Your Mindset: Thriving After Disaster
Learn to turn setbacks into opportunities, build resilience, and develop a recovery-focused entrepreneurial mindset.Revenue Rescue: Quick Wins for Sales & Marketing
Identify immediate revenue opportunities, reconnect with customers, and craft messaging that drives business post-disaster.Operational Rebuild: Leading Your Recovery
Streamline operations, optimize your team, and rebuild systems efficiently to support sustainable growth.Cash Flow Revival: Financing & Financial Planning
Manage budgets, track cash flow, plan for emergencies, and access funding to stabilize and grow your business.Contractor Credibility: Build Trust & Capacity
Strengthen credit, secure insurance/bonds, and establish your business as a reliable contractor for future projects.Opportunities Ahead: Winning Contracts & Growth Deals
Navigate RFPs, certifications, and capability statements, and learn strategies to land corporate or government contracts that accelerate recovery.
Revenue Size.
Drive.
Industries.
Together.
Annual revenues under $2 million.
For small business owners ready to turn recovery into opportunity and accelerate growth.
Small businesses within Los Angeles County, directly impacted by the January 2025 wildfires.
Learn. Rebuild. Grow—together. Is this you?
ASCEND LA’s Management Program
Directed by the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at LMU, Ascend LA’s Management Education Program will be taught by the College’s leading faculty members from the major disciplines including Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Management, and Accounting. A group of industry professionals and mentors will complement the training program with their invaluable industry expertise.
The 12-session training program focuses on entrepreneurial competence, business foundation, and access to capital to enable our participating businesses to accelerate growth and acquire corporate and government contracts.
Program Details
Program Cost: This program is free of charge ($0) due to the generous donations of our donors.
Application Deadline: March 28th, 2025
Acceptance Notifications: April 4, 2025
Registration: All participants must be registered by April 7, 2025
We begin our 2025 cohort in the week of April 7 and continue through September 2025.
12 sessions will be delivered online on Saturday mornings.
4 strategy sessions with our business development team
10 hours of one-on-one advising
The program will host additional networking sessions with public contracting agencies, prime contractors, and lenders
Connect Ascend alumni and contract matchmaking events nationwide.
What will you learn?
There is nothing more powerful in business than the will to succeed, complemented by an entrepreneurial mindset and a strong business foundation. The program, broken down into 6 modules, brings in esteemed faculty members of various disciplines from LMU as well as industry experts in purchasing, contracting, and financing to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to take their businesses to the next level:
1. Entrepreneurial Mindset & Management: Developing proactive, innovative, and resilient behavior; overcoming barriers to growth; setting and achieving goals.
2. Marketing & Sales: Customer analysis; value proposition; story-telling; pitching; selling and landing customers.
3. Management & Leadership: Developing growth strategy; planning and executing.
4. Accounting, Financial, & Financing: Basic accounting & bookkeeping; planning & budgeting; financial projection; obtaining capital.
5. Establishing Yourself as Contractor: Building personal and business Credit; insurance & bonds; project management
6. Contract Acquisition: Reviewing RFP & responding to bids; certification; capability statement; negotiating and winning.
Industries.
Construction, Health Services, IT Products & Services, and Professional Services industries. 2025 cohort will focus on construction, and professional services (specifically accounting and project management)
Revenue Size.
Construction businesses // $2M+ Other industries // $1M
Drive.
We are looking for people who are ready to take their business to the next level.
Together.
We are looking for people that are interested in learning & growing alongside a cohort. Is that you?