By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) wants business owners in her community and across the state to know that LA28 is committed to directing procurement spending in the Greater Los Angeles region toward small businesses for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism met with LA28 leadership for the second time on April 6 at the State Capitol to review preparations for the 2028 Games and gauge small business involvement.
“I cannot stress it enough that they have to be engaged, prepared, and ready,” McKinnor, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), told California Black Media (CBM). “There are a lot of (financial) opportunities. There is a lot of money to be made.”
McKinnor, chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to ensure Black and minority-owned small businesses in Inglewood and surrounding areas fully understand the opportunities ahead of the Summer 2028 Games.
The LA28 Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles from July 14 to July 30, 2028. The opening ceremony is set for July 14, and the closing ceremony will take place on July 30, marking the third time Los Angeles has hosted the Summer Games. The Paralympic Games will follow from Aug. 15 to Aug. 27, 2028.
Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer, and Janet Evans, Chief Athlete Officer, provided updates to the Assembly. Paul Krekorian, executive director of the Los Angeles Office of Major Events, also spoke in person.
The commitment is part of a broader goal to direct 25% of spending to small businesses and keep 75% of procurement within the Greater Los Angeles region. According to Discover Los Angeles, BuyBlack.org, and BlackOwnedFoodinLA.com, there are numerous Black-owned businesses in Inglewood.
The NAACP Los Angeles is actively engaging with LA28 to ensure economic equity, focusing on creating opportunities for Black vendors and businesses. The organization is advocating for inclusivity in procurement and workforce representation, emphasizing that the Games should benefit the local community.
According to NAACP Los Angeles, LA28 has established a supplier diversity program to identify and contract with minority-, women-, LGBTQ+, and veteran-owned businesses. Inglewood businesses are encouraged to become certified, register on procurement portals, and prepare to bid on contracts for services such as laundry, landscaping, and catering.
McKinnor said Black-owned businesses in Inglewood and the greater Los Angeles area are strongly encouraged—and in many cases required—to be certified to maximize their chances of securing contracts for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Get your paperwork ready. You cannot be a business running your business out of your house,” McKinnor told CBM. “You must be certified. These businesses are going to be utilized for people who want to eat at restaurants, shop at boutiques, and be entertained (at venues) by Black businesses up and down Market Street.”
Market Street is recognized as a historic and cultural commercial hub for Black-owned businesses in downtown Inglewood. Black-owned businesses interested in becoming vendors or suppliers can register their interest through the official LA28 website.
Vendors are also encouraged to reach out to Black chambers of commerce to access contracting opportunities, navigate complex procurement processes, and ensure equitable participation in the estimated $11 billion economic impact.
CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Hoover told McKinnor that the Assembly Select Committee’s LA28 “procurement strategy” includes “hyper-local small businesses and micro-small businesses.” He added that the leadership team plans to host roundtable discussions with various organizations to discuss procurement and how local businesses can learn about available opportunities.
“From that perspective, we are taking every step that we can,” Hoover said.
In January, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the CLBC, hosted the LA28 Games Workforce and Procurement Symposium at Exposition Park, a 160-acre urban and cultural hub. Hoover was one of the featured speakers.
The event connected Hoover and LA28 leadership with South Los Angeles workforce and business leaders to discuss equitable access to jobs, contracts, and long-term economic impact.
“We partnered with LA28 to host this event to ensure South LA working families and businesses get a fair shot at the jobs and contracts created by the Games,” Smallwood-Cuevas stated. “This event shows what’s possible when our community is included early and treated as a valuable partner.”
Vendors interested in securing contracts related to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games are encouraged to visit RAMP LA at http://www.rampla.org.
