Our Mission
EVERY PERSON NEEDS COMMUNITY
Urbano Strategies exists to empower Los Angeles communities by turning residents into leaders of their own neighborhoods. We hire and train locals to organize, design, and advocate for the public projects transforming our streets ensuring community development is shaped by those who know it best.
vision
GOALS
We are on a mission to educate 1 million Angelenos parents, youth, and elders to be the architects of cambio. We see an LA where streets reflect the voices of those who walk them, where community development fosters opportunities, not displacement. This is the city we’re building: one that rises with the gente, not over them.
WHO WE ARE
FOR THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE COMMUNITY
We are organizers and changemakers dedicated to revitalizing the areas we call home. Urbano Strategies shows up for the neighborhoods we call home. We don’t just drop in with ideas, we take action. The parks we activate, the policies we champion, and the public spaces we fight for are the same ones our families benefit from.
FOUNDER AND CEO
JESSE DE LA CRUZ
Jesse De La Cruz is South LA raised and understands the frustrations of empty promises, the fight to be heard, the struggle for green spaces, and what it means when your neighborhood gets overlooked. For over 10 years, he’s turned that lived experience into community power: transforming vacant lots into playgrounds and Urbano farms, speaking up for community that led to direct actions for policy, and garnering public and private investment into our communities. Jesse works the streets so South LA’s voice isn’t just considered, it’s non-negotiable.