The Loop Lab operates as a nonprofit workforce intermediary at the intersection of talent development, industry partnership, and systems coordination. We connect opportunity youth to careers in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy — professional audiovisual technology and creative media — through paid apprenticeships, industry-recognized credentials, and employer placement. Our three outcomes — employment, continued education, and entrepreneurship — reflect our commitment to economic mobility on the participant's own terms.
The Loop Lab: A Workforce Intermediary for the Creative Technology Economy
The Loop Lab was founded in 2017 on a straightforward premise: the professional audiovisual and creative media industry has a structural talent problem, and communities of color and low-income communities have the talent that industry needs. We exist to connect them — systematically, at scale, with outcomes that persist. Over seven years, we have evolved from a media training program into a full workforce intermediary: recruiting and training opportunity youth, partnering with employers, coordinating multi-partner funding, and licensing our curriculum to organizations in Massachusetts, New York, and Georgia.
EDUCATION
EMPLOYMENT
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Many of our participants do not begin our trainings with much success in a traditional school environment. Our style of individualized hands-on training gives them the confidence and tools to perform well in the classroom. This often leads to pursuits of higher education after their training with us. Most notably, for graduates of our Media Arts Apprenticeship program, we offer a full-tuition paid scholarship to pursue a BFA at the Lesley College of Art and Design.
The most common outcome of our trainings is employment. In the media arts field, consistent employment is rather difficult to find and maintain. If a participant in our programs is not only able to sustain, but financially improve their lives by doing media related work, we consider that a success. This employment can be full-time, multiple part-time gigs, or, more often, freelance work. The partners we have in the city and region make this a reality.
Part of our curriculum for our young adult participants is related to business development and entrepreneurial strategies. Some of our alumni have gone on to start their own business regardless of their relationship to media. Some have begun clothing brands, cleaning and production companies. Not everyone wants to be their own boss, but for those who do, if we are able to give them the opportunity and skills to do so, we have been successful.
