Streetlights Production Assistant Program

What Streetlights Production Assistant Program does

Streetlights Production Assistant Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 by commercial producer Dorothy Thompson in the immediate aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, with the explicit mission of redressing the inequity of race and gender behind the camera in film, television, commercials, and streaming media. The organization provides free Production Assistant training, job placement, and long-term career advancement services to underserved young adults—primarily Black, Indigenous, and People of Color from marginalized communities in Los Angeles County who lack a solid education base or stable work history.

The core service is a 240-hour Production Assistant Training curriculum (approximately 6 weeks) of which 120 hours are spent on actual productions as paid on-the-job training, with the remaining hours covering walkie-talkie operation, petty cash reconciliation, lock-up procedures, set practices, and office PA protocols. Surrounding this training are two union-pathway programs: the Commercial Diversity Initiative (CDI), created in 2000 with Procter & Gamble and Saatchi & Saatchi to channel graduates into commercial production unions, and the Studio Union Initiative, launched in 2020 with MBS Services and subsequently joined by Amazon Studios, Paramount Studios, Artists Equity, and NBC Universal to provide Stage Managers Union eligibility. Job placement is executed through a maintained Availability Roster matched against direct production company requests, and the organization layers on holistic support including childcare, groceries, car repairs, glasses, and clothing for graduates with unmet basic needs.

Streetlights generates no commercial revenue from either trainees or hiring productions—it charges no agency fees or service charges, and all training is provided free to participants. The operating model is funded entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. Donations are accepted via credit card, PayPal, Zelle, cryptocurrency (processed via The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange), stocks, and Donor Advised Funds. Institutional supporters include Amazon Studios, Paramount Studios, NBCUniversal, Walmart, P&G, Saatchi & Saatchi, MBS Services, Hackman Capital Partners, Bank of America Foundation, City National Bank, U.S. Bancorp Foundation, the John W. Carson Foundation, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Maximus Foundation, and others. The organization operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees from its Los Angeles headquarters at 3108 Glendale Blvd. #135 and is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Karen A. Clark and Executive Director Adele B. Wilson.

Name

Streetlights Production Assistant Program

Legal name

Streetlights

Website

https://streetlights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Streetlights is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that provides free Production Assistant training, job placement, and career advancement to underserved BIPOC young adults pursuing behind-the-camera careers in film, television, commercials, and streaming media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

Keywords

• Production assistant training
• Workforce development services
• Entertainment industry training
• Job placement services
• Diversity hiring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Streetlights is funded through charitable donations from individuals and organizations. The nonprofit accepts various donation methods including credit card, PayPal, Zelle, cryptocurrency, stocks, and Donor Advised Funds (DAF). All donations are tax-deductible.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Streetlights is a nonprofit job training and placement organization that delivers a 240-hour Production Assistant curriculum—120 hours of classroom/on-set instruction plus 120 hours of paid on-the-job training on actual productions—followed by guaranteed job placement into the entertainment industry. Graduates are matched with hiring productions through an Availability Roster covering commercials, television, film, and streaming media, with long-term career advancement and union pathway programs.

Product overview

Streetlights is a non-profit job training, placement, and career advancement organization. The flagship product is the Production Assistant Training program—a 240-hour curriculum with 120 hours of on-set production experience. Supporting services include Career Advancement for long-term professional development, the Commercial Diversity Initiative (CDI) for union pathways created in 2000, and the Studio Union Initiative launched in 2020. Job Placement Services connect graduates with production companies through an Availability Roster. Together, these programs provide a complete pathway from training through career placement and advancement in Film, TV, Commercials, and Streaming Media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Production Assistant Training
• Job Placement Services
• Career Advancement Services
• Commercial Diversity Initiative (CDI)
• Studio Union Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of participants enter the program barely earning a living wage or living in poverty
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MBS ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched the Studio Union Initiative in 2020 alongside Streetlights, facilitating paid training into the Stage Managers Union for graduates. This initiative has since expanded to include Amazon Studios, Paramount Studios, Artists Equity, and NBC Universal.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ghetto Film School: Nonprofit training underrepresented youth in filmmaking and production; operates in NYC and LA with similar workforce-development mission for the entertainment industry.
• Inner-City Filmmakers: LA-based nonprofit providing behind-the-camera training and mentorship to underrepresented youth in film and television production; closest direct parallel to Streetlights' model.
• Free the Work (formerly Free the Bid): Nonprofit platform driving diversity in commercial and music-video production by connecting brands/agencies with underrepresented directors and crew; overlaps with Streetlights' commercial-production focus.
• Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA): LA-based youth development nonprofit offering arts and education programming to underserved youth; comparable in mission, geography, and target population to Streetlights.

Emerging players

• Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC): Nonprofit providing media-making training, production services, and job placement to underrepresented creators; comparable workforce development focus but more video/multimedia than production-assistant specific.
• Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE): Nonprofit advancing Asian and Pacific Islander representation in entertainment through programs, events, and career resources; adjacent diversity-in-Hollywood mission but broader advocacy focus.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large-scale workforce development nonprofit placing young adults into corporate careers; comparable operational model (free training + wraparound support + job placement) but operates across industries rather than entertainment.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech and professional skills training with job-placement services to underserved adults; analogous training-plus-placement model in a different industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StreetlightsPAs
• Facebookfacebook.com/Streetlights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/streetlights
• Instagraminstagram.com/streetlightspas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Streetlights Production Assistant Program