MIT Solve

Solution overview

Our Solution

Local Legend Films: Restoring the Workplace

Tagline

Restoring the workplace and bridging the gap to wealth equality.

Pitch us on your solution

Often, individuals with a criminal background struggle to find gainful employment. This section of our society is expanding and can be a valuable workforce if given a chance. Many workforce programs provide short term solutions to employment. We have created a holistic employment program that grants our apprentices the opportunity to develop and apply professional skills without an expiration date. Most of society is built around punitive systems that follow a top-down approach. Using restorative justice to create our company culture has given everyone an inclusive voice in the decision-making process, which we believe is the future of work culture. As a film company, we hope to eventually document our process of building a structure that reflects our company culture. We are setting the trend and creating a blueprint we believe many businesses can start applying in order to commit to the social responsibility we all share to every individual.

Film your elevator pitch

What is the problem you are solving?

In Chicago, homicide is the leading cause of death for black boys and men aged 15-34. While this statistic is unique to Chicago, the issue of gun violence affects communities across the country and throughout the world. The population we serve are young men from the North Lawndale community in Chicago affected by gun violence. These young men tend to feel as though they don’t have many options in society, especially after being caught carrying a gun, which is usually motivated by an effort to protect themselves and their friends. Once an individual enters the court system, it can be difficult to navigate without support and assistance. Court visits require time off during work hours and can create issues with employment, often leading to dismissal. Mandatory check-ins with parole officers can be embarrassing and difficult to reveal to employers. Young men from these communities are also often traumatized and suffer PTSD symptoms which can lead to missed work days. It can be difficult to find a job with a record and more challenging to keep one in this population.

Who are you serving?

We are dedicated to serving the Millennials and GenZ from under resourced, underrepresented neighborhoods, particularly from the West side of Chicago. Millennials and GenZ make up majority of our society. As baby boomers move out of the workplace, there are going to be many holes to be filled. We believe Millennials and GenZ are the emerging leaders who will make an impactful social change. Our apprentices have been a part of the creation and launch of Local Legend Films. They have had a voice and a vote in establishing our company protocols and structure. This helps gain an understanding of entrepreneurship in regards to the business internally and externally, as we learn what they desire, who they hope to become, all while providing a livable wage. Providing employment and a supportive work environment that fosters their growth and development into adulthood is vital to their survival. This job is not just a job, it’s a second chance at life.

What is your solution?

The exposure between professionals in the film industry and young men affected by gun violence has numerous challenges and benefits. For the working professionals on our team, a sense of service and meaning is brought into the space where we spend most of our hours. For our apprentices, a supportive team providing professional and personal development demonstrates an alternative to a life plagued by violence and trauma. Each apprentice experiences personalized mentorship, training on video production and coaching on life skills. Our investment expands beyond business hours and most of our staff donates hours each week in support of our apprentices. We meet our apprentices where they are and this means we accompany them to court dates, hearings on traffic tickets and funerals for their friends. In advance of the national wage increase and after two years of dedication, we recently raised the hourly wage for our apprentices to $15/hour. This equates to roughly $28,000/year which does not include benefits, vacation hours or sick days. We personally alleviate extra spending by helping with food and public transportation expenses. We would eventually love to reward our apprentices with financial security through a salary they can not only survive on, but actually thrive.

Through documentary film, our apprentices express their feelings and emotions, giving them a sense of catharsis and freedom from their past. This sense of healing is further expanded by our approach to our company culture, which is rooted in restorative justice. Restorative justice, when applied to communities like our workplace, is a set of practices and values that builds community and relationships, holistically prevents and repairs harm, resulting in a positive, supportive climate. To ensure we’re constructing our vision to the best of our ability, we’ve hired an expert in restorative justice training, Mashaun Ali Hendricks, who has worked with Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department to develop curriculum for using restorative justice in these communities. As our practitioner, Mashaun leads weekly peace circle meetings, where we get to the root of personal traumas and establish protocols that prevent future harm in our workplace. This approach is offered to each of our employees, providing holistic employment to everyone on staff at Local Legend Films.

Select only the most relevant.

Create or advance equitable and inclusive economic growth

Where is your solution team headquartered?

Chicago, IL, USA

Our solution's stage of development:

Pilot

More about your solution

Select one of the below:

New business model or process

Describe what makes your solution innovative.

Corporate America's work culture often changes to meet the demands of the new talent entering the workforce. The punitive approach to management and structure has been successful for many companies. Our current society embraces individuality and identity like never before and the needs of the young people entering the workforce are changing. In the Spring of 2018, 61 million GenZ young individuals entered the workforce. In order for companies to lure and retain these ambitious, vibrant, and technological savvy young people, a work culture that considers their voice, supports their individuality, and is willing to build relationships that meet them where they are, is essential.

A restorative justice work culture provides the structure needed to allow these things to develop. Our apprentices have overcome challenging circumstances in which they are producing documentary films to shed light on their stories. Restorative Justice has given them comfort and security to be themselves without being punished or judged for being themselves. Young men like our apprentices must put up walls to survive their environments. Restorative Justice has started to break these walls allowing us to connect and support them immensely. How much more of a higher performer could an individual be if they were truly heard, seen, and accepted? What about if the whole team performed higher because they all had made the decision to build relationships to set values that everyone could believe in? Meeting our apprentices where they are is the innovation.

Describe the core technology that your solution utilizes.

Documentary film has become more popular in the new millennium. We are a company full of storytellers with unique perspectives. Utilizing the best camera equipment, editing software, and other filmmaking essentials are core to our process. Currently we operate with a Sony A7, Sony FS5, Canon C100 and hope to invest in a Blackmagic Pocket 4K and other equipment as our team grows. We deliver quality content with top of the line technology and as our industry changes we will adjust as well. We are producing produce our own original content including visual tools for other companies to incorporate apprentice programs into their structure.

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Machine Learning
Behavioral Design
Social Networks

Why do you expect your solution to address the problem?

We are providing a chance at a sustainable lifestyle for individuals who have made choices in order to simply survive. The wage we provide helps the short term financial solution as our apprentices are able to pay for their basic necessities. Our restorative work culture strengthens our community of film professionals and young black men aiding in the healing of all us. In the long run we believe that our original content will spark change and impact many by providing visibility to stories normally not seen and practices not frequently used.

Select the key characteristics of the population your solution serves.

Women & Girls
Urban Residents
Very Poor/Poor
Low-Income
Middle-Income
Minorities/Previously Excluded Populations

In which countries do you currently operate?

United States

In which countries will you be operating within the next year?

United States

About your team

Your business model & funding

Partnership potential