On Jan. 25, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce held its second annual Business Summit at Santa Monica Brew Works, featuring several panels on hot industry topics as well as the awarding of the Outstanding Business Leader Award to Providence St. John’s CEO Michael Ricks. A gathering of business and other local stakeholders listened in as experts relayed information relating to workforce development, business procurement and marketing using artificial intelligence (AI).
The workforce panel, moderated by Regent Santa Monica Beach hotel General Manager Younes Atallah, brought together higher-ups in local industry and education to highlight trends in both hiring and retaining employees. Atallah noted that when he thinks of the workforce, he thinks of “dealing with people,” and questioned the three panelists on how to keep employee engagement alive locally despite challenges like commuting to and from Santa Monica.
Both UNITE-LA Director of Policy Amber Chatman and Lionsgate Head of Talent Acquisition Tami Quintero spoke of equity in employment opportunities, with Quintero adding that a workforce trend she’s seen is in inclusive hiring practices, including at the Santa Monica-based Lionsgate.
“We are making sure that we are having ongoing education for our employees on the principles and making sure that we have processes, hiring processes, recruitment processes, that are equitable and transparent and present an equal playing field across the board for candidates,” Quintero said. She also noted that another trend which is “long overdue” is focusing on “skills-based hiring,” with employers looking for “demonstrated capacity for growth” instead of focusing on more strict educational requirements which “created barriers for entry.”
Chatman expanded on how employers can keep talent once acquired, stating that employees want to see advancement opportunities and that businesses should create a culture where “upskilling and advancement is visible.” On the day-to-day, Chatman added that new employees strive to find roles that are “connected to meaningful impact,” which can spark joy even during mundane tasks.
The policy director also touched on how caring employers who offer living wages are also seen more fondly in a world recently impacted by the economic anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If COVID showed us anything, it was the balance in the wellness that was prioritized with organizations that were able to keep [a lot of] their employees … to the extent that we are prioritizing, ensuring that the whole person is taken care of both in terms of leadership [and] people management, [where] the development of a person is being kind of woven into the fabric of the culture and the organization,” Chatman said.
Having strong educational roots locally also cultivates a strong workforce, with Santa Monica College Vice-President of Academic Affairs Jason Beardsley commenting how SMC is an “anchor” of the community with resources that can help businesses connect with students. Beardsley noted that the strength of SMC is in its flexibility to develop new programs or pathways in “emerging areas,” such as cloud computing and aquaculture. The Chamber and SMC recently began the Chamber Talent Connect program based on these growing industries.
Other panels at the summit included discussion on AI marketing, with comments from Botcopy CEO Dustin Dye, Snap, Inc. Business Partner Solutions’ Rick Lucas and Chamber Marketing and Events Manager LeAnn Oliver. Both Dye and Lucas explained how their services can be used within businesses, such as Botcopy’s expertise in AI-centered contact and customer relations live chat interfaces. Oliver added that online services like the Chamber’s directory of local businesses are crucial for getting businesses seen on Google searches and other social media platforms.
“You have no idea how quick it’ll get picked up … you just don’t know how amazing it is [how] the simplest things can really make a big difference,” Oliver said.
The final panel, hosted by Chamber CEO Judy Kruger, was a discussion on business growth and procurement with representatives of the local, regional and state levels. The panelists were City of Santa Monica Economic Development Manager Jennifer Taylor, El Camino College Small Business Development Center Director Starleen Van Buren and California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ) Director of Innovation Christopher Earl. During the panel, Taylor promoted several City initiatives like the Buy Local campaign and the Most Loved contest as ways to get a local business noticed.
Presenting the Outstanding Business Leader Award was Atallah, who noted he “couldn’t be prouder” to give the honor to “dear friend” Ricks, who has served as CEO of Providence St. John’s for the past four years.
“Michael’s exceptional leadership not only with his team, but successfully navigating … one of the largest healthcare organizations [locally] during the pandemic, has been absolutely incredible,” Atallah said. “His distinct blend of humor, intellect and compassion has really left a lasting mark on Santa Monica as a community.”
Ricks jokingly stated that he wasn’t going to make a formal acceptance since the crowd has heard “dozens” of acceptance speeches at recent shows like the Golden Globes and the Emmys. He did, however, recognize everyone from the Chamber, his team at Providence St. John’s, his family for “tolerating” the time he spends away at work, and his colleagues in healthcare.
“[This isn’t] just a job, [it’s] a vocation, and how you actually answer the call,” Ricks said of being in the healthcare industry. “Many of us in our own ways … we all answered the call in the things that we do for our respective organizations in our community. I was grateful for the opportunity I had to answer the call to work at St. Johns … taking care of anyone, but especially with a focus on the poor and vulnerable in our community. It’s an honor to see our mission in action all day, every single day.”
He added that he was “proud” to live in Santa Monica, and that his colleagues that reside in the area should feel the same way, calling for them to “spread the word” about the city’s positives.
“I think we can all continue to help shape the culture of our city, a city that’s business friendly, a city that’s travel and tourism friendly, and we need to do that from within,” Ricks said.