Samara Ashley, CEO of The Strategic Advocacy Group and lead manager of the LA is Open campaign, joins The Bloc Power Hour with Sarah Harris to discuss how Los Angeles is rebuilding after the 2025 wildfires. Together, they explore what recovery really looks like for small businesses, workers, and communities across the region.

In this episode, we unpack:

• How the LA Is Open campaign began
• The economic impact of the wildfires on local businesses
• Why confidence and participation are critical to recovery
• How residents can actively support LA’s comeback
• What comes next as Los Angeles prepares for major global events

Recovery is more than rebuilding structures—it’s restoring economic momentum and collective confidence.

If you value conversations that move insight into impact, support this work at bbala.org.

Follow the show:
@blocpowerhour
@blackbusinessassociation
@sarahharrisceo_

How do housing decisions really get made—and why is it so hard to build homes people can afford?

In this launch episode of The Bloc Power Hour with Sarah Harris, Sarah is joined by Matthew Gates, a commercial real estate professional and research lead with the Urban Land Institute’s Building Healthy Places Initiative, for a data-driven conversation on housing, power, and the systems that shape our cities.

Together, they unpack why housing affordability remains such a challenge in Los Angeles, how development decisions are made behind the scenes, and how informed participation can shift outcomes for communities, businesses, and institutions.