When the City of Hawthorne secured ARPA funds, they set aside $125,000 toward small business grants and partnered with HDL Companies, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, and Tripepi Smith to administer the program. Grant winners were awarded $5,000 toward marketing assistance to foster a strong business community.

“We knew this grant would be a game-changer for our small businesses when we received it,” said Hawthorne City Manager Vontray Norris. “The grant was distributed to various organizations in our City, and Tripepi Smith quickly understood each business’s unique needs and brought their vision to life through photography, graphic design and more.”

Business Analyst Cailyn Thompson led the team as project manager, coordinating the various marketing efforts and setting up Meta digital advertising for businesses that requested it. Videographer Nolan Voge, along with Junior Videographers Ethan de la Peña and Daniel Ceruti, captured and edited stock photography and b-roll footage to enhance each business’s visual presence. Graphic Designer Jenni Wechsler created a range of marketing materials, including flyers, social media graphics, and custom logo suites to support outreach efforts. Principal Jennifer Vaughn served as the primary liaison to the City, ensuring each business received its designated marketing assets. To help one business reach its full audience, Business Analyst Valerie Nevarez translated materials from English to Spanish.

Thompson and Voge, along with Director Melanie James and Senior Graphic Designer Kjerstin Wingert, produced a series of training videos to support the awarded businesses. These videos covered key marketing topics such as social media setup, digital marketing and advertising strategies, enhancing online presence and website options, as well as best practices for capturing video and photography using a smartphone.

“Working with the City of Hawthorne on the grant program was a really unique opportunity for us to support the community’s small businesses,” said Cailyn. “Whether it was digital advertising or stock photography, we collaborated with each awarded small business to provide marketing materials to help reach their goals.”

Check out some of the businesses that were part of the grant and the marketing materials created by Tripepi Smith below:

About the City of Hawthorne

The City of Hawthorne is a vibrant community in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County with over 88,000 residents. Its position as an aerospace innovation hub, strategic location near major employment centers and proximity to some of Southern California’s most beautiful beaches contribute to its exceptional community. Hawthorne’s central location, with easy access to LAX, major freeways, and public transportation, makes it an ideal place for both families and businesses to thrive while enjoying all the amenities of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

About Tripepi Smith

Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to agencies seeking to leverage the internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, aerial imagery, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of American Canyon, City of Calabasas, City of Culver City, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of Duarte, City of Grover Beach, City of Santa Paula, City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Lake Forest, City of Livermore, City of Napa, City of Paramount, City of Tracy, CalChoice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Rowland Water District, California City Management Foundation, Renne Public Law Group, West Coast Arborists, Scripps College, Blind Children’s Learning Center and Climatec.