Valerie Blackburn has confronted the ultimate L.A. dilemma: How to approach a celebrity without being a pest?
Blackburn, the financial controller for CBS Radio in Los Angeles, is also chairwoman-elect of the Alliance for Women in Media, a national organization that will hold its Gracie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles for the first time May 25.
As an advocate for bringing the awards to Los Angeles, Blackburn believed the venue change would give the Gracies a higher profile in the entertainment business. Until now, the awards were always in New York and attracted an audience of mostly news journalists.
A few days after the Gracie winners were announced, Blackburn recognized comedian Wanda Sykes, one of the winners, in a Studio City restaurant. It was the perfect time to see if Hollywood knew about the Gracies, but Blackburn didn’t want to intrude on Sykes’ lunch.
“I thought, ‘It’s not about me, it’s the Gracie Awards and I’m on the board,’” Blackburn recalled. “I walked over and said, ‘Sorry to interrupt, but I’m on the board for the Gracie Awards.”
“I just won a Gracie!” Sykes said.
“She knew exactly what was going on,” Blackburn told the Business Journal. “It was a lovely moment.”
Holding Court
Marcie Carson got the experience of a lifetime recently: standing at center court at the Staples Center just before a Lakers game. “It was a bit surreal,” said Carson, 42. “The players were stretching and practicing on the court, and it was kind of exciting.”
Carson, owner of a Hermosa Beach graphic design firm, was one of five women being honored April 13 with a Best of L.A. Women’s Business Award sponsored by the Lakers and Comerica Bank of Costa Mesa. The other honorees were Lori Gay, Bobbi Owens, Lula Bailey Ballton and Sarah Lewis.
One of the happiest people in the arena, however, was Carson’s husband and business partner, Corey Baim, a hardcore Lakers fan who got to talk shop with the team’s TV commentator, Stu Lantz.
“I had a chance to introduce myself, nod my head a little as I listened to their conversation and then I was scurried off,” Carson confessed.
In the Know
Amir Hemmat co-founded SABEResPODER Inc. five years ago because he wanted to help Spanish-speaking immigrants assimilate. His West L.A. company provides educational and instructional materials to consulates, community centers and the like, teaching immigrants how to open bank accounts and get health insurance, among other things.
Here’s the twist: Hemmat isn’t Latino – he is Persian American. His parents emigrated from Iran. But he had their experience in mind when starting the company.
“They were first-generation immigrants and went through some of these processes,” said Hemmat, 30, who is chief executive of SABEResPODER, which roughly translates to “knowledge is power.”
SABEResPODER won a $50,000 grant in April from Pepsi as part of the company’s Refresh Project and will use the money to expand its online presence.
One day, Hemmat hopes to put out similar educational materials for Persian immigrants.
“I’d love to be able to contribute back to my own family’s community,” Hemmat said. “That’s definitely a dream of mine. I see it as not just a Latino initiative but it’s about improving society as a whole.”
Staff reporters Joel Russell, David Haldane and Daniel Miller contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
