By DIANE HAITHMAN
Natalie Tran, executive director of CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of top talent representative Creative Artists Agency, is all about sharing.
From leading the agency’s grant-making and volunteer efforts, to inviting colleagues into her office space for brainstorming sessions, Tran wants to bring purpose to her work and make everyone feel at home.
Tran joined CAA right out of college after graduating from the University of Redlands. She made her way through the global talent agency’s ranks as an agent trainee and an agent assistant before landing at its foundation’s helm.
Created in 1995, the nonprofit’s stated mission is to create positive social change by forging philanthropic partnerships, making in-kind donations and grants to social causes, and encouraging volunteerism among CAA’s 2,000-plus employees worldwide.
For example, CAA Foundation recently partnered with other entertainment companies to launch I Am a Voter, a 2018 midterm get-out-the-vote campaign.
During a conversation at CAA’s Century City high-rise offices, Tran said that in recent years, the foundation has begun working with its celebrity clients to design a program for their individual philanthropy. “We make it easy for people to do the right thing,” Tran said.
She hopes her warm and welcoming office aids in that effort.
Tran, raised in the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, said the communal bond between staffers at the foundation, as well as the talent agents, belies the formality of the agency’s contemporary design and cool white marble lobbies.
“Our offices are always open; we’re always out in the hallways talking to each other,” she said. “I leave my door open as often as possible.
“I like being surrounded by people. I grew up in a small house, me and my sister, so I like people in my space. I don’t feel like I need a private space,” she added. “I would love for every meeting to take place in my office.”
Tran wants her office to serve as a place where she and co-workers can focus, relax and get their creative juices flowing. There are several blank walls in Tran’s office, devoid of photos, artwork and keepsakes, but when the team gathers, those walls are quickly plastered with colorful Post-it notes, Tran’s favorite way of organizing thoughts and ideas.
“My office is a place where people can think freely, come up with good ideas, or bad ideas — just a place where they can be really creative.
“I’ve been so lucky that my first job happened to be at a place that allows people to grow and to thrive,” Tran added. “Every day you feel like you have a different job.”
Tran’s business style is freewheeling and collaborative, but she admits to being a little more conservative when it comes to her wardrobe. For that, she said, she has “Mama Tran” to thank.
“My mom always said, ‘Dress for the job that you want,’” Tran said. “I’ve really internalized that. … We are constantly meeting with other people all day, every day, so you want to put your best foot forward.”
Given her tastes, Tran is lucky not to work on the 7th floor, home to the agency’s music department where every day feels like casual Friday.
“I need to look put together in order to feel put together,” she said with a laugh. “It’s just too casual.”
