An evening in Los Angeles with the RSA and the British-American Project

On October 10 as the sun began to set over Los Angeles, the RSA co-hosted an event with the British-American Project on Columbus Day.

The event took place at the Max Bubeck Residence, a striking mid-century modern property with stunning views of the surrounding hills of Glassell Park, kindly provided by the artist and RSA Fellow Jasmin Blasco. 

The evening provided a valuable opportunity to connect with Los Angeles based Fellows of both the RSA and the British-American Project (BAP), a transatlantic leadership network.  As part of a commitment to sustainability, the zero waste event was supported by Sustain LA, San Antonio Winery, Valet-It and Heirloom LA.

The RSA has recently embarked on a partnership with BAP, a young leaders organization that inducts Fellows aged between 28 and 40 for life.  Renowned fellows include London Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Labour Party leader Ed Milliband, British Ambassador to the United Nations Matthew Rycroft and RSA CEO Matthew Taylor.  RSA US Board Chair Lolita Jackson, who is also a BAP Fellow, flew in from New York to welcome the group and share collaborative opportunities moving forward.

The event drew a broad array of guests, from designers to authors, public officials to artists lawyers to filmmakers including Academy Award winning filmmaker Arnold Schwartman RDI. I became an RSA Fellow in 2011 and moved back to Los Angeles from London six months later.  This was the first RSA event I’d ever experienced in Los Angeles.  It felt very special to have the opportunity to connect others and learn more about the local, national and international projects RSA and BAP Fellows are immersed in.

I’d like to extend special thanks to the entire event planning committee, in particular RSA Los Angeles Connector Susannah Tantemsapya, who brought the team together to make the event happen.  I’m excited to participate in more in the near future.

By Octavia Goredema MBE, FRSA