Meet Chris Baldwin | President, The L-Project

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Baldwin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The L-Project was created in 2015 to produce events and spaces for 2SLGBTQI+ women & non-binary creatives to express themselves through the arts and technology. After the last Lesbian bar, The Palms, closed down in West Hollywood to make way for a multi-use development project, our Founder, Elisabeth Sandberg, decided she wanted to build a community of feminine identified spirits that would mix and mingle outside of the bar scene. As an historically Lesbian 501c3 non-profit, it’s important to us that we foster a sense of belonging and promoting a culture of acceptance, understanding, and love by using art, music and technology to bring people together.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Most 2SLGBTQI+ non-profit organizations are completely volunteer based so building a vibrant, healthy community of like minded creatives and volunteers can be quite the challenge in terms of executing programming and staying on mission for the long haul. Generally, most orgs like The L-Project rely on grants and donations for funding. We have worked hard over the past 3 years, under contract, working hand in hand with the City of West Hollywood to produce feminine focused events for WeHo Pride. Our signature event for WeHo Pride is the Women’s Freedom Festival and Dyke March. These events provide a high profile platform for emerging 2SLGBTQI+ BIPOC artists to showcase their talents and work on their craft as professionals. The funding we receive to produce Women’s Freedom Festival goes right back into our community, as we only hire and book 2SLGBTQI+BIPOC talent and vendors whenever possible. The long term goal for The L-Project is to turn Women’s Freedom Festival into a global event one day in the near future!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So much of our beautiful city has changed over the years. My absolute favorite area of town when I first moved to LA was the Melrose Ave district. It was bustling with people and shops selling everything from vintage tees to vinyl records. Today, my favorite spots are in Leimert Park, West Hollywood and Long Beach.
My week long trip would include:
Breakfast at CJ’s Cafe in South LA on LaBrea.
Then hop on the train to DTLA for a walking tour of old & new downtown and the arts district.
Hit the Sunset Strip in Hollywood for lunch at the best taco spot in LA – Pinches Tacos on Sunset Blvd.
I’ve always wanted to do John D’Amico’s Rockin’ Walking Tour of all the famous venues known for live band performances.
No week in LA would be complete without a visit to the Griffith Observatory, LACMA, the California African American Art Museum, the California Science Center or the Santa Monica Pier.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I love shoutouts! And I dedicate this shoutout to my wife and little rare butterfly, Shelbie. For everyday, I am inspired and moved by her enduring strength and resilience. A big shoutout goes to our Founder, Elisabeth, for creating The L-Project to provide space for us to freely express our authentic selves. Lastly, a big shoutout to all of the past and present board members, creatives and community partners who have helped mold The L-Project into the organization we have become today.

Website: https://thelproject.org

Instagram: @lprojectla

Linkedin: LProjectla

Facebook: https://facebook.com/LProjectLA

Image Credits
Images by:
Nicolette J-Pownall
Mortasay Vision
The L-Project