Alex Brown

I bridge policy and entrepreneurship to drive growth, build partnerships, and deliver results that strengthen local economies and the people behind them.

Companies and Organizations

I’ve Worked With:

Look at a snapshot year of Gov. Affairs work on the Government Affairs Report Card HERE

Policy and Advocacy

Policy Conference

For two years we worked on building out the biggest policy conference on the West Side of Los Angeles - and it was a fantastic success. Touching on policy issues of today and tomorrow - and having panelists that included top economists, authors, elected officials, and business leaders - the SM Chamber Policy Conference continues on for its third year in 2025. Have a look at our look book here —->

  • When hotel unions in Santa Monica pushed for a wage increase that threatened non-union hotels, I positioned the Chamber of Commerce as the leading advocate for small businesses.

    • Engaged hotels and surrounding businesses citywide to assess the economic impact and highlight risks to affordability and competitiveness

    • Unified hotel owners and tourism-dependent businesses under a shared message of “Fair Wages for All”

    • Developed a one-click advocacy tool enabling businesses to contact city officials directly and support responsible, phased wage increases

    • Shifted public opinion and successfully removed unreasonable union demands from the City Council agenda

    The Unions were hoping for non-Union hotels to raise their minimum wage rates, amongst other substantial changes, to take effect 1 month after City approval. This would have forced smaller hotels to sell or close completely. These small businesses add so much interesting flair, character, and sense of community to the city that their closing or consolidating would have been a disaster for Santa Monica. Not to mention the loss of tourism dollars that fuel the city.

    Politically, with the election rapidly approaching, the City Council would have been in a very tough spot. Ignoring the labor union in a very liberal city could be detrimental to many of the council member’s re-election bids.

    The goal, then, was to prevent the issue from being put on the agenda at all.

    Through our targeted efforts we were able to prevent the ordinance from coming to City Council - a huge win for Santa Monica.

    The minimum wage workers also won, by a newly implemented law that increased their pay year over year to hit the ultimate goal of $30 per hour - done so in a way that allowed hotels to continue to operate and grow.

  • In 2023, retail theft surged across California, leaving many business owners feeling unprotected and unheard. I worked with state Assemblymembers, law enforcement, community members, and local businesses to bridge communication and craft actionable solutions.

    • Facilitated cross-sector collaboration among police, prosecutors, community members, and policymakers

    • Led community engagement efforts to amplify business and resident voices in the policy process

    • Helped shape targeted legislative reforms that empowered law enforcement and enabled effective prosecution

    • Contributed to the passage of multiple Assembly Bills that strengthened theft prevention and restored public confidence

    Our business members were understandably worried when it came to the proliferation of retail theft and smash and grab robberies.

    We put together multiple town halls and events - connecting our businesses directly to the elected officials and police chiefs, to explain the issues.

    These interactions, along with our sustained communications with policy makers, allowed our member businesses to have a direct influence in the drafting and passing of multiple Assembly Bills that have reduced retail theft and increased penalties for repeat offenders.

  • Businesses faced costly delays and uncertainty due to inconsistent city inspections and shifting permitting standards. I partnered with local Business Improvement Districts to elevate the issue to City leadership, connecting the Heads of Community Development and Building Inspection directly with affected businesses.

    In doing this, a delicate balance needed to be achieved where we were able to showcase the issues without pointing fingers - with the goal of fixing the problem while maintaining our fantastic relationship with the city and its staff.

    This collaboration led to a new direct communication channel (which still exists today), reducing red tape, expediting resolutions, and helping businesses open on time and on budget.

Entrepreneurship

  • I built a logistics and delivery business, in a highly regulated sector, from the ground up — scaling from $0 to $3M in revenue within a few years through:

    • Development of efficient standard operating procedures (SOPs)

    • Navigation of a rapidly evolving regulatory environment

    • Creation of custom internal software solutions

    • Execution of a targeted, aggressive go-to-market strategy

    • Rapid team expansion to support scaling operations

    • Culminating in a successful acquisition

    Our team grew rapidly, with over 35 employees hired.

    Our focus was first to expand as quickly as possible, and then once our brand was established, to become the FedEx of Cannabis - a centralized warehouse where brands could white label delivery with us as operators. A first of its kind.

    We worked through numerous M&As and COVID to reach our $3m peak. We influenced policies that allowed us to operate more efficiently and were a leader in the delivery space - our reach and brand expanding well beyond Southern California.

  • Cross-Functional Excellence

    Led multiple property redevelopment projects across Los Angeles, creating substantial increases in asset value and transforming neglected structures into high-quality homes.

    • Managed cross-functional collaboration with subcontractors, city officials, tenants, architects, attorneys, and tax professionals

    • Navigated complex regulatory and zoning environments within one of the nation’s most tightly controlled housing markets

    • Delivered code-compliant, livable housing that contributes to community revitalization and expands local housing supply

    • Achieved both economic growth and social impact, with all completed units now home to satisfied long-term tenants

  • As President of the Los Angeles Dragons Australian Football Club, I revitalized operations and drove major organizational growth within my first year of leadership:

    • Doubled club cashflow through strategic financial management and revenue expansion

    • Secured and renewed key sponsorships, strengthening long-term partnerships and community visibility

    • Led a 15-member board to modernize operations, upgrade facilities, and position the club as a nationwide contender

Charitable Work & Community Service

  • As a mentor and program lead, I helped grow the NextGen Mentorship Program, connecting Black and Brown students with professionals who share their cultural and career experiences.

    • Mentored 100+ students, providing one-on-one guidance and career development

    • Facilitated internship placements and long-term professional relationships

    • Expanded career access and representation for underrepresented youth

  • Working at the Chamber of Commerce during the January 2025 Los Angeles fires put our team into a position of leadership. We worked quickly to gather and facilitate transport of supplies to residents and business owners - helping deliver hundreds of pounds of pet food, baby supplies, access to laptops and more.

    We also set up an SBA office within our office to allow businesses who were affected to get the support they needed, locally. Helping hundreds of businesses from all over LA and Malibu.

  • For multiple years I volunteered at the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic in Inglewood - helping connect underserved community members with free or low-cost lawyers across a huge range of legal areas.

    We helped hundreds of people that had issues in everything from housing problems to bankruptcy to criminal issues.

Workforce Development

  • In our first ever partnership with Santa Monica College we were tasked with connecting students, faculty, and local entrepreneurs to develop a workforce pipeline.

    This year’s focus was on Computer Science, Aquaculture, and Biotech industries.


    We were incredibly successful - our plan included multiple in-person events with panels, speakers, and networking - attended by hundreds of people - which connected all three parties and led to:

    • Multiple internships for students

    • Direct connections between faculty and businesses that shaped curriculum

    • A new-found educational pipeline for SMC graduates

    Developing and implementing this program was fantastic - it showed how a third party can find gaps in long standing operations and make each party’s goal more achievable.

    You can see the reports I wrote and published about the program in 2023 HERE and, our larger one, in 2024 HERE.

  • In 2025 the goal of Chamber Talent Connect was to help our struggling tourism industry find local students to take on the entry level jobs that needed to be filled across the city.

    High housing costs prevented many students from being able to work low paying jobs, and the hotels and restaurants we were working with said often students were unfortunately woefully prepared for the work - with many saying the students lacked the soft skills needed.

    We developed a report on our findings and connected many students with our hospitality businesses - leading to internships and a better understanding for SMC to move forward with a direct-to-Santa Monica hiring pipeline.

Press