business owner. Single parent Foster mom. Renter. Nonprofit founder. Decades in the district.
Running to represent the neighborhoods of Council District 13: build more housing that serves our neighborhoods; support small business + jobs; and clean our streets so they’re shady, safe and walkable.
MEET DYLAN
Campaigns should be a conversation, not a billboard.
On Instagram you’ll find regular posts on policy and neighborhood issues, on TikTok you’ll get more of my story and day-to-day campaign life, and on YouTube you’ll see longer, in-depth videos as the race moves forward.
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“Improving our quality of life starts with rebuilding our small business economy; keeping our parks and public spaces both safe and clean; planting trees for shade; and celebrating the art, music, creativity and cultural diversity that defines Council District 13.”
Dylan Kendall is an entrepreneur and enterprise builder running for LA City Council in District 13, where she has lived, worked, and raised her family for more than 30 years.
She founded three organizations that all started from the same belief: when something isn’t working, you redesign it. The Open Museum of Los Angeles reimagined public space and culture to bring neighbors together and launched her political career; Hollywood Arts broke the cycle of lifelong homelessness for youth aging out of foster care and the juvenile justice system by treating creativity as a pathway to stability; and Dylan Kendall Home, the consumer products company she grew from her kitchen table into an internationally recognized brand with global distribution, proving that even everyday kitchenware can be redesigned to bring more joy into daily life.
Additionally, Dylan has consulted with Los Angeles County on using arts and culture to revitalize distressed neighborhoods, worked at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce managing the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Sign assets, and launched Grow Hollywood, Hollywood’s first Economic Development Corporation. She advises international NGOs on marketing and development strategy.
She is an alumna of the Coro Public Affairs Fellowship program, a BMW Foundation International Responsible Leader, and was nominated for Ashoka for her work with the homeless population. For nine years and counting, she volunteered inside California prisons teaching business skills to incarcerated men and women.
Her entire career has been built on one principle: when you see the status quo isn’t working, you redesign it.
Dylan sees stable local businesses, walkable streets, secure housing, real public safety, and a vibrant cultural life as the pillars of a healthy city. She is committed to restoring balance at City Hall by removing political bias from decision‑making, prioritizing public safety, promoting economic growth, and accelerating the construction of diverse types of housing and creative workspaces so residents and local businesses can thrive together.
Dylan’s track record proves she can deliver. She knows how to raise capital, manage complex operations, build coalitions across sectors, and design solutions that scale. She is a single parent foster mom, longtime vegan, and animal rescuer. Her brother teaches at Los Angeles City College and her nephews are students there. Her work and values point in the same direction: a Los Angeles that is safer, more stable, more beautiful, and more prosperous for all people who live and work here.
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Pride in Public Space
Our public spaces matter more than ever. As we rediscover the value of in-person connection, these shared spaces become our community’s “third place” where we gather beyond home and work, see our neighbors face-to-face, and rebuild a sense of belonging. In a world returning to real-life connection, vibrant public spaces are the heart of a healthy, united community.
From keeping our neighborhood farmers markets supported, to hosting street fairs, festivals, and local performances, every block in CD13 should feel safe, cared for, and welcoming for the people who live here and for those who come to experience Los Angeles.
Revitalizing our neighborhoods means reimagining our streets as shared, walkable spaces designed for connection. Monthly pop-up plazas, local art installations, and permanent market furniture can make it easier for our artists, vendors, and small businesses to thrive. Clean, organized, and well-lit sidewalks remind us that pride in place starts at street level.
By working with residents, civic partners, and neighborhood organizations, we can restore beauty, belonging, and pride to every corner of our district.
Public Safety for All
Public safety is not about political sides, it’s personal. As a mother whose son has struggled with the law, and as a coach who’s spent the last nine years working inside prisons, I’ve seen up close how safety, justice, and prevention aren’t just buzzwords, they shape real lives, families, and neighborhoods.
Public concern in Los Angeles is still high, even as some statistics improve. We know that feeling safe goes deeper than numbers; it’s about restoring hope, holding systems accountable, and making sure every neighbor is supported in moments of crisis and in the journey to rebuild.
That’s why my approach puts prevention first: clean, well-lit streets, faster and more compassionate crisis response, and real transparency and accountability from every city department. Safety means giving every person the chance to live, work, and walk without fear and it means seeing the full humanity in everyone we serve.
Supporting Small Businesses in a Fair Local Economy
Small businesses are the soul of our neighborhoods: the corner markets, cafes, and creative studios that make every block unique. They’re not just shops; they’re job creators, community builders, and a lifeline for families striving to get ahead.
Right now, L.A. is seeing the lowest number of new small businesses opening in twenty years. Recent city data shows business formation has dropped to historic lows, below what we saw during the 2008 recession and the pandemic era.
It’s harder than ever to run a business in Los Angeles, and we need real change. My economic plan is simple: keep more dollars circulating in our community. That means bringing in more jobs, helping business owners modernize storefronts, and working hand-in-hand with chambers of commerce and BIDs to give small businesses a real chance to thrive.
Economic Growth and Responsible Budgeting
Los Angeles is at a turning point. We’re wrestling with record deficits, escalating costs, and shrinking returns. This year’s budget shortfall tops a billion dollars, the city’s largest in decades. Solutions won’t happen overnight, but smarter management starts now.
Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. That means using real-time data to track every dollar, streamlining contracts to eliminate waste, and publicly measuring outcomes—not just activity.
Economic growth is built through partnership: when residents, businesses, and developers align on priorities like tourism, tech, and the creative economy, we strengthen our tax base and expand opportunity. Responsible budgeting isn’t just about saving money, it’s how we rebuild public trust and deliver the results that Angelenos deserve.
Balanced Solutions for Homelessness That Work
LA’s homeless response is a disaster. There has been almost no progress in the 20 years since I launched Hollywood Arts in 2005. At that time, Mayor Villaraigosa was quoted in The New York Times calling Los Angeles the homeless capital of America. Two decades and billions of dollars later, we’re still struggling to get the basics right. We can’t keep repeating the same failed strategies and expect different results.
Homelessness is not one problem; it’s complicated, multifaceted, and different for every person caught in it. We cannot treat everyone with a cookie-cutter approach, pushing people into the same system and expecting lasting change. In my work founding Hollywood Arts in 2005—the only educational agency in the country to use arts-based pedagogy to disrupt the path to chronic homelessness for high-risk young adults over the age of 18 leaving the street, foster care, trafficking, or the juvenile justice system—we learned that listening, adapting, and building solutions with people at the center leads to real lasting progress for those most vulnerable.
And now, 20 years later, recent court orders and quarterly reports show Los Angeles can’t reliably count how many people are being sheltered, placed, or helped. The city has failed to meet core transparency standards and continues to rely on approaches that aren’t helping.
It’s time to bring in leadership with real-world problem-solving experience and the courage to break from what isn’t working. It’s time to think innovatively and with compassion, because no one in L.A. should be living on the street.
Grow Hollywood is my blueprint to revitalize Hollywood — turning empty storefronts into opportunity, supporting local businesses, and preparing our neighborhood for the Olympics, when all eyes will look to be inspired by this great place once again.
Grow Hollywood draws on proven strategies from cities around the world that have rebuilt themselves into creative capitals — to make our streets cleaner and safer, to bring investment and life back to Hollywood, and to finally deliver the world-class experience this neighborhood deserves.