business owner. Foster mom. Renter. Nonprofit founder. Decades in the district.
Running to represent the neighborhoods of Council District 13: build housing that serves our neighborhoods; support and develop more small business; and clean up our streets so they’re shady, safe and walkable again.
MEET DYLAN
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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, community builder, and problem solver running for Los Angeles City Council in District 13 where she has lived, worked, and raised her family for more than 30 years.
Throughout her career, Dylan has built organizations that tackle systemic problems at their root. She founded four groundbreaking initiatives: the Open Museum of Los Angeles, which launched her political journey; Hollywood Arts, an education center that redefined how we serve homeless and at-risk youth, helping more than 300 young adults through over $2 million in partnerships with the video game industry; Dylan Kendall Home, a design-driven brand she grew from a local farmers market table into an internationally recognized company with distribution in nine countries; and Grow Hollywood, Hollywood’s first district-level Economic Development Corporation.
Beyond her entrepreneurial work, Dylan has advised Los Angeles County on neighborhood revitalization strategies that use arts, preservation, and culture to strengthen communities. At the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, she managed the iconic intellectual property behind the Walk of Fame and Hollywood Sign, representing two of the city’s most valuable civic brands. She also counsels international nonprofits on fundraising and strategic growth.
A UCLA graduate, Coro Public Affairs Fellow, and BMW Foundation International Responsible Leader, Dylan was nominated for an Ashoka Fellowship for her national impact in addressing homelessness. For nearly a decade, she has volunteered in California state prisons teaching entrepreneurship and job skills to incarcerated men and women, work rooted in her belief that everyone deserves a second chance.
Her guiding principle is simple and powerful: intervene early, solve at the root, and refuse to manage decline. Dylan knows that stable businesses, walkable neighborhoods, secure housing, safe streets, and vibrant cultural life are the foundation of a healthy, thriving city.
As a City Councilmember, Dylan will ensure City Hall’s finances work for the public, leading a transparent review of old restricted funds - from Quimby dollars to dormant art or mitigation accounts - so decisions are made in the open. Her process will be clear and practical: complete the original project, reinvest in the same policy area, or, only when truly outdated, redirect funds to core services like safety, streets, and sanitation.
A believer in the power of partnership, Dylan will make Council District 13 “Open for Business” inviting innovative collaborations that unite government, business, and community. From sanitation and small business support to rewilding urban spaces, she will bring speed, creativity, and accountability to revitalization projects that restore pride and functionality in the heart of Los Angeles.
Dylan’s track record proves she can deliver. She’s raised capital, managed complex operations, built coalitions across sectors, and created solutions that scale. Her experience and values point in the same direction: a Los Angeles that is safer, more prosperous, more beautiful, and more humane for the families, workers, and business owners who deserve a city that works.
A foster parent, longtime vegan, and animal rescuer, Dylan practices Trap-Neuter-Release work on the streets of East Hollywood, the same hands-on, root-cause approach she brings to every challenge. Her brother teaches at Los Angeles City College, her nephews are students there, and her family’s story reflects her belief in a city where progress leaves no one behind and where every neighborhood can thrive.
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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.