January 2026: A Turning Point — 10 Years in the Making

As we step into 2026, we’re marking more than the start of a new year.

This year marks Kultivate Labs’ 10-year anniversary—a real milestone that gives us pause, perspective, and renewed clarity about why this work exists and where it’s headed.

Just a few months ago, heading into the holidays, we were navigating an incredibly uncertain period. Like many community-based nonprofits, we were bracing for difficult decisions, including potential staff time reductions, as public funding tightened and grant timelines shifted. It was a sobering moment—especially for an organization reflecting on a decade of work rooted in community, creativity, and care.

Today, we’re grateful to say: our fortunes have shifted.

From Uncertainty to Growth — at the 10-Year Mark

Entering our tenth year, Kultivate Labs has secured several new grants that collectively reposition us not just to stabilize—but to grow.

Because of this support:

• We are able to avoid staff time cuts

• We can increase staff compensation, honoring the people who have carried this work forward

• We are launching new programs that expand our reach and deepen our impact across San Francisco

There’s something especially meaningful about this moment happening in our anniversary year. It feels less like a lucky break and more like the result of a decade spent building trust, testing ideas, learning from missteps, and staying rooted when it would have been easier to walk away.

Inspiration From Artists, and the Search for a New Home

As part of our 10-year reflection, we recently completed our Balay Artist outreach, listening closely to artists about what they need next.

That process reminded us of a truth that has guided Kultivate Labs from the beginning:

space matters.

Artists’ ideas, ambitions, and lived realities have reignited our vision for what Balay can become. As a result, we are actively touring potential new spaces as we search for a new home—one that can better support creative production, community gathering, and long-term sustainability.

In our tenth year, this search feels less like starting over and more like evolving into what the work now asks of us.

Kreative Growth Relaunches in February — Centered on Mahal

Building on that momentum, Kreative Growth will relaunch in February, with a thematic focus on Mahal—a concept that speaks to love, care, value, and what we hold dear.

As we reflect on 10 years of Kultivate Labs, Mahal feels like the right anchor.

This new chapter of Kreative Growth will invite artists to explore Mahal as:

• An emotional and cultural practice

• A vision for how we care for one another and our city

We’re excited to see how artists interpret this theme during a year that asks us to look both backward and forward at once.

Public Art Returns to Jessie West Alley

That same spirit carries into our public art work.

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received a grant from the City to produce a rotating Mahal Mural in Jessie West Alley.

This project will:

• Activate public space with care and intention

• Center love, visibility, and cultural expression

• Create ongoing opportunities for artists through a rotating format

As we celebrate 10 years, this mural becomes more than an art installation—it’s a public marker of what Kultivate Labs stands for: art as infrastructure for belonging, safety, and shared memory.

Launching an AI Literacy Lab — Powered by OpenAI

Another milestone for our anniversary year is the launch of a new AI Literacy Lab, made possible through support from OpenAI.

This lab will serve:

• Nonprofits

• Creatives

• Small business owners

Our goal is to demystify AI and make these tools accessible, ethical, and practical—especially for organizations and entrepreneurs who are often excluded from emerging technology conversations.

In our tenth year, this work represents a bridge between legacy and future: honoring human creativity while equipping communities with tools that can expand capacity and possibility.

Ruby Ibarra, Filipino-American rapper from the Bay Area, performed on the NPR series | Photo Credit: Gino Lucas of Bolo Music Group

SF Live Continues to Grow — SF Music Week Returns

Our ecosystem of programs continues to expand through SF Live, one of our fiscally sponsored initiatives focused on the live music and nightlife economy.

This year marks the launch of the 2nd Annual SF Music Week, a growing citywide platform that brings together artists, venues, industry professionals, and cultural workers to celebrate and strengthen San Francisco’s music ecosystem.

We’re especially excited to welcome Ruby Ibarra as this year’s keynote speaker—an artist whose work embodies cultural integrity, creative excellence, and the power of storytelling through music.

As we mark 10 years of Kultivate Labs, SF Live represents how our work has evolved: supporting not just spaces and businesses, but entire cultural ecosystems that keep San Francisco vibrant after dark.

UNDSCVRD Turns 10 — A New Era Begins

This anniversary year also marks 10 years of UNDSCVRD, one of our most visible and beloved cultural initiatives.

As we look toward the next decade, we’re excited to share that UNDSCVRD is evolving.

We’re officially saying goodbye to the formats that defined its early years—no more night markets or block parties. Instead, we’re developing an entirely new approach that reflects what we’ve learned over the last decade and responds to the realities of producing cultural events today.

While we’re not quite ready to reveal what’s next, we can say this:

we’re reimagining UNDSCVRD to keep it fresh, intentional, and sustainable for the next 10 years—and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.

Expanding Economic Support Beyond SOMA Pilipinas

We’re also proud to share that we’ve secured new funding from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to support more small businesses in SOMA—and importantly, not only Filipino-owned businesses.

While SOMA Pilipinas remains a core cultural district we steward, our 10 years of work have shown us that inclusive recovery strengthens everyone. These funds allow us to support a broader mix of entrepreneurs and reinforce a more connected local economy.

Scaling Digital Support Citywide

In addition, we were awarded a new Scale-Up grant to support 75 small businesses citywide with:

• Website development

• Digital marketing

• Online presence and strategy

This program extends our impact well beyond one neighborhood and reflects lessons we’ve learned over a decade of supporting small businesses on the ground.

Reflecting on the Work — 10 Years of Impact

If you’d like a deeper look at what we built together leading up to this milestone year, we invite you to read our 2025 Impact Report, which captures the programs, partnerships, and people that shaped this work.

Join Us in Shaping the Next 10 Years

As we enter our second decade, we’re also seeking new members for our Board of Directors.

We’re looking for people who:

• Believe in equity-centered community and economic development

• Bring skills in finance, real estate, technology, fundraising, or strategy

• Want to help steward Kultivate Labs through its next chapter

If you’re interested in helping guide the organization through its next 10 years, we’d love to hear from you.

Moving Forward Together

Ten years in, we know this work doesn’t happen in isolation.

These wins are the result of collective effort—by artists, entrepreneurs, staff, funders, partners, and neighbors who believed in this vision long before it was proven.

As we mark this milestone, we enter 2026 energized, grounded, and ready to build what comes next—together.

—

Desi Danganan

Executive Director, Kultivate Labs