Reimagining Beyond the Doom Loop
Creatives and entrepreneurs learning about Be Free Festival activations in SOMA Pilipinas and engaging in design exercises during a SEED Network Field Trip
Everyday the San Francisco community is being described as “dying” or stuck in what people call a “doom loop.” We are shrouded by imagery of vacant spaces and apocalypse-like photographs and are told that there is no hope for our beloved city. At SEED Network, we see the pain and frustration, and we’re sending a heart call out to those who, like us, refuse to give up on our hometown. We are building a community of people ready and willing to do something about it and collectively reimagine beyond the doom and gloom.
We recognize San Francisco is going through a significant transition moment. And it’s alarming to see long-time standing anchors like Old Navy leaving their spaces. However, while many see these huge vacancies as signals for doom, we see it as an opportunity to redesign what an anchor is for our city. What is a new vision for an anchor that is resilient, pandemic-proof, and able to solve the recently announced loneliness epidemic? We think most would agree it won’t be the grind of big corporate hustle culture, and it likely also won’t be mass retail.
And as you’re reading the doom loop headlines, we also encourage everyone to take note of who’s still here. There are still communities in the city who have not left their post and making their presence known.
Sustaining Anchors in SOMA Pilipinas
Map showcasing SOMA Pilipinas anchors
In our SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood, we have been filling vacant spaces with vibrant gatherings where the community comes together even before the pandemic. In these spaces, various events have drawn thousands of people on the weekends and even weekdays.
Programming that benefits the community and emphasizes that possibility and care exist here. They are spaces where people are starting their own businesses in or creating their art in, and we are here to enable and highlight that. In the 10 block radius of SOMA Pilipinas alone there are over 20 businesses, landmarks, and organizations that call our city home. Each group sustains our city’s communities, and works together towards making the city thrive even further.
“If corporate work culture is no longer the anchor of the neighborhood, what will be the new anchor for bringing community members out of their homes and being with one another?”
Reimagining our Dream Neighborhoods
But what can thriving look like for us? Through newly developed real estate partnerships and grant providers, we hear a ripe opportunity to reimagine what and who pulls people in to gather. With the momentum built from our existing SOMA Pilipinas anchors over the past 6+ years, we are harnessing that energy to build the neighborhood of our dreams, but our dreams can only be as vibrant as the group involved at this stage of rebuilding.
We are focused on growing our community of BIPOC creatives and entrepreneurs to be the driving generation of district anchors that will pave a path forward together —— We’re calling this group our ACEs, short for Anchor Creatives and Entrepreneurs, a collective of bold-hearted individuals ready to be in community with one another — supporting one another’s growth, prosperity, and sustainability.
Community members admiring The Metreon space filled with local Filipino art and businesses at the Kreatives Pop-up Shop and Gallery
What does it mean to be an ACE?
Anchor Creatives and Entrepreneurs are people who will be at the core of memory-making in SOMA Pilipinas. They are people who care deeply about planting roots and contributing to the experience and culture of the SOMA Pilipinas neighborhood, and aren’t afraid to stick around through it all.
Together we will:
Jungle Dog operating from the Little Piña food stand at Kapwa Gardens
Design our dream neighborhood by participating in exclusive design sessions and community development opportunities to program and integrate elements that celebrates our rich heritage and inspires generations to come
Visitors gather at Balay Kreative during it’s Open Studios/Republika Pop-up
Invest in one another with consistent ride-or-die peers committed to providing mentorship and support to keep you accountable in their growth and stability goals.
Plant roots and receive access to lease opportunities in highly-coveted locations at below market rates.
Set the tone and become a role model for how to experience entrepreneurship and creative independence with more ease and pleasure.
“ACE’s are Creatives and Entrepreneurs with 2+ years experience. They’ve driven their own success to date, and have driven their own community building efforts and regularly attend community events. They are thinking about how to sustainably grow — for them, sustainability hits the trifecta of financial viability, staying in love with what they do, and not feeling alone in the process.”
