The Creative Impact Lab: Empowering the Next Gen of Diverse Storytellers

September 18, 2023

NBCUniversal’s Creative Impact Lab is a signature and award-winning initiative of NBCUnites, the company’s corporate social impact brand. The Creative Impact Lab harnesses NBCUniversal’s storytelling expertise to give back to our communities. The Lab accomplishes three important goals: 1) helping nonprofits illustrate their positive impact 2) training & development for the next generation of creators 3) engaging NBCU employees with meaningful volunteer opportunities. 

Here’s how the Lab works: NBCUniversal provides grants to nonprofit creative agencies that employ apprentices from underrepresented communities. We commission these agencies to develop much-needed marketing assets for NBCU’s portfolio of nonprofit partners who become clients of the Lab. Throughout the process, NBCU employee volunteers provide creative feedback to the apprentices, enhancing their learning experience and helping to prepare them for future careers in the industry. Final assets created in the Lab are featured across the networks and platforms of NBCUniversal and Comcast, providing nonprofit clients with powerful exposure to help them scale and meet their funding goals. To date the company has donated nearly $1 million in media inventory to showcase spots produced in the Lab.  

The program has offered 60+ apprentices from diverse backgrounds hands-on, paid professional training that is not readily available in the industry. The apprentices also benefit from mentorship by NBCU employee volunteers with a breadth of experience across creative fields including production and marketing. One apprentice from Reel Works, Jenni Loo, shares “I did not come from a background where I had any exposure to the creative industry as a business. This program gives me the confidence knowing that I have the skills to work with clients in the future.” 

Creative agency nonprofit partners have expressed that the Lab has enhanced the confidence, competence and problem-solving abilities of their apprentices and opened their eyes to different career paths. Reeyana Sehgeh from RE:IMAGINE explains “NBC has given them [apprentices] the opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, and we are grateful that they believe in our work, that they trust our students, and that they allow us to create these powerful projects.” 

See all videos produced as part of the Creative Impact Lab HERE