Look Who it Was Random video

The Power of People - Social Super Heroes | Gina Lujan | TEDxLivermore

2,221 views · Published 29 August 2016 · 14:58 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2016 · Nonprofits & Activism

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When Gina Lujan ran a Craigslist ad for starting a hacker space in Sacramento, California, she tapped into a huge unmet need.  A single mom and serial entrepreneur (her briefest business was a cleaning business she created to pay the rent – it lasted less than a day).  This chutzpah combined with the unmet needs of the many who responded to the ad, and soon they were taking tours of potential shared work-spaces without a dime in their pockets.
Through this Gina learned of the power of community and the power of people.  Even when success is visible as a single person on the front line, know that there is a whole group of people behind them.  Her belief lies in the desire to lift people up, elevate them, and embrace them.  Then go forward together.

Founding CEO of Hacker Lab and Code For Hood, Gina is a Social Entrepreneur. She focuses on community, business, regional, and economic development at Hacker Lab. In addition to her entrepreneurial projects, Gina has worked as a consultant with economic development in rural Tuolumne County to assess the region’s innovative community and resources. She also works to solve community problems such as bringing affordable ultra high-speed broadband to the region, and contributes to workforce development efforts by working alongside local government and organizations. Her newest endeavor, Code For Hood, is a nonprofit aimed at educating disadvantaged youth by way of hackathons and STEM related workshops.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

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