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The Handy Foundation

Join Us In Making A Difference Now

The stories we tell are powerful. They shape culture, define what is possible, and create the future.

The Opportunity

Handy Foundation is perfectly position to provide the training and the talent to your productions. We source candidates, provide them technical training, and prepare them to be ready to work day one on your television, film or, commercial productions.

Handy Foundation helps studios and entertainment companies reach CSR and ESG metrics that must be met in addition to the bottom line. We provide custom success data for our partners to share with their executive teams, board members and, shareholders.

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Employers who hire Handy apprentices are eligible for state and federal direct rebates and grants provided by the US Department of Labor and the Department of Apprenticeship Standards in select states.

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The Impact

Addressing Challenges of Workforce Development

The Handy Foundation's model addresses structural workforce development challenges presented by an aging workforce, inaccessible college, and lack of access to effective training programs.

Building and Inclusive Entertainment Industry

The Handy Foundation places authentically diverse talent on production teams,where they are uniquely positioned to speak to the ways the storytellers can be true to the cultures they represent.

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Changing Life Trajectories

Where other programs may offer an exciting experience, our graduates describe the Handy Foundation program as life-changing. Most program graduates go on to work on not only one project, but continuously, raising their income and standard of life to a staggering degree.

What We Do

The Handy Foundation is building a holistic ecosystem that helps studios and productions meet their impact goals, supports authentic, inclusive storytelling, and builds a pipeline to well-paying, sustainable careers in entertainment.

The Origin Story of the Handy Foundation (Mini Doc)
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The Process

Exposure

Hands-on workshops and programs that introduce young scholars to industry, fundamentals, and specific below a line roles.
Youth Apprentices

Pre - Apprenticeship

High School and or College Programs that have been approved by a (RAP) Registered Apprenticeship Program. Preparing students for careers through approved curriculum, combined with work based learning provided by the Handy Foundation and industry professionals as instructors. Pre-apprenticeship graduates will have priority when applying for a (RAP)

Registered Apprenticeship

Handy Foundation has several Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) with the Department of Labor and the Department of Apprenticeship Standards in California. We provide the work based learning, supplemental instruction, and placement with employers for the on the job training leading to a long term career.

Watch Our Latest Videos

APPRENTICSHIP PROGRAMS VIDEO
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Registered Apprenticeships

PRE APPRENTICSHIP TRAILER
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High School Pre Apprenticeship

HOLLYWOOD 101 TRAILER FINAL
Play Video

Hollywood 101 LMS

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How To Partner With Us

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Hiring & Apprenticeships

Employers can hire from our diverse pool of trained talent or join our registered apprenticeship programs with added state and federal incentives.

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Program Sponsorship & Engagement

Support by opening your productions, hosting events, or mentoring—helping bridge the gap between training and careers in entertainment.

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Donations & Support

Donate time or funds to expand our impact and foster a more inclusive, equitable future in the industry.

Why Handy

Foundation ?

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We Fill A Gap In The Market

Where other programs end, ours is just getting started. We are one of the few programs that selects, trains, and actually places graduates in jobs. Highly trained, diverse, below-the-line talent can be hard to find. Handy Foundation addresses this with a unique program model.

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We Are Proven

Since our founding in 2020, we have trained 233 apprentices and placed 113 graduates in industry productions.We have reached over 1,000 high school students in 6 California school districts.
As a strategic partner of the California Film Commission, we are uniquely positioned to build connections across sectors.

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We’ve Built A Cohesive Ecosystem

We inspire young people and provide pathways to careers, offer apprenticeships that train talent, and support productions with resources they need.
We've helped to push forward creative arts workforce development mandated in the 2021 California Creative Workforce Act (SB 628).

Meet The Founder

Ri- Karlo Handy

Founder + CEO

CEO of Sunwise Media. Partners with NTV, OWN, BET, and Starz. SVP, Creative, Unscripted Content at Blink 49 Studios for the show The Braxtons, showrunner for the Emmy-nominated Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward on NBC.

Some of Our Partners

Get In Touch
With Us

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