• 2018

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    UCLA GAP (Global Access Program)

    December 2, 2018

    Are you interested in expanding your business around the United States?

     

    Entering a new market requires you to be thoroughly prepared in the skills of market evaluation, competition analysis, consumer value propositions and many others. Without this knowledge, you risk losing time and money. One of the HIGHLY efficient and effective ways to overcome this barrier is to participate in the UCLA Global Access program: https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/…/global-access-…/requirements

     

    We congratulate four Lithuanian companies that participated in the UCLA GAP program this year: Novameta, dadu ledai (UAB "Vikeda"), NFQ.LT and SBA Furniture. All companies received entry strategy recommendations at UCLA campus in Los Angeles on December 1st and now the ball is in their hands!

     

    This is a great example of partnership between local Lithuanian professionals (LABA.LA – kudos to Darius Aleksander for being this program's ambassador!), Academia (UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive MBA Program) and Lithuanian government (Lithuanian Commerce attache in the United States – kudos to Laimutis Abeciunas) to provide platform to Lithuanian companies for the export possibilities, knowledge exchange and promoting Lithuania and its brands in the world.

     

    If you are interested in the UCLA GAP program, feel free to reach out to us: info@laba.la

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    NETWORKING EVENT: FILM INDUSTRY FOCUS

    November 2, 2018

    American Film Market (AFM) the most important industry and business event for filmmakers is taking place in Santa Monica, CA from Oct. 31 - Nov. 7, 2018.

     

    On Friday night (November 2nd), an evening of networking was held for film industry professionals from Lithuania at Santa Monica’s historic Chez Jay. The 4th annual event was organized by LABA.LA (special thanks to Vytas Narutis & Eleonora Jonusiene) and the LWAC (special thanks to Daiva Navarrette) in partnership with Lithuanian Film Centre.

     

    This year it was a great honor to have a delegation of producers from Lithuania including: Aistė Litvinaitė-Jablonskienė, Lineta Mišeikytė, Martynas Mickėnas, Stasys Baltakis, Jonas Špokas, Adomas Jablonskis, Kęstutis Drazdauskas, Romanas Matulis, Meinardas Valkevičius, Agnesta Filatovė, Aiste Račaitytė represented by Vilnius Film Cluster and Vilnius Chamber of Commerce.

     

    This event provides a great opportunity to connect with industry peers and collaborate on ideas all while discovering Lithuania and exploring the talent, locations and financial benefits of shooting in Lithuania as well as representing Lithuanian stories to the US & global audiences.

     

    In attendance was DGA winning director Arūnas Matelis whose new film “Wonderful Losers: A Different World” is Lithuania’s Foreign Language submission for the Oscars and also the film recently qualified for the Documentary category. The AFM press captured the event by headline "The Lithuanians gathered to celebrate their Oscar entry Chez Jay".

     

    Success stories resulting from last year’s networking event were shared including Kaz Prapuolenis, Mark Raudonis, Remington and Forrest Hoffman, Ieva Balciunaite, Kim Swanson, Vincas Sruoginis and Zivile Gallego, and Fred and Jackie Weintraub.

     

    We say a big thank you to all of you - we couldn’t do it without you: Emilio for the world-class music, Brad for the captured moments, Marius Morkunas Dizaineris for the creative touch, Rolandas Juodvalkis and Martynas Ivinskas for the location set up & design, Nerijus Brazdziunas, Kestas Barzdaitis ir Zygis Kiznis for tech support, Vaiva Pechulis, Monika Kiznis, Laura Barzdaitis & Birutė Tursaitė for a helping hand, Daina Slekys-Trout for sponsoring Health-Ade Kombucha drinks Ų Chez Jay for welcoming us at their landmark location in Santa Monica, CA

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    Kaz Prapuolenis meeting with Lithuanian Animators Community in Vilnius

    September 13th, 2018

    KAZ Prapuolenis for the first time visiting Lithuania to participate in the Comic Con Baltics on September 15-16th, met with representatives of Lithuanian Animators Community in Vilnius.

     

    Thanks to Maratono Laukas and Ignas Staškevičius for hosting the event! LABA.LA - connecting people with ideas!

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    Global Lithuanian professionals connect over a weekend in Dublin.

    September 7th - 9th, 2018

    Great opportunities are attached to great people. With Lithuanian professional clubs spread globally, Lithuanians are seamlessly building significant global reach and social capital around the world.

     

    This year, organized by Lithuanian Professionals Network Ireland, partnering with Lithuanian Embassy in Ireland, Global Lithuanian Leaders, Global-Lithuania and Strategic Staffing Solutions, over 40 Lithuanian professionals from 9 Lithuanian business clubs and associations all over the world spent a weekend in Dublin, connecting, learning, collaborating, sharing ideas, experiences, and achievements.

     

    Participants had an opportunity to visit the Irish Emigration Museum (EPIC) and experience the story of a small island with a big impact on the world. With just under 4.8 million people in Ireland, the Irish diaspora reaches 80 million globally and has a tremendous impact on Irish culture, politics, and economy.

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    For the first time UCLA Anderson School of Management opened the doors to the companies from Lithuania

    July 20, 2018

    LABA.LA in partnership with UCLA Anderson School of Management and Laimutis Abeciunas, Commercial Attaché of Lithuania to the United States of America participated in the kick off for the Global Access Program (GAP) on July 20th.

     

    This year for the first time UCLA Anderson School of Management opened the doors to the companies from Lithuania. Four companies from Lithuania (SBA Furniture Group, Novameta, Vikeda, NFQ Technologies), together with 36 companies from Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden and other countries, were accepted into this year’s program.

     

    This is a great example of partnership between local Lithuanian professionals [LABA.LA], Academia [UCLA] and Lithuanian government institutions [Enterprise Lithuania/Versli Lietuva and Commercial Attache to the USA) to provide platform to Lithuanian companies for the export possibilities, knowledge exchange and promoting Lithuania and its brands in the world.

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    LABA.LA #LT100 breakfast in Vilnius, Lithuania

    July 3rd, 2018

    LABA.LA leadership team met for an informal #LT100 breakfast in hotel PACAI Vilnius, Lithuania.

     

    Thank you Daiva Navarrette, Darius Udrys, Živilė Gallego, Giedrė Žickytė, Mindaugas Goda, Andrius Tursa, Giedrius Drukteinis for joining! Building bridges between Los Angeles & Vilnius. Vardan tos!

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    SPOTLIGHT: KAZ PRAPUOLENIS

    May 11th, 2018

    Lithuanian World Arts Council and LABA.LA hosted a Lithuanian Entertainment Industry Professional Business Networking Event featuring Lithuanian American cartoonist and illustrator Kaz Prapuolenis.

     

    What cartoon do we watch mostly on television? SpongeBob SquarePants, without any doubt. Brand New SpongeBob episodes were released this week scripted by Kaz: Wednesday, May 8th: INK LEMONADE and Thursday May 9th: MUSTARD O' MINE.

     

    Born in Hoboken New Jersey to Lithuanian immigrant parents, Kazimieras Gediminas Prapuolenis (known professionally as “Kaz”) has been a published cartoonist ever since attending The School of Visual Arts in NYC in the early 80’s and studying under Maus author Art Spiegelman.

     

    His weekly alternative newspaper comic strip, Underworld, has been collected into books and published around the world and has led to his second career in animation. Kaz has worked for Disney, Cartoon Network, Tim Burton, and is currently on the writing staff of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.

     

    Thank you Kaz Prapuolenis for sharing your inspirational story and your work! It was a great pleasure and honor to meet all talented Lithuanian Entertainment professionals! Stay tuned for the upcoming events!

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    INFORMAL MEETING: EGIDIJUS ALEKSANDRAVIČIUS

    March 9th, 2018

    An informal meeting with a Lithuanian historian Egidijus Aleksandravičius the head of Academia cum laude, a historian, a habilitated doctor of humanities, a professor at the Department of History of the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, a director of the Lithuanian Emigration Institute, a publicist, an active socialist, a well-known public intellectual in Lithuania, and author of many books on Lithuanian history.

     

    Discussion focused on Lithuanian DIASPORA and significance of the historic memory. See introduction to his newest book "Karlo Diegas. Pasaulio lietuvių istorija"

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    Restored Lithuania 100

    February 16th, 2018

    A group of enthusiasts got together for a hike, picnic and the raising of a Lithuanian flag at the Eagle Rock, Topanga to commemorate 100 years of the RESTORED LITHUANIA and celebrate it together by joining #KELIUVĖLIAVĄ initiative in Lithuania.