Los Angeles businesses and nonprofit organizations will have the opportunity to produce and sell officially licensed merchandise in connection with the 2028 Summer Olympics, as part of a new program unveiled by the local Olympic organizing committee, LA28. The initiative, named the Made for Two-Eight licensing program, aims to involve local manufacturers in capitalizing on the influx of visitors and economic activity expected during the Games.
The first announced partner in the program is Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit renowned for its gang intervention efforts and job training programs for current and former gang members. Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery will produce T-shirts featuring a design incorporating the Olympic torch, the Homeboy logo, and the official LA28 emblem. The artwork was created by Fabian Debora, who leads the nonprofit’s Art Academy. The choice of the torch as a central image highlights the upcoming Olympics and also nods to the 1984 Los Angeles Games, during which Homeboy Industries founder Father Greg Boyle carried the Olympic flame.
LA28 officials said they anticipate announcing further partnerships with a range of local manufacturers, producing diverse products that could include stationery, toys, apparel, hats, magnets, candles, and pet accessories. The program will initially focus on manufacturers located within the city of Los Angeles before expanding to encompass the broader Los Angeles County. LA28 noted that Los Angeles is home to more Olympic venues than any other city, and the city’s government plays a key role as the financial guarantor of the Games.
Steve Delgado, co-chief executive of Homeboy Industries, emphasized the importance of community participation. “With this partnership with LA28, we’re essentially announcing to Los Angeles and the world that our community is as deserving to participate in an event like the Olympics as any other community,” he said, highlighting the nonprofit’s message of mutual belonging and empowerment that has guided it for four decades.
Homeboy plans to sell the T-shirts at its headquarters near Chinatown, as well as at its diners located in Los Angeles City Hall, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, and Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport. Online sales will also be available through its website, shophomeboy.com. LA28 will also retain the rights to distribute the shirts through its merchandising operations.
The production process will involve sourcing blank T-shirts from a supplier likely based near downtown Los Angeles or East Los Angeles. These shirts will then be silk-screened at Homeboy’s facility located in the warehouse district adjacent to the Los Angeles River. Specific financial terms were not disclosed, but the Olympic organizing committee will receive a royalty on each T-shirt sold, with profits supporting Homeboy’s programs, which include tattoo removal, counseling, and job training services.
Homeboy Industries is expected to be the initial participant in a broader effort to contract with local businesses and nonprofits for licensing rights to use the LA28 branding and Olympic rings on their products. Interested parties can apply through the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMPLA) starting October 30, 2024, with agreements to be announced in July 2027.
LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover stated that a principal objective of the Games has been to ensure economic benefits extend directly to local communities. Peter Zeytoonjian, LA28’s senior vice president of consumer products, added that the program will help local makers access customers worldwide while offering fans a variety of locally made products. In addition to local participants, global brands such as Nike and Ralph Lauren will be involved in the broader merchandising efforts for the Olympics.
Looking ahead, Homeboy Industries is considering expanding its product line beyond T-shirts to include items such as mugs. LA28 officials aim to have the local manufacturing program fully operational by summer 2027, allowing partners at least a year to market their Olympic-themed products ahead of the Games’ opening in July 2028.