Community Innovation Hub Builds on a Legacy of Community Partnership
When the Community Innovation Hub opened in Downtown Pomona in 2024, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in Cal Poly Pomona’s longstanding commitment to community engagement.
Two years after it opened its doors, the collaborative space designed to enable students, faculty, alumni and community members to learn, create and connect, has quickly become a destination for innovation, entrepreneurship, professional development and the arts.
Rooted in History
While the hub is fairly new, its origin goes back more than 25 years. From 2000 to 2009, Cal Poly Pomona operated the Pomona Downtown Center, a community-focused space for educational programming, art exhibitions and cultural events in the heart of the city.
Building upon that legacy, the Community Innovation Hub reimagined what a university-community partnership could look like. Since opening, the hub has embraced Cal Poly Pomona’s “become-by-doing” philosophy by creating opportunities for students to apply the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom to projects with lasting public impact.
A Lasting Imprint
From its earliest stages, students and alumni helped build the hub.
Through paid micro-internship opportunities, students collaborated with university staff to transform an empty space into a vibrant community resource. Rather than creating hypothetical projects, they worked on real design and branding initiatives that continue to welcome thousands of visitors each year.
Among those contributors was landscape architecture alumnus Benjamin Kittaka, who designed the colorful interior vinyl installations that define the hub’s visual identity. The vibrant graphics create a welcoming atmosphere while reflecting the creativity, collaboration, and innovation that characterize space.
“Working on the Community Innovation Hub and related projects gave me the chance to design in ways not directly provided by my major. As a result, I can now approach my career with a diverse range of experience that enriches the skill set I bring to the field of architecture,” said Kittaka.
“I hope that my work with the Community Innovation Hub has inspired students and visitors to engage with the learning opportunities around them and be confident in their ability to develop ideas that truly make a difference.”
The hub’s recognizable logo and exterior vinyl was designed by software engineering alumnus Jeff Magbitang, whose work established a visual identity that continues to represent the Hub across signage, digital platforms and community programming.
“The vibrant energy and unique architecture of Downtown Pomona, combined with Cal Poly Pomona’s bold visual identity and familiar campus landmarks, inspired the Community Innovation Hub logo, said Magbitang.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see something I created continue to represent a place that serves both the university and the community. I hope the logo reflect the hub’s spirit of growth, innovation and connection, and encourages everyone who visits to become part of that community.”
Together, their work reflects the power of experiential learning, demonstrating how students can develop professional skills while making meaningful contributions that extend beyond campus.
Opportunities to Learn and Grow
The Community Innovation Hub has expanded into a vibrant destination where Cal Poly Pomona and the broader community come together through workshops, networking events, entrepreneurial programming, professional development opportunities and cultural experiences.
The hub regularly partners with Cal Poly Pomona faculty and community organizations to offer programming that supports entrepreneurs, small business owners, students and lifelong learners. These collaborations bring academic expertise beyond the classroom while creating opportunities for community members to develop new skills, launch businesses and build professional networks.
Continuing another tradition established by the Pomona Downtown Center, the hub has partnered with the College of Environmental Design to host art exhibitions throughout the year. These galleries showcase the work of student artists while inviting dialogue, creativity and community engagement, ensuring that art remains a cornerstone of Cal Poly Pomona’s presence in Downtown Pomona.
The hub has also expanded its community partnerships through a collaboration with the Cal Poly Pomona Farm Store. Every Wednesday, community members can pick up free, fresh, organically grown produce at the hub, increasing access to locally grown food while strengthening connections between the university’s agricultural heritage and surrounding community.
Celebrating Connection
Most recently, the hub welcomed a new landmark with the installation of a mural by Pomona artist, Joe Ded. Stretching across the building’s patio wall, the artwork celebrates the relationship between Cal Poly Pomona and Downtown Pomona by connecting the University’s agricultural roots with the city’s vibrant culture. Featuring imagery inspired by the Farm Store, the historic Spadra farmlands and recognizable Downtown Pomona landmarks, the mural symbolizes growth, opportunity and belonging while reinforcing the hub’s role as a place where campus and community intersect.
For Community Innovation Hub manager, Joshua Swodeck, the mural represents more than a work of art, it reflects the hub’s commitment to serving both Cal Poly Pomona students and the Pomona community.
“Having served the Pomona community for more than 20 years, I’ve learned that meaningful partnerships are built on genuine relationships,” said Swodeck.
“It’s been especially rewarding to reconnect with Lisa Christie, whose leadership at the Kellogg Farm reflects the same community-first approach I’ve known from her years of service in Pomona, alongside Dean Ethan Orr’s commitment to strengthening Cal Poly Pomona’s connection to our region. Seeing local artist Joe Ded donate a mural that celebrates the university’s agricultural heritage and its connection to our community perfectly captures what I hope the Community Innovation Hub continues to be—a space where our community feels a true sense of belonging, where everyone sees themselves reflected in the work we do, and where connections between campus and community continue to grow.”
To learn more at the Community Innovation Hub, follow us on Instagram, view our website, or contact us at thehub@cpp.edu.