Through a number of public-facing committees, the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) offers stakeholders the opportunity to provide input and guidance on the organization’s activities and programs. In another installment of our monthly series, we are proud to present profiles of two committee members whose contributions are informed by very different business backgrounds and experiences.
Jeremy Schott, who currently serves on DLBA’s Special Events Committee, brings his distinctive artistic flair to The 4th Horseman, the Downtown pizza, beer, and wine bar he co-owns with Martin Svab and Ryan Hughes. Within the 4th Horseman, Schott also owns and operates The Dark Art Emporium (DAE), an eclectic and ever-evolving mix of fine art and oddities such as surrealistic paintings and taxidermy.
“I love the Long Beach creative community,” said Schott. “I was worried when I opened DAE that Downtown people wouldn’t accept us, since it’s so outside the mainstream, but they have welcomed us with open arms.”
Schott, born and raised in Houston, Texas, lived in Austin for several years before moving to California to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Film Production from Chapman University. His love of horror and science fiction films manifests itself throughout the 4th Horseman, which is festooned with movie posters and a constant stream of horror films projected on a small screen near the bar.
Jeremy Schott performing with his band.
“I’m not necessarily an artist; I’m more a promoter of the arts,” Schott said. “I think I help to bring a different perspective to the committee meetings by looking outside of the box. Since we try to be as creative as possible at DAE, I hope that creative energy transfers over to helping with DLBA Committee goals.”
Schott joined the Special Events Committee just before COVID-19 restrictions curtailed Downtown events, and he is looking forward to helping get them back on track. “I hope to help bring back awesome events like Taste of Downtown and the Long Beach Art Walk,” he said. “I can’t wait for COVID-19 to be over so we can have a proper party.” When that party happens, Schott may be serenading the guests; when he’s not busy working in the art and pizza worlds, he plays bass in a local rock band, CARSEX.
Sheila Hosseinzadeh, who serves on DLBA’s Economic Development Committee, is a Business Development Officer for Wells Fargo Bank, specializing in small business banking and commercial lending.
The Economic Development Committee has been tenacious in continuing to assist the Downtown small business community during the COVID-19 crisis. Hosseinzadeh explained: “We had to go completely virtual to make sure we stayed informed about City updates. Also, all Committee members decided to stay on for another year to revisit our goals from 2020 since COVID changed our plans.”
Sheila Hosseinzadeh hiking, one of her favorite activities.
Hosseinzadeh mentioned that last spring’s civil unrest in Downtown affected the Economic Development Committee’s agenda as well. “It inspired us to create a new grant program for minority-owned businesses, which we hope to launch next year,” she said. “We also made it a focus to spread the word about the resources available to all Downtown small business owners during these difficult times. Lastly, we were able to grant funds to three Downtown businesses through the Women-Owned Business Accelerator (WOBA) grant program.”
Hosseinzadeh is a Long Beach native who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance from California State University, Long Beach. She loves traveling with her husband. “When I get some time off, we’re going to visit a new place,” Hosseinzadeh said. “We love to hike and be outdoors. We recently had the privilege of visiting Zion National Park.”
Schott, Hosseinzadeh, and all other DLBA Committee members are committed to working through adversity to make positive impacts on Downtown. “Long Beach has a strong sense of community,” said Hosseinzadeh. “We care for each other, and this year really proved that. Long Beach is truly a gem amongst all the beach cities. She is truly one of a kind.”