SOUTH LOS ANGELES -- South Los Angeles is suffering from a void when it comes to technology investments, according to entertainment executive Rashidi Jones.

That's why Jones and his family founded TEC Leimert, an annual technology and entertainment conference in Leimert Park where the community can network and hear from industry leaders.

One goal is to make sure South L.A. kids have the same opportunities as their peers in others parts of Los Angeles. 

"How can we inspire kids to be part of this 21st century economy? We think technology and entertainment is a way to inspire them to do that," said Jones. 

A recent study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication found that there’s a digital underclass in South L.A. where school children are 26 percent less likely to have access to high-speed internet than their peers around the county.

Music industry veteran Chace Infinite who spoke on a panel at the conference, also says there's a void and also a food desert. He and his wife opened Harun Coffee Shop in the heart of Leimert Park village so neighbors can gather, work and collaborate.

Jones says he wants more people to follow in the footsteps of Infinite, and even the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, by giving back to the community, and investing in the area. What he doesn't want to see are outsiders moving in and forcing out the people who are already there.

"People get displaced," said Jones. "And TEC Leimert's mission is to retain the cultural identity of this area, because that's what makes it so rich."

He believes that the culture and creativity can create the economic boom that benefits everyone.