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New Community Leadership Foundation Inaugural Awards

NCLF Executive Director Majeid Crawford said the event was created to not only recognize individuals and organizations crucial to the vibrance and survival of San Francisco’s Black community, but to allow the community to network. “We are passionate about creating positive change in our communities, and that happens when we work together,” said Crawford.

Published

1 year ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

American Businesswomen’s Association ABWA President LaRonda "Sug" Smith with Vice President Velma Landers received the Equity Champion Award from New Community Leadership Foundation (NCLF) Executive Director Majeid Crawford at the NCLF inaugural awards ceremony, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. Photo By Carla Thomas

By Carla Thomas

The New Community Leadership Foundation (NCLF) hosted an awards ceremony at the Japan Town Center’s KOHO Co-Creative Hub in San Francisco, recognizing representatives of the arts, nonprofit, small business, and advocacy sectors.

Honorees at the Dec. 12 event included the American Businesswomen’s Association’s San Francisco Enterprising Women Networking Chapter, the Flood Project, the Brown Bombers, the Jonathan Carver Moore Gallery, and Mackey’s Korner.

Lynette Mackey was presented the Community Impact Award for her Suicide Block Party, that raises awareness around suicide prevention and mental health. By fostering community engagement, offering crisis intervention, and providing long-term support, Mackey’s Korner helps save lives.

The Innovative Leadership Award was presented to Arthur Stern, Jr. of the FLOOD Project, “Forever Living Out Our Dreams.” Stern, Jr., aka Yung Lott, created a soundtrack featuring transitional aged youth from the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco.

The music provides listeners with powerful themes of inspiration, resilience, and hope. “It’s a completely clean album,” said MC Kimberly Caldwell.

“This exceptional body of work is a reflection of Yung Lott’s unwavering dedication to the community, offering a soundtrack of resilience and hope with uplifting hymns designed to support listeners through any day,” said Crawford. “This project beautifully captures the essence of living out dreams and driving meaningful change.”

ABWA President LaRonda “Sug” Smith, with Vice President Velma Landers, received the Equity Champion Award.

This is quite an honor,” said ABWA Vice President Velma Landers. “Our organization serves businesswomen from diverse fields by providing invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth through leadership, education, and networking support.”

Jonathan Carver Moore, a gallerist at 966 Market St., was awarded the Visionary Leadership Award for his commitment to creating an artist space for underrepresented artists.

A grant with support from the Dream Keeper Initiative, the Office of Economic & Workforce Development, and the SF Arts Commission, supported his innovative artist-in-residency program in a 2,600-square-foot retail space, designed to revitalize vacant spaces and drive collective impact.

Ronan Ross received the Youth Empowerment Award on behalf of the San Francisco Brown Bombers. The organization was founded in September 1999 at the request of community stakeholders, with the mission of providing San Francisco’s youth with a football and cheer program that teaches the fundamentals in a fun and safe environment.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.