Business

Bonta Pushes for Gender Equity in Consumer Good Prices

Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents to know their rights under Assembly Bill 1287 for Women’s Equality Day on August 26.
State law prohibits businesses from charging different prices for substantially similar goods based on the gender of the product’s target audience. The law protects consumers from the “pink tax,” a label used to describe the practice of charging women higher prices than men for the same or similar goods.

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2024

Oakland Post

Attorney General Rob Bonta (AG Facebook Page)

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents to know their rights under Assembly Bill 1287 for Women’s Equality Day on August 26.

State law prohibits businesses from charging different prices for substantially similar goods based on the gender of the product’s target audience. The law protects consumers from the “pink tax,” a label used to describe the practice of charging women higher prices than men for the same or similar goods.

According to consumer data, products marketed to women cost 7% more than those marketed to men. The average cost of personal products is 13% higher for women compared to men. The bill authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) was enacted to prevent gender-based price differences that violate the law.

Bonta condemned the pink tax and encouraged consumers to report businesses that have violated this law.

“The Pink Tax is a sexist practice that is illegal in California. Women, especially Black and Latinx women, are paid less than their White, male counterparts in the same roles, yet have to spend more than men to buy very similar products,” said Bonta.

“California consumers have the right to shop without fear of discrimination,” he said.

Bauer-Kahan stated that the majority of products are gender -targeted. With this law, the state is working to close the unnecessary and burdensome gaps of gendered pricing to promote gender equality.

“It has been two years since the passage of AB 1287, and it is very exciting to see the work Attorney General Bonta is doing to guarantee consumers rights under California’s Pink Tax Law. Unequal prices for women translate to impacts for their own financial well-being as well as that of their families. This also exacerbates the already-existing gender gap in financial inequality,” she said.

The bill is supported by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls which cosponsored AB 1287. Since the passing of the pink tax law, supporters of the bill argued that unequal pricing translates into unjust and harmful financial impacts for women and girls given the issue of gender pay gaps. The practice of pink tax further widens wealth inequality by disproportionally affecting women of color statewide.

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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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.

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3 weeks 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.