Bay Area

Burglary at Offices of OCCUR Longtime Community Organization

Reports from both organizations were filed with the Oakland Police Department, which is still investigating the crimes. “There was this moment of sheer disbelief,” said Alexander upon discovering the break-in. “And then a variety of emotions ranging from confusion, fear, and tremendous anger that our personal and professional spaces and property had been invaded and violated,” she said. “Why would anyone want to do this?”

Published

4 years ago

April 3, 2022

Oakland Post

OCCUR’s Executive Director Sondra Alexander.

By Post Staff

For the first time in OCCUR’s 65 years in operation, its offices were burglarized on Wednesday March 23, 2022.

That morning Post News Group employee Brenda Hudson alerted OCCUR’s Executive Director Sondra Alexander that a burglary had taken place at the OCCUR office.

When Alexander arrived at the office, the floors, normally clutter-free, were strewn with paper. Her desk drawer and those of associates were pulled out, and their contents rifled through.

Besides OCCUR, the Post News Group offices, which are located in the same building were also burglarized and vandalized.

OCCUR’s Enduring Relevance

Alexander’s questions are especially poignant in light of OCCUR’s objectives and relevance in Oakland for decades. Founded to provide economic opportunities for low-income people of color in Oakland, the organization has continuously implemented programs that have made profound enhancements to neighborhoods in most need.

The David E. Glover Emerging Technology Center located in East Oakland is a perfect example. The facility is an extensive technological training center for residents of all ages. Founded in 1987, the Center makes it possible for anyone seeking knowledge to be trained in computer skills and receive early-stage access to coding, artificial intelligence, programming, and other marketable skills.

It is crucial that Oakland’s most marginalized residents acquire these skills to compete and succeed.

“With the ramping up of our capacity-building programs, OCCUR is not letting the burglary derail us,” said Charla Montgomery, OCCUR’s program consultant. “Now more than ever, it is important that OCCUR reaches as many communities as possible and all those committed to positive change throughout the Bay Area.”

Despite Oakland’s ever-changing demographics, which is vividly apparent in dwindling Black residency and homeownership, school closures, and an unprecedented homelessness crisis OCCUR remains committed.

Organizational and neighborhood leaders across the city and the greater Bay Area know how vital OCCUR has been and continues to be for marginalized communities.

Whether it be the mini-grant program for Oakland small businesses, or the capacity building/development resources for nonprofits and faith-based organizations, OCCUR has been an ever-present stalwart supporter.

Today, Alexander and the entire OCCUR team are focusing on doing what they and their predecessors started 65 years ago: That is being a catalyst for bringing together neighborhood residents, merchants, and government to strengthen the economic development potential of emerging communities.

With the shock of the burglary also comes a determination to continue and to carry on and OCCUR looks forward to providing the crucial programs our community needs and deserves.

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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

4 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

2 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.