Activism

Community Building 101: We’re All in This Together

A coalition of community volunteers distributed free meals to the unsheltered at the intersection of High Street and International Boulevard on June 10. It showed what the community can and will do when we work together. Joining together in this effort were Formally Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB), Big Mamas Best Memorial Bereavement Foundation, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), the Diplomat’s Center Inc. and Bishop Mario Gaines who blessed the meals.

Published

3 years ago

June 22, 2023

Oakland Post

Members of the unhoused community enjoy meals offered by a coalition of Oakland organizations on June 10. Photo by Jonathan ‘Fitness’ Jones.

By Richard Johnson

A coalition of community volunteers distributed free meals to the unsheltered at the intersection of High Street and International Boulevard on June 10.

It showed what community can and will do when we work together.

Joining together in this effort were Formally Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB), Big Mamas Best Memorial Bereavement Foundation, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), the Diplomat’s Center Inc. and Bishop Mario Gaines who blessed the meals.

This was a showing of activism by concerned groups making a difference in the community. These various groups realized the need for active and productive change, so they united to make this event happen. Each entity, like FIGB, seeks to provide the necessities for underserved communities.

AASEG has a plan to rebuild the community through affordable housing and livable wage jobs as well as bringing sports and entertainment back to Oakland. Diplomat’s Center Inc. provides re-entry transitional housing for returning citizens.

These groups also volunteer with Charles Reed’s 5,000 Returning Family Members Voters Registration Campaign along with the Uncuffed Project which is utilizing the tiny homes initiative to acquire available space.

These projects have combined their efforts to bring better working conditions for those trying to forge their livelihood under the common expression “it takes a village to raise a child.”

These community-based and re-entry organizations have adopted the motto “it takes a unified effort to change the negative to a positive on a societal level.”

This collaboration has embraced the belief that working, and volunteering together is a necessity if we as a people, as a community, and as a restored society can make a real difference in each other’s lives.

There are far too many available resources to deter our march for a victory over poverty, crime, unemployment, and the pursuit of happiness.

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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.