Bay Area

Dave Stewart + Lonnie Murray Team Officially Joins with Elaine Brown’s Dream Team to Purchase City’s Interest in Oakland Coliseum

“Better Together! We are ready and have the money to purchase the City’s interest now,” Brown said. “And we have the will and the history and the legacy to co-develop the property with the A’s, who own the other 50% interest, having purchased it from the County in 2019. A’s president Dave Kaval has expressed his support of this powerful joint venture.”

Published

4 years ago

November 4, 2021

Oakland Post

Oakland & the World Enterprises (OAW)’s proposal was meant to influence the Oakland City Council to Vote on Proposals, Thursday, Nov. 4, in Its Closed Session and during future council deliberations. (Pictured from let: Elaine Brown, CEO of Oakland & the World Enterprises (OAW); Dave Stewart, retired Oakland A's pitcher and All Star; and Lonnie Murray, CEO of Sports Management Partners)

Editor’s note: Below is the text of a media statement from Oakland & the World Enterprises (OAW), Elaine Brown’s group. The content was edited by Post staff.

This Dream Team’s Proposal is supported by a stellar lineup of the likes of Damien Lillard and Brian Shaw, 100 Black Men of America and Moms 4 Housing, according to the media statement.

The proposal was meant to influence the Oakland City Council to Vote on Proposals, Thursday, Nov. 4, in Its Closed Session and during future council deliberations.

“We found common ground in our vision of lifting up the Black and Brown communities of East Oakland through development of the abandoned Coliseum with Elaine Brown and her team,” Lonnie Murray stated on Tuesday.

Responding, Brown said, “Dave Stewart is committed to the same ideals to which I’ve pledged my whole life since heading the Black Panther Party, and that is why I reached out to him and Lonnie for partnership in purchasing and developing the Coliseum site.”

Dave Stewart

Dave Stewart is a Black man born and raised in East Oakland, a Black man celebrated all over the world as one of MLB’s greatest pitchers, who led the Oakland A’s to its last World Series championship, the statement said.

More, though, Dave is a proud Black man who brought himself up from the streets of East Oakland to a starring role in a game that remains white dominated. He had to be better than the best in the game, and he was, in the tradition of Satchel Paige. And he is ready to put all his resources on the line for his beloved community according to the statement.

Black Girl Power!

Lonnie Murray, CEO of Sports Management Partners, is the only Black woman certified as a player agent by the MLB Players Association. In addition to the constant struggle she wages to bring more Blacks into baseball and create more opportunities for women, she represents, among others, Bruce Maxwell, the first MLB player to kneel during the National Anthem; Bianca Smith, the first Black woman hired by MLB as a baseball coach, and Marly Rivera, the first and only Latina MLB writer, the statement said.

Like Lonnie Murray, Elaine Brown is a strong Black woman who has navigated male-dominated spaces with aplomb. As the only woman who led the Black Panther Party, Elaine’s commitment to Black people, particularly in Oakland, goes back 55 years, according to the press statement.

Presently, Elaine Brown, as CEO of Oakland & the World Enterprises (OAW), is driving its mission to launch and sustain businesses for ownership by Black and other socioeconomically marginalized people, particularly formerly incarcerated people. With co-developer McCormack Baron Salazar, OAW is currently co-developing a 79-unit, 100% affordable housing complex at 7th and Campbell Streets in West Oakland, set to break ground in December, the press statement said.

“Show Me the Money”

“Incredibly, Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan,” according to the media statement, “is working against the Stewart-Brown union to support a proposal from a group that does not offer to pay the full purchase price on signing an agreement, does not have the experience to develop the site, but more, does not have the support of the Oakland A’s as a necessary partner.”

“The Stewart-Brown team is urging the Council not to be swayed by the smoke and mirrors of an ambitious politico who has no real commitment to the Black community,” the statement said.

“In a few days, the people of Oakland will know whether or not its Council is committed to a real community benefit that the Stewart-Brown team offers or will surrender to the personal ambition of one Council member,” the media statement concluded.

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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.