Bay Area

Derreck Johnson, an Oakland Entrepreneur, Community Leader Runs for Mayor of Oakland

“Oakland faces a critical moment,” said Oakland mayoral candidate Derreck Johnson. “For too long, our politicians have over-promised and under-delivered — from homelessness and illegal dumping to lack of affordable housing — while rising crime has cost so many innocent lives and crippled our businesses. But we cannot keep electing the same people with the same mindset and expect different results. Otherwise, Oakland will always be broken.”

Published

4 years ago

February 10, 2022

Oakland Post

Derreck Johnson

Coalition of faith, civic and business leaders declare support for Johnson in bid to lead Oakland from COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, address rising crime and homelessness

Derreck Johnson has announced his candidacy for mayor of Oakland. As an entrepreneur and community leader, Derreck has spent the last 30 years creating jobs and hiring from Oakland, including formerly incarcerated populations, while working shoulder-to-shoulder with stakeholders to uplift marginalized communities.

Johnson is running to bring a fresh and bold perspective to City Hall at a time when thousands of struggling families are being pushed out of the City due to the pandemic and rising rent costs while homicide and property crimes are at an all-time high.

“Oakland faces a critical moment,” said Johnson. “For too long, our politicians have over-promised and under-delivered — from homelessness and illegal dumping to lack of affordable housing — while rising crime has cost so many innocent lives and crippled our businesses. But we cannot keep electing the same people with the same mindset and expect different results. Otherwise, Oakland will always be broken.”

Born and raised by a single mother in the ACORN Housing Projects of West Oakland, and later educated at an HBCU, Johnson understands the plight of working families. And Oakland needs a tested fighter, like Johnson — not the same politicians from the same broken institutions that have exacerbated the City’s problems — to lead Oakland out of its darkest moments and into its finest hour.

Over the years, Johnson has worked to improve the lives of Oaklanders. While on the City’s Measure Y Committee, Johnson fought for violence prevention funding. On the City’s Workforce Development Board, he oversees critical employment and job training programs.

Through his work with the Summit Bank Foundation, he provided scholarships to low-income youth. Most recently, he was sworn in to the Oakland LGBTQ+ Community Center to help combat hate against trans and nonbinary Oaklanders, provide access to resources for HIV+ folks and increase economic opportunities for LGBTQ+.

“This has been an incredibly difficult year as COVID and gun violence on our streets continue to claim so many lives,” said Maria Reems, senior pastor at Center of Hope without formally endorsing Johnson. “We need a leader, like Derreck, who listens and has a proven track record of getting things done — and not more of the same.”

“I am no stranger to the devastating toll of gun violence in our communities,” said Marilyn Washington Harris, founder of the Khadafy Washington Foundation For NonViolence. (Harris is not speaking on behalf of the foundation.) “Like many grieving parents who have lost loved ones to senseless tragedy, I speak for many when I say the status quo is simply not acceptable. We need change — and that change is Derreck.”

“We need a leader and experienced entrepreneur like Derreck — not more of the same —who understands what it’s like to navigate a tough economic environment to put Oakland back on track,” said Ali Obad-Albasiery, an Oakland business leader. “Many businesses are still struggling to hire — and not because of a lack of talent. We need someone in City Hall who has dedicated his life and career creating jobs to chart a new path for our city.”

As mayor, supporters say, Johnson will build a coalition of law enforcement, business, civic and faith leaders, educators, labor and environmental advocates to address head-on the City’s most pressing challenges and create an Oakland that works for all – from the Hills to Eastmont, from Fruitvale to West Oakland and from Chinatown to Lake Merritt.

“The cynicism of our politics may lead some to think that somehow this is the new normal,” said Johnson. “But the challenges we face today do not define who we are – and I have faith that better days are ahead of us. But it will take grit and determination, and unwavering faith in each other. It will take Oaklanders of all creeds and faiths coming together in pursuit of one Oakland. I hope you’ll join me.”

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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.