Economics

Entrepreneur Tom Henderson Creates Jobs for Oakland Residents

Published

10 years ago

August 22, 2014

In the current economic struggle where people are vying for jobs, and the unemployment rate remains high, CallSocket is an Oakland company that stands out for its commitment to hiring Oakland residents and providing them with decent pay and health benefits, as well as opportunities to move up in the company.

Owned by entrepreneur Tom Henderson, the company has a staff of 123 employees in its call center, mostly Oakland residents, who handle call-in and call-out campaigns for businesses such as ADT, DeVry University, and others.

The company, which pays $14 an hour and provides Kaiser health coverage, is preparing to hire 50 new employees by September.

“The first priority is to hire Oakland residents,” said Henderson, who runs multiple businesses including CallSocket through his company San Francisco Regional Center (SFRC).

Operating on three floors at the Tribune tower in downtown Oakland, the company provides a creative and positive environment and room for growth for its workers.

When Team Manager Starr Ivery started working at CallSocket in January, she was employed as a customer service agent.

She has a resume packed with experience repairing computers, working for big companies like AT&T and even at the Mayor’s Office when Lionel Wilson was mayor.

However, hard hit by the latest job crisis, she was close to be being homeless when she landed what she has found to be an ideal position at CallSocket.

After three months on the job, she was promoted to her current position as a team manager providing training and support for eight agents.

“Call Socket is like a family. Here you’re allowed to be who you are and you bring your personality to the phone,” Ivery said.

While it’s hard to keep companies in Oakland, she said, it’s good “to find a place like Call Socket that believed in hiring and keeping business in Oakland when everyone is running from here.”

CallSocket is a company that is all about exponential growth, said Sabrina Baptiste-Shepard, Vice President of Human Resources at CallSocket.

“It’s really important when you’re dealing with people who are either underemployed or unemployed, you have to support them in making the transition so they can be successful,” Baptiste-Shepard said.

For more information, visit www.callsocket.com

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Related Topics:CallSocket City of Oakland jobs Oakland Oakland Tribune Tower San Francisco Regional Center SFRC Tom Henderson Tribune Tower

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Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

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1 day ago

November 1, 2024

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Business

Special Interview: Rep. Barbara Lee Discusses Kamala Harris’ Plan for Black Men

On Oct. 16, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Harris-Walz campaign surrogate, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who shared more insights on Harris’ agenda and the importance of securing the Black Male vote. “She has said very clearly that she wants to earn the vote of everyone. And that means earning the vote of Black men,” said Lee of Harris. “She understands the systemic and historic challenges that Black men have. You haven’ t heard of a presidential candidate coming up with a concrete actual plan and policy agenda.” The agenda includes five focus areas based on insights she gleaned from hosting discussions with Black men during her Economic Opportunity Tour.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

(File Photo) U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-13-Oakland) chides Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States for voting to strike down Affirmative Action. She is shown here speaking in front of the California Reparations Task Force in Oakland on May 6, 2023. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Last week, the Kamala Harris campaign released its Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.

“She has said very clearly that she wants to earn the vote of everyone. And that means earning the vote of Black men,” said Lee of Harris. “She understands the systemic and historic challenges that Black men have. You haven’ t heard of a presidential candidate coming up with a concrete actual plan and policy agenda.”

The agenda includes five focus areas based on insights she gleaned from hosting discussions with Black men during her Economic Opportunity Tour:

Provide 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others disadvantaged groups to start businesses.
Champion education, training, and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries It will also develop more accessible pathways for Black men to become teachers.
Support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected.
Launch a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men that addresses sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, prostate cancer, and other health challenges that disproportionately impact them.
Legalize recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry.

“[Vice President Harris] knows that Black men have long felt that too often their voice in our political process has gone unheard and that there is so much untapped ambition and leadership within the Black male community,” the language in the agenda states. “Black men and boys deserve a president who will provide the opportunity to unleash this talent and potential by removing historic barriers to wealth creation, education, employment, earnings, health, and improving the criminal justice system.”

Diving into Harris’ agenda, Lee says, reminded her of her own record of supporting Black men over the years as an elected official. In the 90’s, she established the first California Commission on African American Males through which she pressured the state to address urgent economic, health and social challenges specific to Black men.

“No group of people are a monolithic group of people,” said Lee She’ s not taking any vote for granted. I’ve known her over three decades and I believe she is being herself. She’ s authentic,” Lee added.

Each of the 5 key points addressed in the Harris Campaign’s agenda, Lee says, has additional clauses that can potentially help Black men and their families thrive. This includes lowering rent; up to $25,000 in downpayment help for first time homebuyers; and cutting taxes for Black men in lower-wage jobs by increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit maximum to $1,500.

“I think the messages is one of empowerment for Black men — regardless of whether they’ re a blue-collar worker, if they’ re not working, if they’ re in business, if they’ re an entrepreneur, whatever background or whatever they’re doing or experiencing life. I think the authenticity of their experience can only be articulated through them,” said Lee.