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Hunters Point Entrepreneur Yolanda, ‘Londi’ Jones, 60

Jones was the president and CEO of Yolanda’s Construction Administration & Traffic Control (YCAT-C) an African-American and woman-owned business offering a wide range of administrative and traffic control services to support public and private sector clients on engineering-construction projects.

Published

5 years ago

March 8, 2021

Kiki

Yolanda “Londi” Jones

Entrepreneur, community champion and philanthropist Yolanda “Londi” Jones died at her Richmond home on Feb. 18, 2021, a two-year battle with cancer. She was 60.

Jones started YCAT-C in 2010 with just $200 and two goals in mind: to create a better way of life for her family and to employ men and women from the Bayview Hunter’s Point community where she grew up. She singled-handedly grew YCAT-C to a multi-million dollar company with 14 full-time employees.

In 2012, YCAT-C was named Small Business of the Year by the San Francisco Small Business Network (SFSBN). And in 2013, she was awarded the Business Leader Award by the National Council of Negro (NCNW) at the Golden Gate Section 30^th Year Annual Celebration.

Born in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 1960, Jones went to neighborhood schools and graduated from George Washington High School.

Her entrepreneurial spirit showed early with engagement in several small businesses, including a fish-fry eatery that she started with her father, Charles Walker.

“Londi loved her community. She reached in and pulled out under-served men and women out and employed them, so they could have a better way of life,” said Ginger Jones, her niece.

“She believed everyone deserved a chance, so she gave everyone a chance. I don’t know what life will be like without Londi,” she said.

In 2016, YCAT-C made national headlines after Jones won the #PitchLeBronContest, a competition in which small business owners across the U.S. submitted 23-second videos vying for a highly sought after social media mention from A-list athlete Lebron James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jones masterfully used her 23-second pitch to talk about YCAT-C and their commitment to employing men and women from under-served neighborhoods as a pathway out of crime and poverty.

“Lebron I need your help. I’m an African-American, women-owned flagging business in Bayview Hunters Point San Francisco. We place men and women on construction projects to earn a decent living. Put the guns down, put the dope down, pick up a stop sign and earn a decent living,” Jones said, dressed in a construction vest, hard hat and holding up a stop sign.

James commended Jones for her work on his Facebook page, which had over 23 million followers.

“HUGE s/o to CLE Hustles #PitchLeBron winner Yolanda Jones & YCAT Control!! Loved watching the video. Keep going Yolanda, keep changing lives… your passion is inspiring.” James posted.

He also sent out a Tweet congratulating Jones from his Twitter account, which had 32 million followers at the time.

Jones was always able to leverage any publicity: by 2020, prior to the pandemic, Jones employed 50 people, 80% of whom were formerly incarcerated and Black residents of Bayview Hunters Point.

Jones will be remembered for her fearlessness, generosity of spirit and her love for the community.

She was preceded in death by her son, Leonard Bradley Jr.; brother-in-law, Jacoby Jones Sr., her favorite cousin, Hebret Walker, and her bonus son, Charles Johnson, Sr.

She is survived by her husband Rayshean Jones Sr., mother-in-law, Vickie Jones, her children, Geoffrea Morris (Erik), Meiko-Ann Davis, Lyn-Tise Jones (Jeremy), Raysean Jones Jr. and Rome Jones; her bonus children, Ginger Jones, Jamese Jones, JaQuan Jones, Iyshawn Jones, Rayshanae Jones, and LaDante Johnson; her siblings, Charlette Carnegia (Lester), Ruedell Mendoza (Michael), Lorraine Walker and Charles Walker Jr.,

The Jones family has arranged an all-day public viewing Friday, March 5 at Duggan’s Funeral Services, 3434 17th St., San Francisco, CA 94110. Due to COVID restrictions only groups of 20 or fewer are permitted at a time, so the family has booked multiple viewing slots: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Kiki

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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4 days ago

March 7, 2026

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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

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1 week ago

March 1, 2026

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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

3 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.