Bay Area

Judge William H. Stephens, 88

Judge William Haynes Stephens, known as Bill, died peacefully on May 17, 2023, at age 88. A trailblazer in many regards, he will be remembered as a man who truly forged his own path through life.

Published

3 years ago

July 5, 2023

Oakland Post

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William ‘Bill’ Haynes Stephens was appointed to a city judgeship by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 1979.

Judge William Haynes Stephens, known as Bill, died peacefully on May 17, 2023, at age 88. A trailblazer in many regards, he will be remembered as a man who truly forged his own path through life.

Bill was born in New Orleans on March 2, 1935, to Myrtle Haynes and William Charles Stephens. During World War II, Bill moved to Sacramento, CA where he attended Sacramento High School, graduated at the age of 16 and enrolled at what was then San Jose State College, becoming the first in his family to attend college.

Bill graduated in 1956. Over the next eight years, Bill worked as an accountant and an assistant personnel officer for the California Department of Water Resources.

In 1964, Bill enrolled at Hastings Law School in San Francisco. Bill graduated from Hastings in 1967 and began his law career at the National Labor Relations Board before switching to become a deputy public defender for Contra Costa County.

In 1969, Bill joined the San Rafael law firm of Bagley & Bianchi, and moved to Mill Valley, the city he would reside in for the rest of his life. Bill worked happily for the firm for three years before leaving to start his own private practice in Sausalito.

During his time as an attorney, Bill served as director of the Marin County Bar Association and director and president of the Marin County Legal Aid Society.

He would also hold positions in numerous community-focused organizations in Marin, serving as chairman of the Marin County Human Rights Commission, director of the Family Service Agency of Marin, and director of La Familia of Marin Inc., a community group for low-income, Spanish-speaking residents.

He offered additional legal counsel to the Marin City Community Services District as well as Opportunity Through Ownership, a small business development corporation promoting entrepreneurship among disadvantaged persons.

For over 30 years Bill mentored the youths of the Performing Stars’ enrichment program enhancing their academic performance and professional readiness to overcome social-economic challenges. Beyond these shores, Bill’s mission with Village Baptist Church’s Better African Foundation promoted better life in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin through medical, educational, and cultural initiatives.

In the spring of 1976, Bill entered the election to become a judge in the Marin County Municipal Court. In his own words, he wanted to “restore some of the lost public confidence in judges.” Showing his commitment to serving with impartiality, he rejected public endorsement from other lawyers and set up a blind trust to receive donations toward his campaign. Even with public endorsements including the Marin Independent Journal, Bill narrowly lost the race.

Based on his valiant showing, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Bill to the Marin Municipal Court in 1979. After serving nine years on the Marin Municipal Court, Bill sought a seat on the Marin Superior Court and won by a landslide victory.

Bill would serve as a judge for 11 more years on the Marin County Superior Court. In his last years, Bill spent much of his time in his Mill Valley home and Southern Marin community that he dearly loved. By friends and family, he will be deeply missed.

Bill is predeceased in death by his father William C. Stephens; his mother Myrtle Jackson; his brothers Robert and Larry Stephens; his son Michael Stephens; and his former partner Andrea Forest. He is survived by his sons Stuart, Patrick, and Haynes Stephens; his granddaughters Sabrina, Britainy, and Madison Stephens.

A memorial service will be held at the Cornerstone Church in Marin City on Sat., July 15, at 11:00 a.m.

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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

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.