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Newark: Brenda Knight Inspires and Educates at Breast Cancer Conference

Knight, as a motivational speaker, leans on her life experience as a mother, wife, community advocate, and professional leader to encourage people. Historically, Knight has a track record of supporting the BCAA conference for over 10 years and has volunteered with hundreds of cancer patients through programs at local hospitals and Relay for Life – American Canyon.

Published

6 months ago

September 10, 2025

Oakland Post

Brenda Knight at the SCI Breast Cancer and African Americans Conference 2025. Photo courtesy of Brenda Knight.

By Carla Thomas

On Aug. 23, the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) Office of Community Outreach and Engagement hosted the Breast Cancer and African Americans (BCAA) Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Newark, California.

The event, themed “Helping Communities Better Help Themselves,” provided culturally tailored education, aiming to promote healthier lifestyles, and encourage lasting improvements in community well-being.

The gathering addressed the reality that breast cancer disproportionately impacts Black women in the United States, who are often diagnosed younger, at later stages, and with more aggressive forms of the disease. Focusing on culturally relevant, high-quality, and timely cancer information, organizers say, the SCI BCAA Conference bridged critical awareness gaps, resources, and support for African American communities across the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding counties.

The event welcomed African American women age 18 and older that were newly diagnosed, in treatment, survivors, or simply seeking knowledge and connection. Family members, caregivers, community advocates, faith-based leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers, and clinicians also participated.

Highlights of the day included presentations by distinguished local and national experts on breast cancer, women’s health, and wellness. The panel of speakers included Brenda Knight, founder of the Ladies In Red; Dr. Ryland Gore, owner of the Dream Breast Care Center; Dr. Cheryl Ewing of the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center, and Breast Cancer Champions Lynda Haliburton, and Chandra Collins. Former WNBA player and breast cancer survivor, Edna Campbell, owner of Breathe and Stretch and Geneva Clay, founder of Fit-4 Living Health & Wellness Services was also a speaker at the event.

Brenda Knight, founder of the “Ladies in Red” social network, said she entered the stage with the music of James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing” and Lessss’ “Dance Until You Feel Better.”

“One lady thanked me for getting her up and moving around,” said Knight, realizing that a diagnosis or disease can leave people without energy and sedentary.

Knight is not a cancer survivor, but cancer became a personal fight when the disease struck her close friend, Janie Flowers. “I moved Janie into my home to help her and to fight the challenges of cancer,” said Knight of her deceased friend. Knight, who is currently a caregiver for her mother, said she volunteered with cardiology patients at Kaiser Hospital as she took care of her husband who battled congestive heart failure.

“We can overcome and endure anything as long as we have support,” said Knight. “That’s why the BCCA conference is so important. People need to know they are not alone and there are resources and people who care about their wellbeing.”

Event supporters and partners included Global Alliance for Change, Bay Area Black Nurses Association, Inc., Ladies in Red, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. – San Francisco Chapter, Dream Breast Care Center, Allen Temple Baptist Church – Health Education Ministry, Saint Mark AME Zion Church, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Sigma Omicron Chapter California State University East Bay (CSUEB).

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Oakland Post: Week of September 3 – 9, 2025

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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.