Activism

Opponents of Mayor Sheng Thao Are Calling on Her to Resign Following FBI Raid

Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, headed by Seneca Scott and former Alameda judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, is leading the campaign to oust Thao from office. They are adamant that under the mayor’s leadership, Oakland has gone to ruin and her resignation would allow the city to heal once and for all.

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

Oakland Post

Recall proponents against Mayor Sheng Thao have held several rallies to call on the mayor to resign from office following the FBI raid on her home June 20. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

By Magaly Muñoz

It’s no secret that residents of Oakland have been widely unsatisfied with Mayor Sheng Thao during her 18 months in office but calls for her resignation have soared since her home was raided by the FBI last week for an unspecified investigation.

Thao opponents have held several press conferences and rally’s in the week since the raid and the certification of necessary signatures to trigger a recall election against the mayor.

“More than 40,000 people signed the recall petitions from all over Oakland. These are citizens who are hurting. They’ve been hurting for a long, long time,” Harbin-Forte said.

The most recent call for resignation came shortly after Thao’s first appearance following the news of the FBI investigation. Until that point, Thao had been MIA for four days, only communicating through her former attorney Anthony Brass.

Many interpreted this lack of acknowledgment to the public as an admission of guilt and a sign that she has something to hide.

Thao emphatically portrayed her innocence at the Monday press conference, stating that she would cooperate in any way she could while continuing her duties to keep Oakland safe.

FBI raids aside, the mayor has long been the blame for many of Oakland’s deep-rooted problems including the absence of a police chief for a whole year, rising crime rates, businesses leaving the city, the fiscal crisis, and overall the lack of public safety.

This has ultimately led to her facing a recall election after the recall campaign successfully gathered over 40,000 signatures to get the recall scheduled. But her opponents are instead asking for her to willingly step down so as to not cost the city any additional funds to put this on the November ballot.

The city estimates that the cost of the recall could be $4.9 million for a standalone election or $1.2 for a consolidated ballot in November, but recall proponents say it doesn’t have to get that far and she can choose to “do the honorable thing” and allow for the people to vote for a new mayor in November.

Harbin-Forte also said that they could’ve gotten more signatures for the ballot but claimed residents were scared because of alleged threats made by Thao.

“So many [residents] did not sign and did not feel comfortable signing because… she had already told people that if anyone supported the recall that their nonprofit was not getting another dime,” Harbin-Forte said.

Tuan Ngo, founder of Asians Unite, stated that the mayor was embarrassing Oakland and needed to leave office immediately. He also called on council president Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Carroll Fife to resign, a message that has also been widespread amongst dissatisfied Oaklanders over the last several months.

Although the recall group has not officially endorsed anyone to take over for Thao, Loren Taylor, the candidate who narrowly lost to Thao in the 2022 election, has said that he is preparing to run again. Thao defeated Taylor by just 677 votes.

Despite the mounting pressure for her to step down, Thao assured the public at her press conference that she would not be bullied out of her job and won’t allow “billionaires from San Francisco and Piedmont” to buy a fair election out from under the city.

The Oakland City Council is scheduled to discuss the certification of the recall petition on July 2.

Oakland Post

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Activism

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

1 week 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.