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PRESS ROOM: Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 22nd Annual Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project Economic Summit

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Wall Street Project’s Economic Summit will bring entrepreneurs, corporate executives and the nation’s leading policymakers together to increase business and employment opportunities for African Americans, women, and all people of color.

Published

7 years ago

February 12, 2019

Oakland Post

Join National Urban League President & CEO Marc H. Morial, Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, President & CEO CVS Health, Larry J. Merlo, Susan L. Taylor, CEO & COO Ariel Investments John W. Rogers and more ….

New York, NY– The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund will host its 22nd Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit, February 20 – February 22, 2019 at The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7^th Ave., 3^rd Floor in New York City. The Wall Street Project Economic Summit is themed, “400 Years Later: Closing the Wealth Gap, Expanding Opportunity.” It will feature sessions on closing the wealth gap, consumer protection, the state of telecom, the tech industries, diversity, investing globally and in Africa, a fireside chat with Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, and much more.

“We’re looking to expand upon the progress and discuss ways to increase opportunities for minorities and women,” says Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and organizer of the Wall Street Project. “After 400 years, there is still much more work to be done in terms of our freedom, equity, diversity and inclusion, particularly in today’s political climate if we want to close the wealth gap and expand opportunity.”

The Wall Street Project’s Economic Summit will bring entrepreneurs, corporate executives and the nation’s leading policymakers together to increase business and employment opportunities for African Americans, women, and all people of color.

“History is an unbroken continuity that cannot be denied. Americans should not hide from the past nor engage in an extended exercise of rehashing 400 tragic years. However, we do need to continue to push to close the wealth gap and expand opportunities for African Americans,” adds Rev. Jackson. “This year’s Wall Street Project Economic Summit plans to address where and what African Americans should and can do – since setting foot 400 years ago on U.S. soil.”

Day One: The Summit will consist of discussions on the State of Black America since Blacks were brought to America, closing the wealth gap, with panelists Alfred A. Edmond, Jr. SVP/ Executive Editor-at-large, Black Enterprise and Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League and a fireside chat with Toni Townes-Whitley, President, U.S. Regulated Industries Colleges and Universities; and end with an opening reception where members of the Congressional Black Caucus will be in attendance.

Day Two: Kicks off with a fireside chat with Rev. Jackson and Larry J. Merlo, President & Chief Executive Officer, CVS Health; a session on the racial wealth gap and its ties to Wall Street, including diversity on corporate boards, C-suites, consumer protection, the state of Historically Black Colleges and University, the annual Ministers & Labor Luncheon where the keynote speaker will be the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II, U.S. Representative Missouri’s 5th congressional district. The day continues with a sports session and a session on the ‘Business of Hip Hop.’ On the evening of Day Two, the Wall Street Summit will end with “Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund 22^st Annual Wall Street Project Scholarship Gala,” which will include distinguished honorees and musical entertainment by singer, songwriter Lalah Hathaway.

Day Three: The Summit ends with the Wall Street Project Economic Project Annual Business Luncheon where the keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Maxine Waters and David L Casey, Vice President, Workforce Strategies & Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health will be honored.

Confirmed speakers to date include: Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.; Congressman Emanuel Cleaver; Dr. Darrick Hamilton, executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State, Reverend Al Sharpton, president and CEO, National Action Network, Janice Mathis, executive director of the National Council of Negro Women; Congressman Gregory W. Meeks – Senior Member- House Committee on Financial Services and Senior Member- House Foreign Affairs Committee; Larry J. Merlo, President & CEO of CVS Health; John W. Rogers, Jr., CEO and CIO, Ariel Investments; Gala CO-Chair Susan L. Taylor, Founder & CEO, National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Essence Magazine; Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL AGENDA

TO REGISTER, Visit: http://www.rainbowpushwallstreetproject.org/registration.html or call (646) 569-5889

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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.