Activism

Richmond Students Board Bus en Route to College Degrees

The Black College Expo at the Marriott Convention Center on Feb. 8, where San Rafael nonprofit 10,000 Degrees, which organized the field trip, aimed to connect students to numerous colleges and universities and provide them with the essential knowledge and skills to attend college.

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Photos from the field trip by Carlos Calito.

By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard

A bus departed from Richmond’s Greenwood Academy and headed toward Oakland on Saturday, setting a path toward fulfilling student dreams of a bright future. Their destination?

Through the field trip, 10,000 Degrees set its sights on various goals to support low-income students in achieving their college dreams. The nonprofit emphasized education about the college and university admission process and related financials and scholarships. Students networked and were provided the groundwork to get accepted to colleges and be awarded scholarships that same day.

The recent field trip followed the nonprofit’s launch of its Black Student Engagement program aimed at addressing education challenges in Richmond, the Bay Area and beyond.

And as the group’s visit to the Expo reflected, the program aims to support local Black high school and college students with the resources and knowledge to become college graduates. This includes financial aid assistance and scholarships available through 10,000 Degrees.

Relatedly, a Black Student Engagement Internship program and Black Student College Fund offered by the nonprofit further supports the upward educational trajectory of Black students.

In Richmond, 10,000 Degrees works with students at high schools including John F. Kennedy High School, Richmond High School, and Sylvester Greenwood Academy.

For more information about 10,000 Degrees and its work for students, go to https://10000degrees.org/

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.