Activism

Rise East Project: East Oakland Youth Development Center Assures Youth Have Input in the Future of Their Neighborhood

Published

2 years ago

November 5, 2023

East Oakland Youth Development Center Executive Director Serena Wilson oversees a project with children. Courtesy photo.

Part 5

By Tanya Dennis

Rise East is a $100 million privately funded initiative to rebuild Black neighborhoods in a 40×40 block area in East Oakland over ten years. Project partners are Oakland Thrives, the 40×40 Council, and Blue Meridian Partners. East Oakland Youth Development Center and Roots Clinic are other supporters.

In 1855, abolitionist Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.”

The sentiment is no less apt today as the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) offers programming that has strengthened the minds and hearts of kids in East Oakland.

Over the course of 45 years, 27 of them under the leadership of recently retired Executive Director Regina Jackson, EOYDC gained national recognition as a youth development model with national and global impact.

Serena Wilson, its current executive director, and Chief Programming Officer Landon Hill are former EOYDC participants who had access to training in visual and performing arts, wellness, and career development at the building at 82^nd and International Boulevard when they were young.

Already a member of the Black Cultural Zone organization, EOYDC brought to Rise East the vital component of youth-oriented culture that builds community leaders and business-oriented youth.

EOYDC Executive Director Serena Wilson, a member of EOYDC since age 4, says, “With the Rise East Project comes the necessity to have not only the voice of adults living in the ‘40 by 40’ zone designated for development but also that of our youth.

“We help youth maximize their potential and be the best version of themselves. With Rise East addressing environmental and historical factors that have led to the deprivation of this population, it is vital we cultivate a culture of support where the voices of the once voiceless are heard,” Wilson said.

EOYDC’s youth have been weighing in as part of the ‘40 by 40’ Steering Committee and have a formal role in co-designing the actual programming in Rise East structure, Wilson said.

EOYDC has its own advisory council internally, and the youth work with everything within EOYDC’s other initiatives. “It was natural that they also work with Oakland Thrives on their advisory council.”

Wilson indicates that the pledge by philanthropists Blue Meridian to invest $50 million into East Oakland has upped the ante for the 40-by-40 Council, as the council must now raise $50 million in matching funds.

“Thus far, we have raised $20 million, and we are hosting a private, invitation-only fundraiser at the end of this month,” said Wilson. “I’m confident we can raise the funds required to match Blue Meridian.”

Wilson is the first alumni to run the youth organization, and 50% of EOYDC staff are previous members.

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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.