Activism

‘Rooted in the Town’ Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Awards Held in Oakland

The Celebration of Freedom honorees included Children’s Fairyland Executive Director Kymberly Miller, Construction Resource Center Executive Director Len Turner, and clothing designer Taylor Jay of Taylor Jay Collections.

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2024

Carla Thomas

Councilmember Treva Reid presents honoree Children's Fairyland Executive Director Kymberly Miller with the Celebration of Freedom Award at the Juneteenth Rooted In the Town Celebration of Freedom Awards in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

On Saturday, June 15 the Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Awards were held at the California Ballroom, MC’d by Emeryville Mayor Courtney Welch and hosted by Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Treva Reid, and Carroll Fife. This year’s theme was ‘Rooted in the Town.’

Reid passionately spoke of the Council’s accomplishments, while Fife spoke of the need for the City of Oakland to have a Black agenda to meet the urgent needs in the community.

Miller, who joined Children’s Fairyland in August 2019, previously worked with Girl Scouts of Northern California for 11 years. Her experience in youth development, relationship with community leaders, and the Oakland business community have positioned her as a champion for Fairyland.

Turner previously worked for CADAM-Lockheed, IBM, and Disneyland before he and his family established the largest minority general contractors’ business in the Bay Area, the Turner Construction Group. His sister and co-founder, LaTanya Hawkins, accepted the award on his behalf.

Jay has been in the fashion industry for 14 years and became an entrepreneur at 23. She currently runs two boutiques in the Bay Area offering luxury fashions. Jay celebrates women of all sizes and is a proud mentor of aspiring entrepreneurs.

Entertainer Dee Dee Simon sang soulful R&B favorites. The singer was in town briefly in between America’s Got Talent tapings. DJ Chanel spun familiar songs and anecdotes between speeches and commentary.

Journalist Carla Thomas and Post News Group Publisher Paul Cobb were present at the awards ceremony. Courtesy photo.

Carla Thomas

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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.